Service History
- Delivered: Jan 21, 1945
- Jan 1945 – Niagara Falls Modification Ceter, NY
- Feb 1945 – 1564th AAF Base Unit (Pacific Division, Air Transport
- Command,) Long Beach AAF, CA
- Apr 1945 – Sacramento Air Depot, CA
- June 1945 – Spokane AAF, WA
- July 1945 – Long Beach AAF, CA
- Aug 1945 – Departed US for 5th AF, Pacific Theater of Operations
- Apr 1946 – Dropped from inventory by transfer to US Navy
- Sricken: Jan 31, 1947
The Catalina is the most famous flying boat in the history of aviation. The “Cats” patrolled the huge expanses of ocean for enemy submarines and rescued thousands of downed airmen.
Following the attack on Pearl Harbor only three PBY’s that were on patrol remained operational. Production was soon extended and the Naval Aircraft Factory produced the last version PBN-1 Nomad. PBYs attacked the Japanese fleet approaching Midway.
Post war service included fire bomber, survey, airliner, sportsmen and even the famous oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. The PBY-5A was the first amphibious version with retractable landing gear.
While the Catalina was designed by Consolidated, our OA-10 was one of the PBYs license produced by Vickers. Serving with the AAF, this PBY flew with emergency rescue squadrons in the Pacific.
