CONSOLIDATED PBY CATALINA
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The Consolidated Catalina was designed to meet a 1934 US Navy specification for a new maritime patrol bomber aircraft that first flew on March 21 1935 and resulted in 3,208 of the twin engined parasol wing aircraft being built between 1936 and 1945 in two variants, 1,790 Flying Boat (PBY) and 1,418 Amphibian (PBY-5). With a nominal range of 2,500 miles (4,000km) it was very successfully used in anti-submarine warfare, patrol bombing, convoy escort, search and recue and air sea rescue missions serving in practically every operational theatre during WW2.
At the outbreak of WW2 Australia ordered an initial eighteen PBY Flying Boats that were flown from the US to Australia by civilian crews. The RAAF went on to operate 168 Catalinas in four Squadrons Nos 11,20,42. No 43 Squadron aircraft were part of the "Black Cats" of No79 Wing and operated at night using modified PBY-5 Catalinas that became PBY-5M, full Flying Boat configuration by removing the undercarriage and its operating systems to increase payload and endurance. Their tasks were the mining of enemy harbors and sea ways in the South West Pacific theatre, while the other Catalina Squadrons were tasked with patrol, bombing and rescue duties.
There were two noteworthy exploits that occurred during WW2 involving Australian Catalinas. The first was an air service that was set up to restore an air link between Australia and Britain following the fall of Singapore in 1942. Five Catalinas provided by the British Air Ministry under Lend Lease and manned by RAAF crews seconded to Qantas, operated a VIP and mail service between Perth WA and Ceylon(Sri Lanka) to connect with the British BOAC airline to continue on to London. This was over a non stop distance 3,500+ nautical miles 6,480km), the longest non stop air service then in existence that took from 27 to 33 hours to complete. As it was mainly flown over enemy occupied territory it was predominently operated at night using basic navigation skills. Due to the extra fuel requirements, only a maximum of three VIPs and urgent mail could be carried. The Catalinas conducted 271 journeys between the first flight on July 29 1943 and the end of hostilities. None of the Catalinas involved were lost.
The second event involved aircraft from Nos 11,42 and 43 Squadrons, and the task was the mining of Manila Harbour in the Philippines to contain the Japanese fleet ahead of the American landings of early January1945. Departing from the north coast of the Northern Territory of Australia, the round trip of approx 3,400 nautical miles (6,530km) and 30+ hour flight, was the longest Catalina mining mission of the war,
The Museum's Catalina A24-88, was delivered to the RAAF in March 1944 and served No 43 "Black Cat" Squadron as "RK-A" from August 1944 until July 1945 operating on mine laying and bombing missions until being transferred to No 11 Squadron where it stayed until the end of the hostilities, when it was transferred to No 1 Flying Boat Repair depot at Lake Boga Victoria, for disposal. It was sold on January 5 1948 to Kingsford Smith Air Services to be stripped of parts to maintain serving RAAF Catalinas. The remains was sold for scrap but instead, was stripped of engines wings and tail and converted to a house boat and was stationed on the Murray River at Echuca Victoria, for thirty odd years before being acquired by the Museum.
A24-88 is the last surviving RAAF "Black Cat", the sole surviving RAAF PBY-5A model of the 46 delivered, and the only survivor of the 29 locally modified PBY-5A (M) aircraft converted from Amphibian to Flying Boat at Lake Boga Flying Boat Repair Depot.
TECHNICAL DATA
Crew : 10
Power plant : 2 x 1,200hp Pratt and Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp two row 14 cylinder radial engines.
Length : 63'11'' (19.48m) Wingspan : 104'00'' (32.0m) Height : 21'01'' (6.43m)
Weights : empty - 20,910lbs (9,485kg) maximum take off - 35,420lbs (16.066kg)
Speeds : maximum - 170kt (196mph) 315km/hr) cruise - 109kt (125mph) 201km/hr)
Range : 2,5020 miles (4,060km)
Ordnance : 4,000lbs (1,814kg) of bombs or other munitions.
At the outbreak of WW2 Australia ordered an initial eighteen PBY Flying Boats that were flown from the US to Australia by civilian crews. The RAAF went on to operate 168 Catalinas in four Squadrons Nos 11,20,42. No 43 Squadron aircraft were part of the "Black Cats" of No79 Wing and operated at night using modified PBY-5 Catalinas that became PBY-5M, full Flying Boat configuration by removing the undercarriage and its operating systems to increase payload and endurance. Their tasks were the mining of enemy harbors and sea ways in the South West Pacific theatre, while the other Catalina Squadrons were tasked with patrol, bombing and rescue duties.
There were two noteworthy exploits that occurred during WW2 involving Australian Catalinas. The first was an air service that was set up to restore an air link between Australia and Britain following the fall of Singapore in 1942. Five Catalinas provided by the British Air Ministry under Lend Lease and manned by RAAF crews seconded to Qantas, operated a VIP and mail service between Perth WA and Ceylon(Sri Lanka) to connect with the British BOAC airline to continue on to London. This was over a non stop distance 3,500+ nautical miles 6,480km), the longest non stop air service then in existence that took from 27 to 33 hours to complete. As it was mainly flown over enemy occupied territory it was predominently operated at night using basic navigation skills. Due to the extra fuel requirements, only a maximum of three VIPs and urgent mail could be carried. The Catalinas conducted 271 journeys between the first flight on July 29 1943 and the end of hostilities. None of the Catalinas involved were lost.
The second event involved aircraft from Nos 11,42 and 43 Squadrons, and the task was the mining of Manila Harbour in the Philippines to contain the Japanese fleet ahead of the American landings of early January1945. Departing from the north coast of the Northern Territory of Australia, the round trip of approx 3,400 nautical miles (6,530km) and 30+ hour flight, was the longest Catalina mining mission of the war,
The Museum's Catalina A24-88, was delivered to the RAAF in March 1944 and served No 43 "Black Cat" Squadron as "RK-A" from August 1944 until July 1945 operating on mine laying and bombing missions until being transferred to No 11 Squadron where it stayed until the end of the hostilities, when it was transferred to No 1 Flying Boat Repair depot at Lake Boga Victoria, for disposal. It was sold on January 5 1948 to Kingsford Smith Air Services to be stripped of parts to maintain serving RAAF Catalinas. The remains was sold for scrap but instead, was stripped of engines wings and tail and converted to a house boat and was stationed on the Murray River at Echuca Victoria, for thirty odd years before being acquired by the Museum.
A24-88 is the last surviving RAAF "Black Cat", the sole surviving RAAF PBY-5A model of the 46 delivered, and the only survivor of the 29 locally modified PBY-5A (M) aircraft converted from Amphibian to Flying Boat at Lake Boga Flying Boat Repair Depot.
TECHNICAL DATA
Crew : 10
Power plant : 2 x 1,200hp Pratt and Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp two row 14 cylinder radial engines.
Length : 63'11'' (19.48m) Wingspan : 104'00'' (32.0m) Height : 21'01'' (6.43m)
Weights : empty - 20,910lbs (9,485kg) maximum take off - 35,420lbs (16.066kg)
Speeds : maximum - 170kt (196mph) 315km/hr) cruise - 109kt (125mph) 201km/hr)
Range : 2,5020 miles (4,060km)
Ordnance : 4,000lbs (1,814kg) of bombs or other munitions.