Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina Amphibian

The Consolidated PBY-6A was the last production version of the Catalina amphibian, and combined the features introduced during the production run of the PBY-5A with the new tail designed for the PBN-1 Nomad.

Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina from the Rear
Consolidated
PBY-6A Catalina
from the Rear

This gave the PBY-6A the eyeball gun turret, with two .30in calibre machine guns, was powered by the same R-1830-92 engines as the PBY-5A and the radome above the cockpit al introduced on the PBY-5A, along with the two side-blister mounts for the rear tunnel gun.

The PBY-6A also used the tall tail and modified horizontal and vertical control surfaces adopted for the PBN-1, but did not have the modified rear hull or nose of the Nomad.

The first PBY-6A made its maiden flight in January 1945, and production continued until September 1945. Only 175 of the 900 originally ordered were completed before production was cancelled at the end of the war.

Engine: Two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp radial engines
Horsepower: 1,200hp at take-off
Span: 104ft 0in/ 31.70m
Length: 63ft 6in
Height: 22ft 4in
Gross weight: 34,550lbs
Max Speed: 178mph at 7000ft or 185mph
Ceiling: 16,200ft or 19,000ft
Range: 2,535 miles
Armament: two 0.30in machine guns in bow, one rear firing 0.30in machine gun in tunnel under hull, two 0.50in machine guns, one in each blister

US Navy PBY Catalina Units of the Pacific War, Louis B Dorny Osprey Combat Aircraft 62. This entry in the Combat Aircraft series looks at the varied uses of the Catalina in the Pacific theatre, where it served as successfully as a long range reconnaissance aircraft, a night bomber (the "Black Cat") and on air-sea rescue, or Dumbo duties. The text is well supported with first hand accounts, contemporary photographs and full colour illustrations. [see more]
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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (29 August 2008), Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina Amphibian , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_PBY-6A_catalina.html

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