PBY in movie "Below"

[Scott Rose]

I'm watching a bad submarine/horror flick called "Below", what was interesting is the opening sequence has one of the best shots of a PBY I've ever seen. It was a late model PBY in RAF markings. Does anybody know the id of this aircraft?

[DazDaMan]

Cats aren't my strong point, but I do recall a PBY being painted up here in the UK, possibly North Weald, a year or two ago. This might have been it.

[Ollie]

I remember seeing something about that Canso on a board a while ago.

Have you searched the Fly Past forums?

[DazDaMan]

This is it - I saw the movie and asked the same question on the Key Publishing Forum...

During the summer of 2000 N9521C was leased by Mike Woodley, of Aces High fame, to be used in the opening aerial sequences of a film called "Below." Flown by Chuck Ellsworth, who was brought over from Canada especially for the job, the filming was conducted off the east coast of England, near Clacton.

Refurbished by Edwards Bros the PBY sported dummy depth charges and repainted in a wartime colour-scheme of a Catalina of 209 Squadron RAF, in fact as AH545 WQ-Z, the aircraft that sighted the Bismarck.

Following filming the paintwork she resorted to her US Navy colour-scheme, and remained in storage in a hangar at North Weald where she was also used as a backdrop for a docu-drama on Glenn Miller's last flight.

http://www.tidetech.com/fighterfactory/catalina.html

[Scott Rose]

Thanks!