NUW PBY 'Cat' Time Machine ... 60+ years ago ???

[eddie]

That is so badass.

I don't care how impractical they are: I want flying boats to come back again.

I mentioned this in another thread, but ditto.

I love this plane.

 

[Flash]

I KNEW the PBY flew 'slow' .... but watchin' her make the circuit over the town .... it brought a whole new meaning to the word: S-L-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-W-W-W-W-W-W.

After sitting on the hold short in Iwakuni while these guys were on final:

.....you learned the meaning of S-L-O-O-O-O-O-W-W-W-W, their approach speed was around 90 knots.

Is it ironic that one of the few seaplanes still in production is built by one of the Catalina's old nemesis's, Kawanishi?

 

[Pugs]

.....you learned the meaning of S-L-O-O-O-O-O-W-W-W-W, their approach speed was around 90 knots.

I had a roommate in college who's father was a Catalina Aviator. Spent his war, 43-45, war in Florida, Jax and then down in the Caribbean doing ASW. He said the numbers on the PBY were easy, took off at 90 kts, cruised at 90 kts and landed at 90 kts.

 

[A4sForever]

I've never uploaded any stone-cold video from ImageShack © ... so let's see what happens:

Vid clip >>> PBY CATALINA PORN

You shoulda' heard those big P&W R-1830's barkin' and coughin' ... I agreed w/ an older fellow's observation that it sounded like they had @ 6" of carbon on the cylinders -- but a PBY-guy said 'that's what they always sound like' .... so don't EVER tell me 'jets are loud' ...

image by A4sForever

 

[SLB]

The video was great. I'll be up in a few days for some AFTPs, I definitely plan to stop by the NEX to get some pics!

SLB

 

[Tex_Hill]

Were you able to find out the history on that aircraft A4s'? One of my childhood dreams was to own my own Cat' & fly around the U.S. going from lake to lake.

Here's another favorite of mine, the Sikorsky S-38"

 

[A4sForever]

Were you able to find out the history on that aircraft A4s'? ..... Here's another favorite of mine, the Sikorsky S-38"

Yeah ... in fact I did as a result of my association with the PBY Memorial Foundation (featuring a pix of N85U as a firebomber). But there was not too much out there for the 'unwashed' until the local bird-cage-bottom-liner did a decent piece on this particular ol' girl after they were clued into the fact that she was coming to the Seaplane Base for @ a week ....

This particular bird -- N85U -- was born in 1945 and served in the NAVY until @ 1956 when it joined the fire-fighting service(s) to fight forest fires along the West Coast. That's @ 60 years of serving her country, in one way or another -- quite a record for ANY flying OR floating piece of machinery.

Side note: N85U is presently located on the old Seaplane Base ramp at the spot of the small circle, middle right. Any of you NUW boys recognize the building in the larger circle, center ... ???

I thought you might ...

 

[nittany03]

Any of you NUW boys recognize the building in the larger circle, center ... ???

I thought you might ...

For some reason, I suddenly hear really, really annoying elevator music in my head. The most irritating tunes that could ever be played in a shopping mall. I wonder why . . .

 

[Malo83]

Were you able to find out the history on that aircraft A4s'? One of my childhood dreams was to own my own Cat' & fly around the U.S. going from lake to lake.

Here's another favorite of mine, the Sikorsky S-38"

This gent tried around the world but didn't quite make it.
http://www.artificialowl.net/2009/07/abandoned-catalina-seaplane-50-years.html

 

[Fog]

Well, we know why they were night bombers: they were the airborne version of the LST (Large Slow Target). That said, the stories of their operations speak greatly for their skill & courage in taking an a/c intended for ASW & reconnaissance and making it into an effective nighttime attack machine.

 

[Flugelman]

My favorite PBY clip... Opening scene in the movie "Always".

 

[A4sForever]

My favorite PBY clip... Opening scene in the movie "Always".

OH, Mommy ... reminds me of 'dusting off' banca boats on the west side of Luzon ...

A.K.A. ... righteous low level flyin' ... :icon_rast

image by A4sForever

With apologies to GHW Bush .... read THAT Joe's lips ....

 

[blackbart22]

Or on Lake Taal. The lake it self, not in the volcano. Even the AD didn't turn that tight.

 

[A4sForever]

Eastern Washington ... i.e., let's go back to the '50s ... or '40s .... and it's still a GREAT repository for all things aviation-historical and a lot of those former USN outlying fields house treasure ... that's as in aviation TREASURE ... and well, there are PBY's , too ....

Take a visit sometime ...

all images by A4sForever

 

[Mumbles]

Havn't been to Missoula in a few years since I busted a bleed air valve on a VP-69 log run on a Friday night trying to pick up a few reservists there for weekend drill back at NUW, we spent the night in Montana and Wing 10 Fed Exed the part we needed the next morning....turned out that there are some amazing co-eds at MU that dig flight suits...(I digress) I will have to defer to XJ and Pickle and the other Whidbey weenies who bounce at Missoula, (I hope you guys still do!) but a few of these old war horses are still on the ramp there.