Consolidated Catalina NC 777

[CDF]

Crew of the Guba, L-R: R. Booth (radio), J. Percival (newspaper rep. on plane), Russel Rogers (pilot), P.M.G. (Mr Harrison), R. Archbold (owner), Capt. L. A. Yancey (navigator), Capt. P. G. Taylor (in command);

[Chunks]

Interesting how in the second photo the two gentlemen on the left are cropped in. I guess some form of photoshop has been around since cavemen started painting rocks.

Chunks

[CoastieJohn]

Interesting how in the second photo the two gentlemen on the left are cropped in. I guess some form of photoshop has been around since cavemen started painting rocks.

Chunks

Good catch! I missed that.

Any smart guys recognize the plane in the background or the writing on the left side by the tail?

[airnutz]

The boat in the background appears to be G-AEUC, an Imperial Airways Short S.23 Empire, the "Corinna".

[maxum96]

Interesting how in the second photo the two gentlemen on the left are cropped in. I guess some form of photoshop has been around since cavemen started painting rocks.

Chunks

Yeah, that was Windows first version of cut and paste! LOL

[CoastieJohn]

The boat in the background appears to be G-AEUC, an Imperial Airways Short S.23 Empire, the "Corinna".

Thanks. I did a little looking around and found this two-part Youtube on these aircraft. Good stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9CVbDaXWnY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-63IBn6c_M

[David Legg]

Great photos - thanks for posting. Some are well known and some are not. Very interested to see the one with the two figures added. The aircraft is the Consolidated Model 28-3 NC777 Guba which predated the name Catalina by a few years. There were two Model 28s with the registration NC777 and then name Guba and the photos all show the second exam,poe, identifiable by the D/F housing on the wing centre section and the strengthening strip on the hull aft of the cockpit, both features that the first Guba did not have. The strip was to protect the hull from shards of ice thrown by the props which were in close proximity to the hull.

The group photos were taken in Australia after Guba had been used by Dr Richard Archbold for a survey in New Guinea. It was later flown back to the USA and en route surveyed potential flying boat bases in the Indian Ocean region. In the group photo to which the two figures have been added, the original members are, from left to right, first engineer Gerry Brown, navigator Capt. Lewis Yancey, Commonwealth Govt. rep Capt P.G. Taylor, pilot Russell Rogers, 2nd Commonwealth Govt rep and media correspondent Jack Percival and second engineer Steve Barrinka. Of the two added figures, the one on the right of the photo is the aircraft's owner Dr Richard Archbold. I am not sure who is to his right. NB - later edit. It is of course R Booth as per original poster's caption for the other group photo in which he and Archbold appeared!

Taylor later went on to become a famous pioneering pilot on Catalinas JX275 Frigate Bird and VH-ASA Frigate Bird II whilst Russell Rogers lost his life in a post-war Catalina accident when he landed on water with the u/c down.

Last edited by David Legg on Sat Nov 09, 2013 2:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Invader26]

Photos taken in Sydney at the then Rose Bay [Sydney Harbour] flying boat "port". Today a great restaurant called "Catalinas" is there..

[CDF]

Navigator Captain Yancey (right) checks map of Australia with control officer Commander H. Bennett

Capt. P. G. Taylor (in command); Russell Rogers, R. Booth and Commander L.A. Yancey

Capt. P.G. Taylor goes aboard, in front of him is radio operator R. Booth.

[David Legg]

Invader 26 - is the superb photo recently posted of Guba up on the slipway also at Rose Bay?

[PbyCat-Guy]

Do I need to say it? If so, awesome set of photos.... thanks for sharing

[hang the expense]

What a good lookin Cat.

[Invader26]

Gubais on the slip at Rose Bay, Sydney. You can see the Garden Island naval base huge crane in the background. As a matter of interest that iconic item is to be scrapped due OH&S reasons...