The Consolidated PBY Catalina first flew in 1935 and became the most famous seaplane in aviation history. The PBY-5A on display in the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon was accepted by the U.S. Navy in 1944 and was retired from active duty in 1950.
According to the Museum:
“It featured an internally supported parasol wing structure that was so near a true cantilever design as to need only two small struts on each side of the fuselage and stabilizing floats that retracted into the wing tips.”
The Catalina has a crew of 10. It has a maximum speed of 196 mph and a range of 2,520 miles.
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