PBY Catalina part 1

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Catalina was an American flying boat and later an amphibious aircraft of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the US military and in the air forces and navies of many other nations. In the United States Army Air Forces and later in the USAF their designation was the OA-10, while Canadian-built PBYs were known as the Canso.

Design and Structure

  • Type: Twin-engined long-range patrol-bomber flying-boat.
  • Wings:
    • Configuration: Semi-cantilever high-wing monoplane.
    • Design: The wing comprises three sections, with the center-section supported above the hull by a streamlined superstructure and braced by two pairs of parallel streamlined struts to the sides of the hull. The structure utilizes a beam bulkhead and stressed-skin design, reinforced with “Z” section extruded stiffeners. The trailing-edge section has aluminum alloy ribs cantilevered from the main beam, covered with fabric. The ailerons are balanced, aluminum-alloy framed, and fabric-covered.
  • Hull:
    • Design: Two-step, semi-circular topped hull of all-metal construction, using aluminum-alloy bulkheads, framing stringers, and skin.
    • Floats: All-metal retractable wing-tip floats. When retracted, the floats form tips to the wings, with the float struts and bracing structure recessed flush with the lower surface of the wings. The mechanism for retraction is electrically and mechanically operated, with automatic locks and warning lights.
  • Tail Unit:
    • Type: Monoplane cantilever design.
    • Structure: The lower fin is integrated with the hull, while the tail-plane and upper section of the fin are covered with smooth metal sheet, reinforced with extruded sections. The elevators and rudder are aluminum-alloy structures, covered with fabric and equipped with trimming-tabs.

Power Plant

  • Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney Twin-Wasp R-1830-92 radial air-cooled engines, each producing 1,200 h.p.
  • Mountings and Cowlings: Engines are mounted on welded steel-tube structures in the leading-edge of the center-section with NACA cowlings.
  • Propellers: Hamilton-Standard Hydromatic constant-speed airscrews.
  • Fuel Tanks: Protected fuel tanks with a capacity of 1,750 U.S. gallons are located in the center-section.

Accommodation

  • Crew Areas:
    • Bow Compartment: Contains mooring gear and other equipment.
    • Pilot’s Compartment: Enclosed, seating two side-by-side with dual controls.
    • Engineer’s Station: Located in the hull below the center-section.
    • Gunner Positions: Two large transparent gun-blisters on the sides of the hull aft of the wings, each equipped with a Browning gun.

Dimensions and Loadings

  • Dimensions:
    • Span: 104 ft. (31.72 m)
    • Length: 63 ft. 10 in. (19.52 m)
    • Height: 18 ft. 10 in. (5.65 m)
    • Wing Area: 1,400 sq. ft. (130 sq. m)
  • Weights:
    • Empty: 17,564 lbs. (7,974 kg)
    • Loaded: 34,000 lbs. (15,436 kg)
    • Wing Loading: 24.3 lbs./sq. ft. (118.5 kg./sq. m)
    • Power Loading: 14.1 lbs./h.p. (6.4 kg./h.p.)

Performance

  • Maximum Speed: 196 mph (314 km/h) at 7,500 ft. (2,290 m)
  • Cruising Speed: 130 mph (208 km/h) at 10,000 ft. (3,050 m)
  • Stalling Speed: 76 mph (122 km/h) at sea level
  • Climb Rate:
    • To 5,000 ft. (1,525 m): 4.5 minutes
    • To 15,000 ft. (4,755 m): 16 minutes
  • Service Ceiling: 18,200 ft. (5,550 m)
  • Maximum Range: 3,100 miles (4,960 km) with 1,570 U.S. gallons of fuel at critical altitude