History mystery

Air Power History, Summer, 2009 by Robert F. Dorr

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Our Spring 2009 mystery aircraft was the XP5Y-1 flying boat patrol bomber tested in the 1950s by the U. S. Navy.

When Consolidated Vultee, also called Convair, was completing final design work at San Diego, Calif., near the end of World War II, the XP5Y-1, also called the Convair Model 117, was an exceedingly ambitious project for which the planemaker held high hopes.

Already some admirals envisioned a strategic force of seaplanes that would operate around the world, free of any need for concrete runways or sovereign politics. It might give the Navy a nuclear mission similar to that assigned to the Air Force's Strategic Air Command. At minimum, a big, ocean-borne warplane would be able to prowl the world's maritime approaches, searching for Soviet submarines.

The XP5Y-1 and the anticipated production P5Y-1 was a large, high-wing flying boat with Allison XT-40-A-4 turboprop engines driving six-bladed contra-rotating propellers. With its sleek body and single-step hull, it was almost 128 feet in length with a wingspan of almost 146 feet and weighed over 147,000 pounds fully loaded.

The Navy ordered two prototypes on May 27, 1946. The first aircraft (bureau no. 121455) made its initial flight on April 18, 1950 at San Diego, piloted by E. S. "Sam" Shannon. Just weeks later, the start of the Korean War altered some naval priorities. Even as the Navy was reconsidering whether it wanted the XP5Y-1 for patrol duty, in August 1950, the aircraft set a turboprop endurance record of 8 hours 6 minutes.

On July 15, 1953 bureau no. 121455 was lost in a spectacular but non-fatal mishap in which pilot Don Germeraad and his 10-man crew had to- parachute into San Diego Bay. The second XP5Y-1 was used for beaching tests but never flew and was scrapped in 1957.

The XP5Y-1 design evolved into the Navy R3Y Tradewind tanker-transport, about a dozen of which had a brief but troubled operational career in the 1950s.

Our follow-up photo depicts the sole XP5Y-1 in dark blue Navy colors with white stripes for flight test camera reference.

Of 28 readers who submitted entries in our "name the plane" contest, eight confused the XP5Y-1 with the later R3Y. From among the remaining correct entries, our "History Mystery" winner is retired Air Force Col. Sid Tucker of Granbury, Texas. He will receive as his prize a copy of the book "Hell Hawks," a history of a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter group in combat in World War II.

This Issue's Mystery Plane

Again, we pose a challenge for our plane-spotting readers. Can you can identify this issue's "mystery" aircraft.

Remember the rules:

1. Submit your entry on a postcard. Mail the postcard to Robert F. Dorr, 3411 Valewood Drive, Oakton VA 22124. Entries may also be submitted via e-mail to robert.f.dorr@cox.net.

2. Correctly name the aircraft shown here. Also include your address and telephone number. Please note: Entries not accompanied by both an address and a phone number will be disqualified. This has happened.

3. A winner will be chosen at random and will receive an aviation book.

This feature needs your help. Do you have a photo of a rare or little-known aircraft? We'll return any photos provided for use here.

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