Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina reposessed :(

[Django]

It would be an especially cool ride from the water.

[Joe Scheil]

Does anyone have the wartime record card, or USN history of Bu 33968 ?

Interestingly Kermit Weeks has sister Bu 33966....

[mustangdriver]

It would be an especially cool ride from the water.

That would be awesome

[ZRX61]

Woo, a clipped wing Cat, is it going to Reno?

[Taylor Stevenson]

The only way you could do rides would be water landing rides bc the average joe doesnt know what the heck a PBY is and their main incentive would just be water landings in an old plane. Plus you couldnt (by "couldnt" i mean "couldnt stand to") take it on tour... too slow.

[JDK]

It would be an especially cool ride from the water.

That would be awesome

The Kiwis offer rides with their Cat, including occasional 'water action'.

Ummm. A Catalina would be a great subject for offering even dry land rides - lets not forget the many veterans and their families memories of maritime operations - certainly the PBY / Cat family was as widely used internationally (more so IIRC) as the B-17 and 24 were. If your mandate is 'education' not maximising revenue for the familiar, turning up with slightly more diverse types such as a PBY is laudable, and an opportunity to show and support the others who didn't fly fighters or bombers.

By allowing a bias towards the familiar, we perpetrate increasing narrowness of memory and history. (If that's a sentence! )

[A2C]

By allowing a bias towards the familiar, we perpetrate increasing narrowness of memory and history. (If that's a sentence! )

Let me guess a quote from Winston Churchill or Lord Howe?

[PbyCat-Guy]

I WANT I WANT! Love the Pig Boat!!!!!!!!

[krlang]

You would have to sell a whole bunch of rides to pay for the $30k in hull insurance to get it wet.

Any idea if this one has the usual corrosion in the center wing section?

[Chaz Harris]

Plus you couldnt (by "couldnt" i mean "couldnt stand to") take it on tour... too slow.

Are you saying that the EAA can do it in a Tri-Motor at 80-100MPH and it couldn't be done in a PBY at 120MPH?

(Boy, that must be one fast L-5... )

[Speedy]

Several years ago I got the opportunity to fly Jack Erickson's PBY (Tillamook Museum) and I just had to laugh at the comments about it being 'too slow'. Man, you're not kidding. I think flying in the old family Navion was faster. 120kts in a PBY? Yeah...if you're travelling downhill!

Love that airplane, though.

http://aafo.com/library/history/tillamok.htm

[mustangdriver]

Doesn't the Air Power Museum in New York offer rides or plan to in their PBY?

[Ryan Keough]

Doesn't the Air Power Museum in New York offer rides or plan to in their PBY?

1) They are a LONG way away from it taking to the air again in the first place... go to these links to see shots from over Labor Day weekend...

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2822983 ... 2994hMwmzw

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2337343 ... 2994MJLkPR

NWM pretty much came to the conclusion that water landings would be disaster for that bird... the hull wasn't in the best shape in the first place and the only way it could do full water ops would be a full replacement and restoration of the hull... otherwise you'd be looking at the next boating hazard in the spot where she stopped.

2) Though it was kicked around, they also have come to a similar outcome that many have when it comes to rides... way too expensive to insure right for the water draw and without that, there isn't much in the way of marketability for the expense. Of course, that's in today's climate that saw most touring groups about 20-30% off last years take. Perhaps a few more years of recovery could change minds... of course, if there is no recovery... well....

[Matt Gunsch]

There are 2 problems with PBY, the first is on a water landing, it is easy to cave the nose gear doors in and basically blow the plane apart, that is what happened to the CAF plane as well the firebomber that fuselage that Pima has. The other thing is, if you have to refabric the wing, that is a HUGE job. Most people don't know it but the PBY wing from the spar aft and from tip to tip is fabric. Oh, and it real fun trying to clear a liquid lock on one, ask me how I know............

[Fouga23]

Oh, and it real fun trying to clear a liquid lock on one, ask me how I know............

How do you know?