Return of the Catalina

[cookie]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFOAbdW-oeo

 

[jamespowers]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFOAbdW-oeo

Nice! What an adventure!

 

[Two Types]

The Catalina is an amazing plane. There's something quite natural about their shape - I think of geese or swans in flight. The air museum at Hamilton in Canada has one that you can take flights in (to a Brit that's quite unusual, you'll probably tell me there are loads of them still flying in the USA!).

 

[jamespowers]

The Catalina is an amazing plane. There's something quite natural about their shape - I think of geese or swans in flight. The air museum at Hamilton in Canada has one that you can take flights in (to a Brit that's quite unusual, you'll probably tell me there are loads of them still flying in the USA!).

There are a air amount of them left in Florida and Washington. The rest are kind of spread out across the country. Not a lot when you think about how many were made.
They really weren't retired here until the 1980s. They still use them to fight forest fires etc. as "water bombers." Catalinas were and are still quite useful.

 

[the hairy bloke]

Catalinas.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

My favourite aircraft of all. I'm not sure whether it was watching Jacque Cousteau programs on the tv as a child, or even my older brother making a model of one when we were both very young, but I love these machines.

I saw one taking off from Duxford once. Magical.

 

[cookie]

Qantas reboots old Catalina http://www.startsatsixty.com.au/cur...ing-boat-in-the-outback#.VWFKOUp4TSV.facebook

 

[rknight]

That's great! I've always loved Catalinas. I think my favorite example of them during WWII are the US Navy's Black Cat squadrons: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-JwmYO_IOs

 

[cookie]

In November 2014, Qantas Founders Museum painted our Catalina in the Qantas Double Sunrise camouflage colours used in the Second World War. The museum was fortunate to have the assistance of one Qantas painter and two Qantas sheet metal workers. This video shows the Qantas and Museum staff working on the Catalina over a three week period in temperatures over 40 Degrees Celsius which eventually forced the staff to work late at night and in the early morning to avoid the heat. Thank you Qantas for your continued support of Qantas Founders Museum


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVriCtMXq2E&feature=youtu.be

 

[1930artdeco]

Is this out on dvd, streaming or something? It came out last month and I just saw this so now I want to see it.

Mike

 

[Stanley Doble]

I've been in a Catalina but not to fly. My old friend George Ventress had 4 of them in his back yard. He was a war surplus and scrap metal man, among other things.

He turned one of them into a yacht powered by 2 Ford flathead V8s which he used around Prince Edward County for years. The longest trip he took was to Expo 67 down the St Lawrence Seaway.

All gone now. I hope they were salvaged and restored. I remember Sad Sack, Lonesome Polecat, and there were 2 others also named for cartoon characters. He told me they were originally used for anti submarine patrols out of Iceland during WW2.

 

[Stanley Doble]

George Ventress and Sad Sack

http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=4604

George brings home a plane, mid fifties. He is the one in short coat and cap.There also appear to be a helper in overalls and a cop in uniform. Last couple of pictures show the Ventress farm with house his father built of cement blocks, and workshop to the right. Pictures taken by Gwen his wife.

http://www.rcafventura.ca/pages/archives/vfarm_pa.htm

 

[Stearmen]

Thanks Stanley! I sure hope the Ventura survived. Sadly, very few people in the land of it's birth have ever heard of the PV1. I would love to fly one, just to see how much more of a hot rod it was compared to the Harpoon!

 

[Stanley Doble]

The Ventura was long gone by the time I met George in the early 70s. Most likely broken up for scrap metal. He scrapped dozens of planes and shipped out aluminum by the transport load. I remember a Hudson (plane not car) a few Mosquitos (wooden fusilage and wing spars) and the 4 PBYs. Plus a lot of parts, wheels, engine bearers etc. He also had a lot of oleo struts, carburetors, deicers, etc brand new in the packaging.

 

[Stearmen]

The Ventura was long gone by the time I met George in the early 70s. Most likely broken up for scrap metal. He scrapped dozens of planes and shipped out aluminum by the transport load. I remember a Hudson (plane not car) a few Mosquitos (wooden fusilage and wing spars) and the 4 PBYs. Plus a lot of parts, wheels, engine bearers etc. He also had a lot of oleo struts, carburetors, deicers, etc brand new in the packaging.

The Hudson would be high up on my list also!

 

[DanielJones]

This has to be one of my favorite aircraft next to the B-17. My Dad had wanted one of these in his younger years. He had a dream of converting it to a airborne mobile home and traveling. Land it on water or land, tie off and it is it's own living quarters. On the variant he wanted you could pop the hatch where the nose gunner would be and go fishing. the best I can hope for is to be able to build a model kit of it.

Cheers!

Dan

 

[Stearmen]

This has to be one of my favorite aircraft next to the B-17. My Dad had wanted one of these in his younger years. He had a dream of converting it to a airborne mobile home and traveling. Land it on water or land, tie off and it is it's own living quarters. On the variant he wanted you could pop the hatch where the nose gunner would be and go fishing. the best I can hope for is to be able to build a model kit of it.

Cheers!

Dan

Join the club!

 

[SteveZ]

My dad was a flight instructor in the Catalina at the Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi ,Texas in 1951. BTW, thats where I was born. Dad really wanted to be a fighter pilot but the NAVY said he was staying in search and patrol. However, dad did mention that you could get up and stretch your legs and grab a bite to eat with coffee at the galley area. That was kinda nice for long trips. Nothing like the smell of bacon and eggs on the galley stove at sunrise after flying all night.

 

[Ralph_Phillips]

T

Qantas reboots old Catalina http://www.startsatsixty.com.au/cur...ing-boat-in-the-outback#.VWFKOUp4TSV.facebook

For anyone who hasn't been there, the Qantas Museum at Longreach is definitely worth a visit. Plan on spending several hours there.

 

[Clark J]

Anyone know if it's a Consolidated or a CANSO ? looks like a 6A (taller tale)

 

[Stearmen]

Anyone know if it's a Consolidated or a CANSO ? looks like a 6A (taller tale)

Consolidated PBY-6A, Serial # 46644, civil register, VH-EAX.