PBY Catalina

Why it matters

The Catalina spotted more U-boats than any other Allied aircraft. That alone earns it a place in history. But the PBY did everything during the war: rescued downed pilots, hunted submarines, flew impossibly long patrol missions over open ocean, and dropped bombs on targets nobody else could reach.

Crews called them slow, ugly, and uncomfortable. They also called them reliable, which is the only compliment that matters when you're 800 miles from land at two in the morning.

Specifications

Patina notes

Surviving Catalinas carry the scars of salt water and hard use. The hull skin shows the rippled texture of years riding ocean swells. Engine nacelles are stained from decades of oil weep.

The ones still flying as water bombers have the particular look of machines that never stopped working. The parasol wing design gives them a profile you can spot from a mile away.

Preservation reality

A surprising number of Catalinas survive. Some still work for a living as water bombers in fire-prone regions. Others have been restored to military configuration for airshows.

The amphibious variants are especially prized because they can operate from conventional runways. Parts availability is decent given the production numbers.

A flyable PBY will set you back well north of a million dollars, but the community that keeps them flying is devoted.

Where to see one

• • National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola
• • Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson
• • Imperial War Museum Duxford
• • Commemorative Air Force chapters
• • Occasionally at major airshows

Preservation organizations

• • Catalina Society
• • Commemorative Air Force