PBY's ...

[The Inspector]

Why no wing flaps ??

Originally designed and built as a straight boat, so who cares how much Ocean we burn up getting in the air? 'We can step taxi to Hawai`i'

[CoastieJohn]

The PBY's at the Coast Guard's VP-6 is in Greenland.

The PBY wheels up on the ice cap is Greenland taken during the famous PN9E (B-17) rescue. Pics taken by Col Bernt Balchen. The book on that whole WWII saga is at the publishers as we speak and should come out this year.

The PBY's at CGAS Elizabeth City are next door to the famous Airship Hanger used in WWII.

[makin' boost]

Great photos, thank you for posting them.

[David Legg]

Is that Clipper bow being 'hot refuelled' one of the 'Double Sunrise' aircraft?

That Catalina is not one of the Double Sunrise aircraft although there is a shot later in the sequence of Vega * which was one. The 'clipper bow' aircraft is a PBY-6A (note the full span elevators) and I do not think it is being 'hot-refuelled', at least not with gas as that is done from on top of the wing where the tank fillers are positioned. Rather, I think it is probably being 'refuelled' with fire retardent as suggested by Dean Hemphill in an earlier post and that it is a post-war photo of a fire-fighter.

As to all the other photos, they are a real treasure trove containing a fantastic mix of PBYs of all sorts, OA-10As, RAF Catalinas and even a superb shot of the XP3Y-1 prototype. Some are well known photos but others were new to me. You could spend hours studying the detail! Thanks for posting them Mark.

[SaxMan]

The Cat in this photo has what looks like a postwar civilian "nose job". There are two Avengers in the background. Could these aircraft be civilian airtankers?

I would agree this is an air tanker photo. Note the lack of military markings on the PBY. Also, if you look closely, it does appear that the Avenger is carrying a retardant tank. If it was a "conventional" Avenger, the planes bottom profile would look more round.

[Mark Allen M]

Very welcome as always folks. Some neat stuff isn't it?

[CoastieJohn]

Very welcome as always folks. Some neat stuff isn't it?

Mark,

Thanks for posting the pics. I too got a copy of those ice cap ones when I was doing research at NARA. For the Coast Guard PBY's, did any of the pics have crew names listed on the back? I already know about Gershowitz.

Side note - aside from my one mention of a book coming out this year on the PN9E saga, there is another book in the works about WWII Greenland and alot of info and pics of VP-6. The auther has most, if not all of the crew names and pics of those who served at VP-6 flying/working on PBY's.

Thanks....John

[StudeDave]

And recently a restored pigboat (buaerno 33968/ex N 84857) was airlifted from Bayview West of Mt. Vernon over to rest on the seaplane ramp @ NAS Whidbey Island as a memorial to all the patrol squadron guys who flew from there.

Indeed- http://pbymf.org/
They have been posting on FaceBook about their leaky port main mount tire of late.

The bird is actually up the hill from the building in that pic above- but it's there!!!
and... that building remains, and is in use to this day as a Navy Exchange.


I'd always thought that the flight line I used to 'work' at NAS Jax was home to PBYs.
Now I know!!! That bird is sitting very near where my SH-3Hs used to.
and is it me, or does that look like a Studebaker truck?


Thanks soo much for posting all these pics of one of my favorite WarBirds.

[Chris Brame]

and is it me, or does that look like a Studebaker truck?

Must be you . Pretty sure it's a Chevy.

[Noha307]

I think he was referring to the float flares right of center, in front of the container marked rations

Yep. You got it. I had a guess they were dye markers. Guess not.

What's a float flare? A flare that floats? And why shape them like bombs? I figured they were meant to be kept with the life raft for survival, but it just occurred to me that they might be dropped from the rescuing aircraft. Either way, I assume they are to be used to help locate or illuminate an area. Is this correct? (Sorry for the ignorance. )

[shrike]

I think he was referring to the float flares right of center, in front of the container marked rations

Yep. You got it. I had a guess they were dye markers. Guess not.

What's a float flare? A flare that floats? And why shape them like bombs? I figured they were meant to be kept with the life raft for survival, but it just occurred to me that they might be dropped from the rescuing aircraft. Either way, I assume they are to be used to help locate or illuminate an area. Is this correct? (Sorry for the ignorance. )

I tried to find the exact spec, but didn't take a lot of time doing it. Basically it's a wooden body floating marker. The flare is tripped by immersion in water and used to mark a target in the water.
They are shaped like bombs, so they'll fall like bombs. That way you can use the same sight for accuracy in delivery as you would if you were dropping something heavier and less pleasant.

[Roger Cain]

As always Mark, enjoy your postings, and the text that follows, thanks.......

[J-Christophe]

The Cat in this photo has what looks like a postwar civilian "nose job". There are two Avengers in the background. Could these aircraft be civilian airtankers?

Yes it is N2846D Tanker #87


This aircraft is now on static display in Israel (Hatzerim).

[kscessnadriver]

The PBY's at the Coast Guard's VP-6 is in Greenland.

The PBY wheels up on the ice cap is Greenland taken during the famous PN9E (B-17) rescue. Pics taken by Col Bernt Balchen. The book on that whole WWII saga is at the publishers as we speak and should come out this year.

The PBY's at CGAS Elizabeth City are next door to the famous Airship Hanger used in WWII.

I wouldn't exactly call CGAS Elizabeth City "next door" to the airship hangar today. Its a couple miles.