Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Long-range patrol flying boat

Power Plant:

Two 895 kw (1,200 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Wasp fourteen-cylinder two-row air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

Armament:

Two 7.62 mm (0.3 in) machine guns in bow; one 7.62 mm (0.3 in) machine gun in ventral tunnel;
one 12.7 mm (0.5 in) machine gun in each blister; up to 1,814 kg (4,000 lb) of bombs, depth charges or Mk 13-2 torpedoes

History:

The Consolidated Catalina was required in large numbers for anti-submarine patrols, bombing and reconnaissance duties, amongst other things, and the type was manufactured for the US Navy and other operators . The type was built by Canadian Vickers in Canada and this was basically the PBY-5A model with a taller tail, a total of 369 being delivered. The type was known as the Canso in Canada after the town in Nova Scotia; and the RAF like the RAAF used the Catalina name. The Naval Aircraft Factory in the United States built examples known as the PBN; and Boeing Canada built the PB2B-1 and PB2B-2.

The Boeing PB2B-1 was basically the Canadian equivalent of the PBY-5 and only differed slightly from that model, a total of 240 examples being built at the Company’s facility at Vancouver, British Colombia. Of these six were allotted to the US Navy for patrol duties and saw service with VPB-91. The other 234 were supplied to countries of the British Commonwealth via Lend-Lease agreements, with seven being allotted to the RAAF (PB2B-1 – serials A24-200 to A24-206) and 34 to the RNZAF (NZ4023 to NZ4056), the others going to the RAF where they became known as the Catalina Mk IVB.

The Boeing PB2B-2 then took its place on the production line and a total of 67 examples was built, of which 47 were delivered to the RAAF (PB2B-2 – serials A24-300 to A24-309 and A24-350 to A24-386). The PB2B-2 was similar to the PBN-1 Nomad and PBY-6A and was not amphibious. The PB2B-2 was the final variant of the Catalina and was essentially a PBY-6A with a new ‘eyeball’ nose turret, a radome above the cockpit for the radar, and the taller tail but without the land undercarriage of the PBY-5A and PBY-6A models. Production of this model took place from September 1944 to March 1945.

The Catalina was used extensively by the RNZAF. A total of 22 PBY-5s (NZ4001 to NZ4022) and 34 PB2B-1s (NZ4023 to NZ4056) seeing service with Nos 5 and 6 Squadrons and No 3 Operational Training Unit (OTU), the latter being formed at Lauthala Bay near Suva, Fiji in February 1944. All Catalinas were delivered to Fiji and entered service there. These aircraft were received under Lend-Lease and saw extensive service, including with the Territory Air Force, and were eventually replaced by Short Sunderlands from 1953. They were sold for scrap from 1952. Only two RNZAF Catalinas were lost on operational flights.

Following their retirement two appeared on the New Zealand Civil Aircraft Register (ZK-AMI and ZK-AMP) with TEAL. ZK-AMI (c/n 28134 – ex NZ4035, BuA 73045) was first registered in July 1947 but was only registered until November 1948 when it was returned to the RNZAF as NZ4035 and was broken up at Hobsonville. ZK-AMP (c/n 28137 – ex NZ4038, BuA 73048) was first registered in December 1948 and was withdrawn from service in May 1952, also being broken up at Hobsonville.

A total of 3,290 Catalinas of all models was built, 2,182 by Consolidated, and 892 by the Naval Aircraft Factory, Boeing and Canadian Vickers in Canada. It is not known how many were built in Russia, where the type remained in service until the mid 1950s.

Production proceeded during the years 1936 to 1945 and the type saw service in most if not all theatres of operation. Although it was slow, vulnerable, initially had no armour or self-sealing fuel tanks, it was used for a variety of roles and, once fitted with an effective radar, was used on night operations bombing Japanese positions in the Pacific right up to the end of the war. The aircraft were used for delivering covert forces into enemy territory and to rescue crews of bombers and fighters shot down, returning prisoners of war (POW) at the conclusion of the war. Many survived in military service afterwards, including operations in the Korean war; many were used for civil service afterwards; and many survive as warbirds around the world.  Examples were used as fire bombers for some years by the US Forest Service and other operators until the 1980s.

Catalinas were used on the Perth, WA to Ceylon route during World War II and one of these G-AGKS (c/n 28011 – ex JX287) named ‘Spica Star’ was a PB2B-1. After retirement it was scuttled off Sydney Heads, NSW in March 1946.

A number of ex-RAAF Boeing PB2B-2Rs were converted for civil operations , being operated by Qantas. VH-EAW (c/n 61159 – ex A24-372, JX662, BuA 44280) was loaned to Qantas in February 1948 and operated on the Rose Bay, NSW to Lord Howe Island service. It broke its moorings in a severe storm at Lord Howe Island on 23 June 1949, was washed ashore and was extensively damaged. It was written off, stripped and sunk at sea.

VH-EAX (c/n 61186 – ex A24-378, JX635, BuA 44253) was also issued on loan to Qantas in August 1947. It was destroyed by a bomb at its moorings at Rose Bay, NSW on 27 August 1949, sank and was written off.

VH-EBA (c/n 61137 – ex A24-305, JX618, BuA 44228) after RAAF service was sold to Asian Airlines in January 1948. It was obtained by Qantas in November 1948 and became ‘Island Explorer’. It was operated on Qantas services in New Guinea. It was withdrawn from service in July 1953 and broken up.

VH-EBB (c/n 61134 – ex A24-303, JX621, BuA 44231) was sold to Mr Carr of Ingham, QLD in January 1947. The sale fell through and it was sold to Asian Airlines in January 1948. Qantas ended up with the aircraft and it was used for crew training, eventually being reduced to spares in February 1951.

VH-EBC (c/n 61185 – ex A24-354, JZ829, BuA 44282) was sold to Qantas in December 1946 but went to W R Carpenter in February 1947 based at Madang, New Guinea. It was operated by a subsidiary, Island Airways. Ownership was changed in May 1947. Qantas took over the aircraft in January 1949 and it was based at Port Moresby, PNG. It was withdrawn from service at Lae, PNG in August 1958 and towed inland and broken up.

VH-EBD (c/n 61165 – ex A24-371, JX641, BuA 44259) was issued to Qantas in August 1949 and named ‘Island Patrol’. It also was based at Port Moresby and made the last flight by a Qantas Catalina from Port Moresby to Lae on 27 July 1958. When retired it was towed inland and broken up in November 1958.

VH-EBU (c/n 61167 – ex A24-361, JX643, BuA 44261) was sold to a Mr Bridgewater in September 1946. Ownership was then transferred to W R Carpenter & Co of New Guinea and the registration VH-BDQ [ntu] was issued but was never painted on the aircraft. It then was taken over by Qantas in August 1949 and was named ‘Island Warrior’. It was based permanently in New Guinea. It was withdrawn from service in November 1952 and broken up.