PBY-5A Amphibious Catalina

[PaintSniper]

This is a very interesting request. The Catalina only sported .30 cal MG's in a nose turret and waist gun positions. It also lacked any flaps so take-offs and landings were fast. Over 700 PBY-5A's were used during wartime, and all were used very well in spotting roles.

An interesting fact about the Catalina is that it had its own radar. This means that in AH when someone is flying this plane, it will have its own radar circle around it, giving counties the ability to go spy on activities without having to switch countries. Plus they're great for target practice.

I think that HiTech can map the keys so that the hook command (Shift-G) will raise/lower the wing pontoons.

The Catalina could also accomidate 2x 500 lbs bombs under each wing to bomb enemy vessels. I say bombs since we don't use depth charges in AH.

So, as you can see, the PBY-5A would be an invaluable addition to our current selection of planes for AH.

http://www.hsgalleries.com/gallery04/images/pby5aaj_1.jpg

[kingcobradude]

+1 I think it would be gret. could be used for torpedoes as well

[Karnak]

The H8K2 or Short Sunderland would make far better choices for HTC to do if they decided to make a flying boat.

[Ack-Ack]

I've always thought a Black Cat would be fun to fly, especially if given the empty beer bottle ordnance package (perked of course).  I am being serious about the empty beer bottles, they were used regularly during harassment missions.


ack-ack

[PaintSniper]

It is true that the Black Cat Missions contained empty beer bottles that mimicked the sound of falling bombs, but I personally would get sick of the sound after awhile.

The reason I chose the PBY-5A is mainly for the medium/large size and the long range, but mostly for the oppurtunity to have a mobile radar platform.

[DEEC0NX]

Only .30Cals? The one on World at War had .50s and a 20mm  lol, but still it would be kinda cool, definitely target practice for me!

[Ack-Ack]

Only .30Cals? The one on World at War had .50s and a 20mm   lol, but still it would be kinda cool, definitely target practice for me!

The PBY with the 20mm was a field mod and not seen on production models.  There is a thread on Black Cats that has some nice pictures of that PBY with the 20mm field mod.




ack-ack

[Nemisis]

+1. And maybe instead of showing the dar circle and icon, just have dot dar (seems like all those circles would get in the way. I mean everyone is going to up one at first since it will be a novelty.)

Another thing it would be good for is escorting strat runs, so you can know when/where to expect company.

Just my $0.02 worth.

[PaintSniper]

+1. And maybe instead of showing the dar circle and icon, just have dot dar (seems like all those circles would get in the way. I mean everyone is going to up one at first since it will be a novelty.)

Another thing it would be good for is escorting strat runs, so you can know when/where to expect company.

Just my $0.02 worth.

That was kind of what I was thinking. Also, pairing one with a Goon would help in evasion techniques.

[DEEC0NX]

The PBY with the 20mm was a field mod and not seen on production models.  There is a thread on Black Cats that has some nice pictures of that PBY with the 20mm field mod.

(Image removed from quote.)


ack-ack

Can I pay perkies for field mods 

[JHerne]

Airborne radar is not limited to the Catalina, which is, btw, a big, slow target. It'd never be able to keep up with the bombers. But, if there's ever a water SAR option, it would certainly be cool.

The H2S radar element on bombers was used quite a bit, not for air-to-air, but rather, air-to-ground. These were carried on Stirlings and Halifaxes as Pathfinders, which we don't have. The US did use B-24s and B-17s as foul-weather lead-bombadier missions, but I don't think it was before 1945.

Air to air sets like the British AI MkIII to MkVIII sets were carried on Blenhiems, Beaufighters and Mossies, but they were strictly used for night interception.

To be fair, if you used a radar equipped aircraft as a defense measure...then its only reasonable to have aircraft with those counter-measures. German night fighters used a Naxos radar detection set to home in the H2S Pathfinders, the Brits used a device called Serrate to track German signals in the same fashion.

Either way - implemented or not, the development and usage of radar-equipped a/c in WW2 has always been one of my favorite topics.

J

[Noir]

Short Sunderland&co would be more survivable IMO

[AWwrgwy]

How would the people in other planes see the radar scope in your plane?  T.V.?


wrongway

[Pongo]

So to paraphrase, you want the catalina because you perceive it could be used as some kind of AWACs plane?
Didn't it have surface search radar? The Avenger in game was equipped with surface search radar, turning that on would be a start I guess.

[PaintSniper]

Imagine being able to locate enemy carriers without having to fly directly over them, or to spot a large NOE raid, that's my point.