The ugly duckling of WW-II
Mar 20, 2015 11:15:39 #
Very interesting. A flight engineer that rode in a pylon and a cook/kitchen. From the movies you would guess they only had a pilot, copilot and navigator/radio-operator
Mar 20, 2015 11:49:45 #
They were a great plane, slow as sin, tough and a long range. Read the book "10,000 Mile War" about the war in Alaska. They used the hell out of them up there. Have heard many stories from WWII vets about them. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
Mar 20, 2015 12:33:39 #
Growing up in central Kansas in the late '40s and '50s, I can remember seeing these flying over every once and awhile. I presume they were flying out of the Navy base in Hutchinson. I can also remember seeing the old Flying Boxcars a few times, but am not sure where they were flying out of.
Mar 20, 2015 12:38:52 #
There is a PBY undergoing restoration by the CAF chapter in Duluth MN at this time.
Mar 20, 2015 12:56:47 #
Big Bill
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
Lazy Old Coot wrote:
We see a lot on the restorations of WWII era bombe... (show quote)
"It was the only remaining intact PBY 5 Catalina remaining in the World, and it was discovered in South Africa."
Not quite.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_surviving_Consolidated_PBY_Catalinas
Mar 21, 2015 00:09:58 #
Last Ugly Duckling I saw was in the Coast Guard. Driving along with my family on hwy 1 (California Coastline) where the highway was up high on the cliffs above the Ocean.
There, just a short distance off the cliffs and on the same level was a PBY Cat. The pilots waved at us and the wife and kids waved back.
Loverly aircraft and one of my favorites of military aircraft from WWII. Love seeing them restored and in museums around.
One of my trips this summer is to the Evergreen Aircraft Museum in McMinville Oregon to see/shoot the Spruce Goose and others.
Evergreen Aircraft went bankrupt a while back and there is some conjecture about how this might affect the Aviation Museum, which I have heard is a separate enterprise.
Would hate to see the Spruce Goose get booted outdoors.
There, just a short distance off the cliffs and on the same level was a PBY Cat. The pilots waved at us and the wife and kids waved back.
Loverly aircraft and one of my favorites of military aircraft from WWII. Love seeing them restored and in museums around.
One of my trips this summer is to the Evergreen Aircraft Museum in McMinville Oregon to see/shoot the Spruce Goose and others.
Evergreen Aircraft went bankrupt a while back and there is some conjecture about how this might affect the Aviation Museum, which I have heard is a separate enterprise.
Would hate to see the Spruce Goose get booted outdoors.
Mar 21, 2015 06:17:00 #
Funny That
Where I live is what remains of the largest base for these aircraft during WWII
The local returned services club has actually purchased one of these that is still flyable and it is currently undergoing a complete restoration at Longreach Qld
see more of it at Rathmines Memorial Club Rathmines NSW Australia
Where I live is what remains of the largest base for these aircraft during WWII
The local returned services club has actually purchased one of these that is still flyable and it is currently undergoing a complete restoration at Longreach Qld
see more of it at Rathmines Memorial Club Rathmines NSW Australia
Mar 21, 2015 08:50:26 #
exakta56
Loc: Orford,New Hampshire
The Evergreen Air Museum is a real treat. I spent the day there in 2013. I had ridden my 1977 BMW R100/7 out to the coast for a rally and had the extra time to explore some attractions. In my opinion, the museum suffered greatly from not being advertised well. I only heard about it by word of mouth while camping on the Columbia River in Washington. Evergreen spent over 4 million dollars to build the huge hangar for the Spruce Goose and move her from Long Beach CA. Your door charge will get you on board and an extra twenty dollars at the plane will enable you to go up the circular stairs to the flight deck.
Have a good time!
Have a good time!
Mar 21, 2015 10:50:39 #
Mar 22, 2015 10:33:05 #
DrWilk wrote:
There are actually quite a number of these planes still surviving. Search and Rescue in BC had at least two operating up until just a year or so ago. They used them for forest fire fighting as well.
Seems to me in the '70's there were quite a lot them in BC used for fighting forest fires. one outfit based on the West coast of vancouver island had quite a few of them. Conair in Abbotsford may have had some. Don't know if they are still in business. So much has happened since then.
Mar 22, 2015 11:23:51 #
Yes, there were quite a few in BC at one time but I believe they're all gone now.
quote=Robin Poole]Seems to me in the '70's there were quite a lot them in BC used for fighting forest fires. one outfit based on the West coast of vancouver island had quite a few of them. Conair in Abbotsford may have had some. Don't know if they are still in business. So much has happened since then.[/quote]
quote=Robin Poole]Seems to me in the '70's there were quite a lot them in BC used for fighting forest fires. one outfit based on the West coast of vancouver island had quite a few of them. Conair in Abbotsford may have had some. Don't know if they are still in business. So much has happened since then.[/quote]
Mar 22, 2015 11:39:30 #
DrWilk wrote:
[/quote]Yes, there were quite a few in BC at one time but I believe they're all gone now.
quote=Robin Poole]Seems to me in the '70's there were quite a lot them in BC used for fighting forest fires. one outfit based on the West coast of vancouver island had quite a few of them. Conair in Abbotsford may have had some. Don't know if they are still in business. So much has happened since then.
quote=Robin Poole]Seems to me in the '70's there were quite a lot them in BC used for fighting forest fires. one outfit based on the West coast of vancouver island had quite a few of them. Conair in Abbotsford may have had some. Don't know if they are still in business. So much has happened since then.
not surprised. Thanks for the update
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