Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/03/10

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Subject: Re: [Leica] Flying Boats
From: Greg Locke <locke@straylight.ca>
Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2002 20:33:25 -03-30
References: <LNBBLBNFHNEHGFKFMALGOENBABAB.tim@KairosPhoto.com> <3.0.2.32.20020310155646.01405958@roanoke.infi.net>

At 05:30 PM 3/10/02 -0500, you wrote:
>At 02:47 PM 3/10/02 -0700, Tim Atherton wrote:
> >
> >PS - we have 4 or 5 Catalinas out at the airport here still in regular use
> >(or Cansos as we Canucks call them). Used for waterbombing during forest
> >fire season. It's quite something to see a couple of them swoop down on a
> >lake together and scoop up water at full revs, ready for the next load!
>
>Are you certain that these are Cat-Boats -- that is, two-engine
>Consolidated PBY's?  I had believed that the Canadians were using the last
>five four-engine PB2Y Coronados for this.  Or so the Canadians have claimed
>over on the Military History lists.

NOPE!!!  PBY'-5A to be exact.  ...We still have 2 flying here in 
Newfoundland as well.
My first flying job as a professional pilot was flying one of these for the 
forestry service.
I soon discovered I was making more money selling pictures of the forest 
fires then I was being paid to fight them. :^)

  #4, is now on display at the Aviation Museum in Gander, Newfoundland.
photo at link below.

PBY-5A Consolidated Catalina (Canso)
Manufacturer: Canadian Vickers Ltd., Montreal, Quebec
Crew: Seven to nine
Power Plant: Two 200 hp Pratt & Whitney R-183-92 Twin Wasp
Dimensions: Span 104; Length 63'10"; Height 21'; Wing Area 1400 sq ft
Weight: 20,910 lbs (empty), 35,420 lbs (max); as a Water Bomber 30,500 lbs
Performance: Max speed 175 mph at 7000 ft; Cruising speed 113 mph; Climb 
650 ft per min Service Ceiling 13,000 ft; Range 3100 miles
History: In 1933 the US Navy ordered the first PBY-5A Catalina. It's 
prototype XP3Y-1 was first flown on March 28, 1935. It went on to become 
the most successful flying boat to see service in the US Forces in WWII. 
The Catalina was produced in greater numbers than any other flying boat - 
over 3,000 were built. These aircraft were used in WWII by the American, 
British and Soviet Air Forces. Many of these aircraft came through Gander 
on their way across the Atlantic and some stayed as patrols for enemy 
submarines in coastal waters.
A fact on the Cat: In May 1941 a Catalina located and shadowed one of 
Germany's greatest warships, the "Bismarck", denying it free passage to 
France. With the Cat's help the large enemy vessel was destroyed by the 
Allied Forces. Catalinas which were modified with landing gear were known 
as Cansos.

Our Canso: This particular Canso registered as CF-CRP has been owned by 
Canadian Pacific Airlines, Trans-Labrador Airlines, EPA, Newfoundland 
Government and finally, the North Atlantic Aviation Museum. It had its 
first civilian flight on June 4, 1946 piloted by Roy Brown.
This aircraft had many roles such as cable patrols, ice patrols, mail 
flights and general charters. It was leased in 1958 and then purchased by 
EPA in 1959 and used generally as a passenger service. It was then bought 
and modified into a water bomber by the Newfoundland Government in 1966 
until its retirement in 1987. As a water bomber it held 8,000 lbs of water 
taking 14 to 17 seconds to fill up and approximately 2 seconds to 
discharge. It had successfully completed over 10,000 drops under the 
forestry service. In all its services, the aircraft logged approximately 
11,421 hours of total air time. The aircraft was donated to the museum in 1989

http://naam1.tripod.com/aircraft.htm


Greg Locke
St. John's, Newfoundland
www.greglocke.com
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