Consolidated PBY Catalina
(OA-10, PB2B, PBV, A-10, PBN, PBV, PB3Y)
Technical Information

Background
Designed by Consolidated Aircraft Corporation in San Diego. The Navy's famous and versatile flying boat. It served in a variety of roles from torpedo bomber, patrol and air/sea rescue. Also, the type flew with many other Allied nations.

While it was slow by contemporary standards, the PBY more than made up for it's lack of speed with its reliability and great range, as well as the fact that as a flying boat it could land on the water for rescue missions. It's long range made it an excellent reconnaissance aircraft over the world's oceans. It could be used as a bomber when other aircraft were unavailable, and Catalinas attacked targets at sea with bombs, depth charges, and even torpedoes.

OA-10 Catalina
PBY-5A/-6A amphibians for use in by the USAAF for search and rescue duties. This series was redesignated A-10 in 1948.

PB2B Catalina VI
Licence built PBY-5 Catalina built by Boeing of Canada for the RAF and RAAF known as Catalina VI

PBV Canso
Built by Canadian Vickers Limited in Montreal, Canada as the Model CL-1 a license built version of Consolidated Aircraft Corporation Model 28-5A.

Other designations
A-10, PBN, PBV, PB3Y, P3Y

Technical Details
Crew  Seven
Engine  2 x Pratt and Whitney R-2800 Radial Engines
Span  104'
Length  63' 10.5"
Height  20' 2"
Maximum Speed  179 mph
Range  2,545 miles
Armament  2 x .50 cal Machine Guns (waist blisters) 3 x .30 cal Machine Guns (nose and flexible)
Bombload  up to 4,000 lbs of bombs or depth charges