Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => Wishlist => Topic started by: NavyOne1978 on June 07, 2008, 08:57:38 AM
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would love to see the PBY catalina, as a recon, or supply plane...
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Can't think of any plane that saw action that we'd say no to. Costs nothing to hangar them, and the fuel is free.
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A perfect way to re-supply a CV fleet. :aok
I like the idea of a recon plane, although i am not sure how to make it worth while. Is there a way to increase teh zoom view in single planes? What about eliminating the radar signature?
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i dont think you can remove radar signature, as "stealth" aircraft didnt exist until MUCH later than WW2. But i'd suggest an increased zoom, like a tank's main gun zoom view, and maybe some sort of gun positions on the plane for defense. I believe they had .50 mounts on catalina in WW2.
The PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s. It could be equipped with depth charges, bombs, torpedoes, and .50 Browning machineguns and was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. PBYs served with every branch of the US military and in the air forces and navies of many other nations. In the United States Army Air Forces and later in the USAF their designation was the OA-10, while Canadian-built PBYs were known as Cansos.
In World War II, PBYs were used as anti-submarine warfare aircraft, patrol bombers, convoy escorts, search and rescue aircraft, and transports. The PBY was the most successful aircraft of its kind, as no other flying boat was produced in greater numbers. The last active military PBYs were not retired from service until the 1980s. Even today, over seventy years after its first flight, the aircraft continues to fly as an airtanker in aerial firefighting operations all over the world.
In the acronym PBY, "PB" stands for "Patrol Bomber", and "Y" is the code for "Consolidated Aircraft", as designated in the 1922 United States Navy aircraft designation system.
Consolidated's XP3Y-1 design (company Model 28) was revolutionary in many ways. The aircraft had a parasol wing with internal bracing that allowed the wing to be a virtual cantilever, except for two small streamlined struts on each side. Stabilizing floats, retractable to form streamlined wingtips in flight, were another aerodynamic innovation. The two-step hull design was similar to that of the P2Y, but the Model 28 had a cantilever cruciform tail unit instead of a strut-braced twin tail. Cleaner aerodynamics gave the Model 28 improved performance compared to earlier designs.
The powerplant for the prototype was two 825 hp (615 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-54 Twin Wasp engines mounted on the wing’s leading edges. Armament comprised four 0.30 in (7.62 mm) Browning machineguns and up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs.
The XP3Y-1 had its first flight on 28 March 1935 after which it was transferred to the US Navy for service trials. The XP3Y-1 soon proved to have significant performance improvements over current patrol flying boats. The Navy requested further development in order to bring the aircraft into the category of patrol bomber, and in October 1935 the prototype was returned to Consolidated for further work. The work included installation of 900 hp (671 kW) R-1830-64 engines. For the redesignated XPBY-1, Consolidated introduced redesigned vertical tail surfaces. The XPBY-1 had its maiden flight on 19 May 1936, during which a record non-stop distance flight of 3,443 miles (5,541 km) was achieved.
The XPBY-1 was delivered to VP-11F in October 1936. The second squadron to be equipped was VP-12, which received the first of its aircraft in early 1937. The second production order was placed on 25 July 1936. Over the next three years, the PBY design would be gradually improved and successive models introduced
PBY-1 September 1936 - June 1937
Original production model. 60
PBY-2 May 1937 - February 1938
Minor alterations to tail structure, hull reinforcements. 50
PBY-3 November 1936 - August 1938
Higher power engines. 66
PBY-4 May 1938 - June 1939
Higher power engines, propeller spinners, acrylic glass blisters over waist guns (some later units). 32
PBY-5 September 1940 - July 1943
Higher power engines (using higher octane fuel), discontinued use of propeller spinners, standardized waist gun blisters. 684
PBY-5A October 1941 - January 1945
Hydraulically-actuated, retractable tricycle landing gear for amphibious operation. Introduced tail gun position, replaced bow single gun position with bow "eyeball" turret equipped with twin .30 machine guns (some later units), improved armor, self-sealing fuel tanks.[2] 802
PBY-6A January 1945 - May 1945
Incorporated changes from PBN-1,[3] including a taller vertical tail, increased wing strength for greater carrying capacity, new electrical system, standardized "eyeball" turret, and a radome over cockpit for radar. 175
* An estimated 4,051 Catalinas, Cansos, and GSTs of all variants were produced between June 1937 and May 1945 for the US Navy, USAAF, United States Coast Guard, Allied nations, and civilian customers.
[edit] Naval Aircraft Factory production
A radar-equipped PBY-6A Catalina in flight.The Naval Aircraft Factory made significant modifications to the PBY design, many of which would have significantly interrupted deliveries had they been incorporated on the Consolidated production lines.[4] The new aircraft, officially known as the PBN-1 Nomad, had several differences from the basic PBY. The most visually apparent upgrades were to the bow, sharpened and extended two feet, and to the tail, which was enlarged and featured a new shape. Other improvements included larger fuel tanks, increasing range by 50%, and stronger wings permitting a 2,000 lb (908 kg) higher gross takeoff weight. An auxiliary power unit was installed, along with a modernized electrical system, and the weapons were upgraded with continuous-feed mechanisms.[4]
The majority (138) of the 156 PBN-1s produced served with the Soviet Navy. The remaining 18 aircraft were assigned to training units at NAS Whidbey Island and NAF Newport.[5] Later, improvements found in the PBN-1 – notably, the larger tail – were incorporated into the amphibious PBY-6A.
[edit] Operational history
[edit] Roles in World War II
The final construction figure is estimated at around 4,000 aircraft, and these were deployed in practically all of the operational theatres of World War II. The PBY served with distinction and played a prominent and invaluable role in the war against the Japanese. This was especially true during the first year of the War in the Pacific, because the PBY and the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress were the only two available aircraft with the range necessary. As a result they were used in almost every possible military role until a new generation of aircraft became available.
[edit] Anti-submarine warfare
PBYs were the most extensively used ASW aircraft[citation needed] in both the Atlantic and Pacific Theaters of the Second World War, and were also used in the Indian Ocean, flying from the Seychelles. One of their jobs was escorting convoys to Murmansk. By 1943, U-boats were well armed with anti-aircraft guns and two Victoria Crosses were won by Catalina pilots pressing home attacks on U-boats in the face of heavy fire: John Cruickshank RAF, in 1944 against U-347 and in the same year Flight Lt. David Hornell RCAF (posthumously) against U-1225. Catalinas destroyed 40 U-boats in total but suffered losses of their own. On December 7, 1941, Mitsubishi A6M fighters from Akagi attacked NAS Kaneohe Bay at Oahu, Hawaii, destroying or disabling all[citation needed] of the 33 PBYs stationed there.
[edit] Maritime patrol
A PBY-5A of VP-61 over the Aleutian Islands in 1943.In their role as patrol aircraft, Catalinas participated in some of the most notable engagements of World War II. The aircraft's parasol wing and large waist blisters allowed for a great deal of visibility; this, combined its long range and endurance, made it well suited for the task.
A Coastal Command Catalina with a USN commander among the British crew which located the German battleship Bismarck on May 26, 1941 while she tried to evade Royal Navy forces.[6]
A flight of Catalinas spotted the Japanese fleet approaching Midway Island, beginning the Battle of Midway.[7]
An RCAF Canso flown by Squadron Leader L.J. Birchall foiled Japanese plans to destroy the Royal Navy's Indian Ocean fleet on April 4, 1942 when it detected the Japanese carrier fleet approaching Ceylon (Sri Lanka).[8]
[edit] Search and rescue
Search and Rescue OA-10 at USAF MuseumPBYs were employed by every branch of the US military as rescue aircraft. A PBY piloted by Lt. Cmdr. Adrian Marks (USN) rescued 56 sailors from the USS Indianapolis after the ship was sunk during World War Two. PBYs continued to function in this capacity for decades after the end of the war.
Crew: 8 — pilot, co-pilot, bow turret gunner, flight mechanic, radioman, navigator and two waist gunners
Length: 63 ft 10 in (19.46 m)
Wingspan: 104 ft 0 in (31.70 m)
Height: 20 ft 2 in (6.15 m)
Wing area: 1,400 ft² (130 m²)
Empty weight: 20,910 lb (9,485 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 35,420 lb (16,066 kg)
Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp radial engines, 1,200 hp (895 kW each) each
Zero-lift drag coefficient: 0.0309
Drag area: 43.26 ft² (4.02 m²)
Aspect ratio: 7.73 Performance
Maximum speed: 196 mph (314 km/h)
Cruise speed: 125 mph (201 km/h)
Range: 2,520 mi (4,030 km)
Service ceiling 15,800 ft (4,000 m)
Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (5.1 m/s)
Wing loading: 25.3 lb/ft² (123.6 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.034 hp/lb (0.056 kW/kg)
Lift-to-drag ratio: 11.9
Armament
3× .30 cal (7.62 mm) machine guns (two in nose turret, one in ventral hatch at tail)
2× .50 cal (12.7 mm) machine guns (one in each waist blister)
4,000 lb (1,814 kg) of bombs or depth charges, torpedo racks were also available
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can you imagine seeing some of these dive bombing cv's??? :lol :lol :lol :lol
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Wifes grandfather flew these in wwii. Told me slot about them and some of his missions. This plane can do damage as well as be a truck of the sky.
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I would absolutely love to see one of these planes. They represent one of a much needed type of aircraft, of which we currently have none.
As for its radar signature, I don't know whether it was actually less visible on radar than other similarly-sized aircraft, but if it were, perhaps it could be given a radar dot which blinked on and off every so often? Just a guess though.
Regardless, I love this idea!
<S>
Yossarian
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I am in on the Catalina. We need it! :aok
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(http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/site/equip/images/historic_gallery/wallpaper/catalina.jpg)
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(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/PBY_Catalina_CWHM_Hamilton_Ontario_1.jpg)
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As for its radar signature, I don't know whether it was actually less visible on radar than other similarly-sized aircraft, but if it were, perhaps it could be given a radar dot which blinked on and off every so often? Just a guess though.
I don't think anyone ever suggested the Catalina had a small RCS compared to other planes of the time. In fact, given the boat hull fuselage, high wing, and wing braces, I'd bet the RCS is huge.
Love to see the PBY though. Maybe for CV resupply/repair?
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Ok, it was mentioned earlier in the topic but you're probably right.
The Catalina is still super-cool either way!
<S>
Yossarian
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Welp, more targets is always a good thing. :)
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:aok I would like to see it :aok
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The CV fleet is the only "base" that can not be repaired. Why not have the same thing for the CV? Imagine a half dozen or so PBY's coming in and landing in the middle of the carrier group bringing supplies.
My guess is that coding may be an issue (landing on both water and land, and dropping supplies).
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well, i dont see why not, when planes ditch in the water at slow speed, they dont sink. its just like being on land, so it shouldnt be too difficult to recode aa couple things to drop supplis, for pt boats and cv groups, and to allow the pby to land and take off from the water...
But im not a programmer, so i dont know for sure.. oh, and there was a floatplane version of the A6m too... :)
But it would be really cool to see.
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there was a floatplane version of the A6m too... :)
But it would be really cool to see.
there was a floatplane version of the spit also :)
+1 on this wish
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If it's relevant, I've noticed that in the Offline Mission Editor, when you get your camera view to below ground level, the spray/wash (whatever you call the water that comes up at the bow of the CV) from the CV arcs downwards below the ground. I thought that was quite interesting/odd...
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there was a floatplane version of the spit also :)
+1 on this wish
Wildcatfish. :D
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i like the idear of recon planes can mark cvs for you country any thing to get them in the game
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Wow, you're on a request-rampage 99conman. :D
Thanks for searching instead of starting a new one. :aok