Museum of Flight, July 10th 2004

Canadian Vickers PBY-5A Canso (aka Catalina) G-PBYA

Plane Sailing Air Displays

The PBY Catalina has the distinction of having been produced in greater numbers than any other flying boat in the history of aviation. Over 4000 were produced between 1935 and 1945, by Consolidated in the USA and under licence in Canada and the USSR.

In its original form the Catalina was a purely a flying boat. However, Consolidated continuously upgraded the Catalina during its ten-year production run, and the tricycle undercarriage added to the PBY-5A version shown above made it a true amphibian.