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2023-07-31 Science & Technology

Iconic Catalina Amphibious Flying Boat production to restart

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Posted by Besoeker 2023-07-31 06:35|| || Front Page|| [11124 views ] Top

#1 ...Be wary, Cat lovers. I friend of mine was at Oshkosh (career Naval Aviator, E-3/EA-6) and his attitude was that this is sketchy at best. There is also the question - only vaguely answered by the CA folks - of whether or not Lockheed Martin has signed off on this.

LM is the corporate heir of Consolidated Aircraft, the original builders of the PBY. As such they own all the technical and IP associated with the PBY.

Mike

Posted by MikeKozlowski 2023-07-31 06:54|| 2023-07-31 06:54|| Front Page Top

#2 There's a PBY fuselage sitting near a hangar at Bolt Field waiting for refurbishment. There's a healthy warbird restoration community at EVB.

Posted by M. Murcek 2023-07-31 06:58|| 2023-07-31 06:58|| Front Page Top

A small team of mechanics from Air Cargo Carriers pulled an old Shorts 360 skeleton out of the undergrowth at a Latin American airstrip years ago. Had rebuilt engines delivered and flown back to Milwaukee in less than 60 days. 'Climbing out' photo from FOB Speicher 2009. Saving lives at 14k AGL over Baghdad.

Hat tip to Great American and Air Cargo Carriers CEO Jim Germak.

Posted by Besoeker 2023-07-31 07:06|| 2023-07-31 07:06|| Front Page Top

#4 Prep for the icecaps melting.

Posted by Skidmark 2023-07-31 08:12|| 2023-07-31 08:12|| Front Page Top

#5 OK, here's the state of play in the US mil amphib aircraft development.
Mil Air Com is trying to get Lockheed to get though a test on putting pontoons on a C130. I am stone serious here.
The Air Force has been examining the Japanese US-2.
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/44424/u-s-air-force-trains-with-japans-us-2-flying-boat-as-it-looks-forward-to-its-own-amphibious-plane
Probably the eventual winner. A good plane, already in service. So we'll need to change everything so it can be a fighter/bomber. Probably.
These guys popped up with a dubious idea, in hopes of snagging some DARPA development money.
BTW, did you realize that PBY's had canvas wing construction and ailerons? Fun fact.

Posted by ed in texas 2023-07-31 09:36|| 2023-07-31 09:36|| Front Page Top

#6 BTW, did you realize that PBY's had canvas wing construction and ailerons? Fun fact.

Pre-stealth configurement!

Posted by Skidmark 2023-07-31 13:06|| 2023-07-31 13:06|| Front Page Top

#7 FWIW, L-M had a factory fresh C-130 flying boat concept way back when…..looks much better than the herk on floats. Looks so ungainly for some reason reminds me of Boxcar Abrams on water skis.

Posted by USN, Ret. 2023-07-31 17:25|| 2023-07-31 17:25|| Front Page Top

#8 Looks so ungainly for some reason reminds me of Boxcar Abrams on water skis.

"It was like a zeppelin on water skis, Elmer! I ain't seen nothing like it."

What is it about purpose-built planes - machines like the A-10, the Intruder, the flying boats - that makes them so funky and so beautifully functional at the same time?

Posted by SteveS 2023-07-31 17:54|| 2023-07-31 17:54|| Front Page Top

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21:56 Jeremiah Jomosing7109
18:42 ed in texas
18:41 Frank G
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17:58 Silentbrick
17:56 Silentbrick
17:54 SteveS
17:28 USN, Ret.
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17:24 trailing wife
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16:55 Super Hose
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16:50 M. Murcek
16:48 Super Hose
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