Catalina's NO! The Short Sunderland YES!

[Hwkeye]

Make them only available at ports. Let them carry troops,  light vehicles, or both.  I think that it would be cool if we could drop AI troops with arty that would automatically target the nearest enemy town for destruction!

The "Flying Porcupine" had defensive weapons to include a turret in the nose that would make it a bit more challenging to encounter than the current C-47.

It would make the taking of ports even more of a prize!

Hwkeye

[Karnak]

Sunderland would be just as toast as the PBY in the MA.  Well, slightly less.

If you want a flying boat that has a fighting chance, look at the H8K2 "Emily" or the Coranado.

The H8K2 is faster than the Sunderland, climbs better, carries a bigger warload and is defended by five 20mm cannon.

Here is the ultimate thread on the H8K2:
http://www.hitechcreations.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=60283

That thread is quite possibly the ultimate thread on an aircraft ever posted on the AH forums.

[Bronson]

Catalina's NO! The Short Sunderland YES!
_____________________________ ________-


Amen to that!!

10x 0.303" machine guns (2x in nose turret, 4x in tail turret, 2x in dorsal turret 2x Beam positions)

It was also able to withstand a terrific amount of punishment.

The story of how a lone Sunderland fended off attacks from 8 Ju 88s shooting down 2 , forcing 1 to crash land and the rest to back off should get the 'Flying Porcupine' in AH2 alone !!


Bring the Sunderland to AH2!!

[MajorDay]

Short Sunderland(Great Britian)  Profile

Specification for AH2 = Sunderland MK III
Manufacturer = Short Bros & Harland and Blackburn
Number to built = 749 (90 MK I, MK II, 456 MK III/IIIA, 10 MK IV and 150 MK V/VI
Entry into service = Somtime in June 1938(Im sure that it)
Powerplant = Four 1,066 hp Bristol Pegasus XVIII
Length = 85 ft 4 in (26.01)
Height = 32 ft 2 in (9.79m) on beaching chassis
Wingspan = 112 ft 10in (34.39)
Weight empty = 33,000 ib (14,969kg)
Range = 3,000 miles (4,828 km) or an endurance of 20 hours
Max speed = 212 mph (341 km/h)
Service ceiling = 15,000 ft (4,570m)
Armament:  
1 x 0.303-in (7.7-mm) machine  guns in the nose turret, 4 x 0.303-in (7.7-mm) machine guns in the tail turret, 2 x 0.303-in (7.7-mm) machine guns in the dorsal turret, 4 x 0.303-in (7.7-mm) fixed forward-firing machine guns, 2 x 0.5-in (12.7-mm) machine guns in waist hatches plus up to 4,960 ib (2,250kg) of various ordanance including bombs, depth charges or mines




Consolidated PBY Catalina(USA/CANADA) Profile

Specification for AH2 = PBY-5A
Type = Twin Engined flying boat/amphibian
Manufacturer = Consolidated Aircraft
Number to built = 3,276 (ONLY USA AND CANADA)
Entry to service = Winter 1941
Length = 63 ft 11 in (19.5m)
Height = 18 ft 10in (5.65m)
Wingspan = 104 ft (31.72m)
Weight empty = 17,465 (7,974kg)
Range = 3,100 miles (4,960km)
Max speed = 196 mph (314 km/h)
Service ceiling = 18,200 ft (5,550m)
Armaments:
(PBY-5A) up to 5 x 0.50-in in machine guns in bow, ventral and fuselage blister poistion: underwing racks for up to 4,000ib (1,814kg) of bombs or depth charges or two torpedoes



Kawanishi H8K2 "Emily"(JAPAN) Profile

Specification for AH2 = H8K2
Type = Four engined long-range flying boat
Manufacturer = Kawanishi Kokuki K K
Number built = 167
Entry into service = February 1942
Length = 92 ft 2 in (28.13m)
Height = 30 ft (9.15m)
Wingspan = 124 ft 8 in (38m)
Wight empty = 34,176 ib (15,502kg)
Range = 3,000 miles (4800km)
Max speed = 269 mph (433 km/h)
Service ceiling = 25,035 ft (7,630m)
Armaments:
5 x 20-mm Type 99 cannon in each of bow, dorsal and tail turrets and beam hatches, plus 4 x 7.7-mm Type 92 machine guns in ventral, port and starboard fuselage and cockpit hatches