In the lead up to 31st March 2021, the official Centenary date for the RAAF, the Air Force is revealing its Top Ten Iconic Aircraft.
Click on the photo to be taken to a website with a fascinating explanatory video for number 7 on their list - the Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina.
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| Click on this photo to go to an RAAF Information page. |
Originally intended as a long range patrol bomber, the Catalina was one of the most versatile aircraft in service during World War II, used for everything from reconnaissance missions to air-sea rescues.
Some Catalina Facts:
- Catalina airmen called their aircraft the "Cat" on combat missions and "Dumbo" in air-sea rescue service.
- Odd Bods will be interested to know that Wesley College staff and students who provide us with banner bearers for the ANZAC Day march also provide banner bearers for the Catalina Flying Boat Units.
- Catalinas served in most theatres of WW2 but were particlarly effective against the Japanese in the Pacific.
- The letters PB in the aircraft designation stand for "Patrol Bomber" while the Y was the code assigned to the manufacturer, Consolidated Aircraft.
- Catalinas were the most extensively used anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters of World War II.
- The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) operated Catalinas as night raiders, with four squadrons Nos. 11, 20, 42, and 43 laying mines from 23 April 1943 until July 1945 in the southwest Pacific deep in Japanese-held waters.
- The longest commercial flights (in terms of time aloft) ever made in aviation history were the Qantas flights from Perth to Colombo flown weekly in Catalinas from 29 June 1943 through July 1945 over the Indian Ocean. They were dubbed the "Double Sunrise" because passengers saw two sunrises in their 28-32 hour flight.
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