Inside the central Pavilion of Flight at the San Diego Air and Space Museum you’ll find a gigantic airplane with a bottom that resembles the hull of a boat. This impressive amphibious airplane is a PBY-5A Catalina, one of the many PBY Catalinas that were built in San Diego by Consolidated Aircraft around the time of World War II.
During my last visit to the museum, I walked around and under the huge aircraft and found a nearby plaque that describes the history of this particular plane.
Check out the impressive size of this famous flying boat and the span of its broad wings! Taking off from the broken ocean surface, where the attainable speed can be limited, requires a lot of lift!
Most of the PBY Catalinas were built at Consolidated Aircraft near Lindbergh Field, just a short distance from San Diego Bay where the flying boats were tested. Are there any old timers out there who recall seeing these flying boats out on the bay?
Here’s a Wikimedia Commons public domain image of a PBY-5AG in San Diego from 1948:
Also from Wikimedia Commons, here’s the PBY-5 production line at Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego from 1942:
These flying boats made important contributions to Allied victory in World War II, particularly in the Pacific. They were used in anti-submarine warfare, patrol bombing, convoy escort, search and rescue missions (especially air-sea rescue), and cargo transport.
If you love history or aviation, make sure to visit the world-class San Diego Air and Space Museum in Balboa Park. Your eyes will pop!
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