Consolidated Aircraft PBY Catalina

Cundy88 🇬🇧

2h ago · © Cundy88

A rare Consolidated PBY Catalina amphibious flying boat, preserved in WWII US Navy livery, draws a crowd at an airshow.

0 likes 0 comments

Comments (0)

No comments yet.

More like this

Aircraft

PBY Catalina PBY6A

WWII-era US Navy (white, blue markings, invasion star, nose art)

G-PBYA

Registration

Manufacturer

Consolidated Aircraft

Gear

Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max back triple camera 6.765mm f/1.78

Achievements

Retro Wings, Rare Bird, Vintage Voyager

3 badges earned

Photo grade

Bronze

Score: 78.0

Cleanly framed Catalina with clear details, but crowd and vehicles distract from the aircraft’s impact.

Location

Signature Hangar Gate 5

London Luton Airport · LTN/EGGW

51.8782, -0.3823

Open map

London Luton Airport LTN

Airport

Insights

Aviation History

Legendary WWII flying boat, famous for maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare, and air-sea rescue; one of the most important seaplanes of all time.

Fleet Rarity

1 of fewer than 15 airworthy Catalinas worldwide and one of only a handful flying in Europe.

Record Flights

Catalinas famously conducted long-range open-ocean patrols and \'Double Sunrise\' flights non-stop from Australia to Ceylon (28–32 hours) during WWII.

Safety & Events

Catalinas performed thousands of rescues (notably \'Dumbo\' missions), reconnaissance (Battle of Midway), and convoy protection; some still fly at airshows and museums.

Future Outlook

Preserved and operated as a flying museum aircraft for displays and pleasure flights.

Specifications

Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp radial piston (x2)

Engine

31.70 meters

Wingspan

19.46 meters

Length

4,030 kilometers

Range

200 kilometers per hour

Speed

8-9 crew, ~20 passengers short-range

Capacity

16,066 kilograms

MTOW

6.15 meters

Height

895 hp (668 kW) per engine

Thrust

Not measured by modern ICAO standards, typically 80-90 dB(A) at takeoff

Noise