Catalina Society back in the air

Air Classics, May 2003

CATALINA SOCIETY BACK IN THE AIR Consolidated PBY will fty in Britain

Encouraging news from The Catalina Society (operating as Plane Sailing Air Displays) - they have acquired a PBY Catalina to replace their original aircraft which was damaged in an accident several years ago (this particular airframe is currently being rebuilt back to airworthy condition by another organization in Britain). Since the accident, much time and work has gone into assessing the available Catalinas on the market and achieving a balance between purchase price and condition. According to the organization's David Legg: "Although there are usually a number of PBYs for sale at any one time, they tend to vary considerably in price, internal condition and external appearance. There is usually a choice of powerplant - the standard Pratt & Whitney R1820 or the more powerful Wright R-2600 fitted to Super Cats. Internal condition can cover everything from full water bombing tankage, through a gutted hull, to luxury passenger seating. There is also the choice of whether or not to buy an example with blisters and/or nose turret. In short, virtually no two surviving PBYs are the same! After a lot of searching, the decision was taken to purchase C-FNJF, one of two very similar Catalinas located at Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

"C-FNJF was originally ordered for the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Canso A amphibian, basically equivalent to the US Navy PBY-5A. It was built by Canadian Vickers at Cartierville, Quebec, and was allocated their constructor's number CV-283, before adopting the RCAF serial 11005. It was taken on charge by the RCAF on 27 October 1943 and initially saw service with 9 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron at Bella Bella on the British Columbia coast between Vancouver and Prince Rupert. It was on their inventory from November to the following August. The Cansos were mainly operated from water and were used on day and night patrols, looking out for enemy submarines. By mid-1944, the threat of a Japanese invasion of western Canada had receded and it was decided to disband 9 Squadron and close the station at Bella Bella. The Cansos, including 11005, were flown to Alliford Bay in the Queen Charlotte Islands, also in British Columbia, and transferred to 7 (BR) Squadron in August. The job was the same - anti-submarine patrols and 11005 remained with 7 Squadron until it was disbanded on 25 July 1945.

"With the war over, 11005 was no longer required for its intended role and it entered a period of storage at Moose Jaw before being converted to a freighter in 1948. A number of other RCAF Cansos were similarly converted and records show that they were known as Canso 2Fs."

The aircraft operated with several different squadrons until it was struck off strength on 25 May 1961, and offered for sale. It was purchased by Frontier Air Transport, Calgary. By this time, the nose turret and side blisters had been removed during conversion. Registered CF-NJF, the aircraft was converted to carry internal tanks by Field Aviation and then operated by Kentings, an outfit that flew many civil Catalinas. During this time, the aircraft was leased to France and used in fire fighting work. By 1974, it was operating as a fire bomber with Norcanair and did so until 1980 when it was taken over by the Province of Saskatchewan at La Ronge who continued to use the plane as a fire bomber.

Retired in the late 1990s, the Cat was ferried to Nanaimo to be converted by Catalina Aero Services for passenger flights in Zimbabwe. Although this never happened, the water bombing equipment was removed, seats installed, and one-piece blisters were installed on the rear fuselage. An airstair was added for easy entry. Put up for sale, the plane had flown 12,829 hours.

The aircraft was examined by Plane Sailing and found to be in very good condition and a deal was struck. Currently, C-FNJF is being prepared for its flight to Britain. We must remind readers that this aircraft can be directly supported by joining The Catalina Society which entitles one to subscription to The Catalina News, an excellent magazine that covers all things PBY, and a membership pack that includes decals, color photos of the aircraft, certificate of membership, membership card, and official society badge. Individual membership starts at just 15. The society cannot accept foreign checks so payment must be made by international money order in Pounds Sterling. For details contact The Catalina Society (Attn. Mrs. Val Thomas), Duxford Airfield, Cambs, England CB2 4QR.