Time Period: World War II
Country of Origin: United States
Type: Bomber Aircraft, General Purpose Aircraft (Search and Rescue)
Manufacturer: Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation (Convair)
Consolidated Vultee PBY Catalina
The Consolidated PBY Catalina was a versatile American flying boat that was primarily used for maritime patrol and search-and-rescue missions during World War II.
First introduced in the 1930s, the PBY Catalina was known for its long-range, durability, and ability to operate from water or land. It was used by both the United States Navy and the Royal Air Force, as well as by several other Allied nations, and played a crucial role in a variety of missions, including anti-submarine warfare, convoy escort, and air-sea rescue.
The PBY Catalina is widely regarded as one of the most successful flying boats ever produced, and many examples of the aircraft remain in operation today, both as museum pieces and in private ownership.
Consolidated Vultee PBY Specifications
- Crew: 10 (pilot, co-pilot, bow turret gunner, flight engineer, radio operator, navigator, radar operator, two waist gunners, and ventral gunner)
- Length: 63 ft 10.875 in (19.47863 m)
- Wingspan: 104 ft (32 m)
- Height: 21 ft 1 in (6.43 m)
- Wing area: 1,400 sq ft (130 m2)
- Aspect ratio: 7.73
- Empty weight: 20,910 lb (9,485 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 35,420 lb (16,066 kg)
- Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0309
- Drag area: 43.26 ft2 (4.02 m2)
- Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 1,200 hp (890 kW) each
- Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propellers.
Consolidated Vultee PBY Performance
- Maximum speed: 196 mph (315 km/h, 170 kn)
- Cruise speed: 125 mph (201 km/h, 109 kn)
- Range: 2,520 mi (4,060 km, 2,190 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 15,800 ft (4,800 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)
- Lift-to-drag: 11.9
- Wing loading: 25.3 lb/sq ft (124 kg/m2)
- Power/mass: 0.067 hp/lb (0.110 kW/kg)
Consolidated Vultee PBY Armament
- Guns: 3 x .30 cal (7.62 mm) machine guns (two in nose turret, one in ventral hatch at tail)
- 2 x .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns (one in each waist blister)
- Bombs: 4,000 lb (1,814 kg) of bombs or depth charges; torpedo racks were also available.
