Catalina production in Fort Worth

Rocketeer · **Joined:** Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:16 pm **Posts:** 195

Hi fellow WIXers, I heard stories about PBY Catalinas taking off of Lake Worth, and I was wondering if and how many PBYs were actually built at the Consolidated plant in Fort Worth. Any info would be appreciated.

The Inspector · **Posted:** Mon Jun 20, 2011 8:38 pm

Over a thousand were built in New Orleans just up the Lakefront from Mischoud where Higgins built plywood landing craft and PT boats.

StangStung · **Posted:** Tue Jun 21, 2011 10:11 am

I'd love to hear about this as well. I've grown up seeing the pics of rows of B-24s on the line in Fort Worth, but I've never heard or seen a pic of Catalinas over there.

Ztex · **Posted:** Tue Jun 21, 2011 12:50 pm

PBY'S were not built in Fort Worth. There are photos of PBY's moored at Lake Worth (just off the end of the runway at Carswell AFB and the plant) during a hurricane evacuation.
These pics have been on WIX before...
http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.o ... =3&t=26998

But of course that was a wartime cover story....maybe?

airnutz · **Posted:** Tue Jun 21, 2011 3:13 pm

Late November hurricanes in the Gulf? Very rare, none in 1940 beyond October 23 and that was just a tropical storm that died in Nicaragua.

The Inspector · **Posted:** Tue Jun 21, 2011 4:01 pm

Stranger things do happen, like your wife and all three kids agreeing your idea on where to go on vacation is a great idea..............

airnutz · **Posted:** Tue Jun 21, 2011 8:36 pm

The Inspector wrote:

Stranger things do happen, like your wife and all three kids agreeing your idea on where to go on vacation is a great idea..............

So sad, poor poor man....so programmed, he thinks the Walley World trip was HIS idea... :lol:

JohnB · **Posted:** Tue Jun 21, 2011 11:14 pm

What was to prevent the good people of Ft. Worth to looking at another page of the Star-Telegram and notseeing any mention of a hurricane in the Gulf?

Weather forcasts were bad back then, but you'd think a storm warning would have been given to the civilans...and not just Navy fliers.
Anyone with an ounce of brain would have wondered..."What's up...?"

airnutz · **Posted:** Wed Jun 22, 2011 12:38 am

JohnB wrote:

What was to prevent the good people of Ft. Worth to looking at another page of the Star-Telegram and notseeing any mention of a hurricane in the Gulf?

Who's to say the good folks looked it up and it was forewarned there WAS a coming storm...but then the warning was later rescinded as the "storm" died out or was not mentioned again....who cared? No Weather Channel...it was darn near poney express..

David Legg · **Joined:** Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:07 pm **Posts:** 341

The Inspector wrote:

Over a thousand were built in New Orleans just up the Lakefront from Mischoud where Higgins built plywood landing craft and PT boats.

I've come to this a little late having been in Switzerland overt the last few days flying (in a Catalina!).

To clarify, no Catalinas of any type were built in Fort Worth.

New Orleans production of complete Catalinas totalled 235, not "over a thousand" as quoted in the post above The 235 were PBY-5 BuAer 63992, PBY-5As BuAer 46580 to 46638 (59 aircraft), PBY-6As BuAer 46639 to 46698, BuAer 46724, BuAer 63993 to 640-99 and BuAer 64101 to 64107 (175 aircraft). Orders for a further 735 PBY-6As for the US Navy were cancelled and the aircraft were not built.

The Inspector · **Posted:** Wed Jun 22, 2011 8:05 am

Yep! You're right David, rechecked my source and discovered I was scrolling down the totals column not the individual factory column, bad finger! bad!

Rocketeer · **Joined:** Wed Jan 26, 2011 6:16 pm **Posts:** 195

That's a little disappointing, but it least I now know why many were on Lake Worth at one time. Thanks :spit

Obergrafeter · **Posted:** Wed Jun 22, 2011 2:21 pm

It's not that us Texans are gulliable to believe the hurricane story, we are just patriotic and doing or duty and keeping our mouths shut.

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Catalina production in Fort Worth

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