The Consolidated Model 28, more commonly known as the PBY Catalina (US Navy designation), is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft designed by Consolidated Aircraft in the 1930s and 1940s. In US Army service it was designated the OA-10, in Canadian service as the Canso and it later received the NATO reporting name Mop. [4]

One of the most recognized aircraft in the world, the Consolidated PBY Catalina not only served in the U.S. Navy, but also with the air arms of Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the...

From spotting the German battleship Bismarck, to locating the Japanese fleet off Midway, to its vital roles in air-sea rescue and sinking enemy submarines, the PBY was the war’s most successful flying boat.

Passengers: – 14 airliner configuration – up to 28 charter. PBY-5A Crew: Pilot. Co-pilot.

It is the USN’s highest scoring U-Boat distroyer aircraft in history and the oldest operational PBY Catalina, having been flown continuously since its construction. On the production line during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Bu. No. 2459 was one of the first five PBY-5A amphibians built.

The PBY-5A had a maximum speed of 179 miles per hour and a cruising speed of 117 miles per hour, with a maximum range of 2,545 miles. As a bomber, a PBY could carry four 1,000-pound or smaller bombs, eight depth charges, or two aerial torpedoes under its wings.

The end abbreviation of "A" for the PBY-5 stands for amphibian. The end abbreviation of "B" for the PBY-5 was an improved model. When the United States entered World War II, Catalina aircraft...

Mar 14, 2025 · The restoration of the world’s oldest flying Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina, BuNo 2459, continues at American Aero Services in New Smyrna Beach, FL. Built in 1941 and famously known as a U-boat killer, BuNo 2459 was the first PBY to sink a German U-boat during its deployment to Iceland in 1942.

PBY aircrews spotted both the Japanese invasion force and carrier striking force during the early stage of the pivotal Battle of Midway. Later, while operating in the Solomon Islands, selected PBY squadrons camouflaged their aircraft with black paint and operated them at night.

The PBY was used extensively by all the major Allied nations for anti-submarine, maritime patrol, and air-sea rescue duties. The PBY-5A version of the aircraft introduced an amphibious capability to the Catalina allowing it to takeoff from either land or water.