[quote="Larry Kraus" .........This one, for instance references a Boeing-Canada PB2B-1 Canso A (PBY-5A), which from your previous post is obviously not correct, especially the PBY-5A reference as the PB2B-1 was a pure flying-boat, unless I'm really confused.
https://aviation-safety.net/database/re ... 19520518-0 What do you think?[/quote]
You cannot have a "PB2B-1 Canso A (PBY-5A)" as that mixes up three separate 'types' of the basic design. Whilst the PB2B-1 and PBY-5A designations both related to US Navy aircraft, they are not transferable as the PB2B-1 and PBY-5A were built by different manufacturers, the first by Boeing Aircraft of Canada Ltd and the second by Consolidated. Plus, the PB2B- 1 was not an amphibian whilst the PBY-5A was. The same goes for the Canso A - although Boeing' built some, they were all amphibs whereas the rest of Boeing's production were non-amphibs - PB2B-1s and PB2B-2s.
I think you are right inasmuch as the ASN website is using multiple designations but they should not be mixed. Does it matter? - I think it does but others may disagree.
Two observations - civilian 'Catalinas' were often registered with type designations different to the ones they were originally built as. We've been here before in other WIX threads - an example would be our UK aircraft G-PBYA which was built as a Canso A but recognised by the CAA as a PBY-5A.
Second, a few US wartime Catalinas were transferred from the US Navy to the USAAF and at least one OA-10A went from the USAAF to the US Navy (BuNo 21232). When the latter aircraft was sold by the FAA to its first civil owner it was quoted as a PBY-5A. I suspect the US Navy to USAAF aircraft were referred to by the OA- etc designation after the USAAF took then on.