Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina

Consolidated Aircraft · United States · first flew 1944 · transport aircraft

The PBY-6A is a late-production amphibious Catalina variant featuring a taller tail fin for improved directional stability and an AN/APS-15 search radar installation above the cockpit.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	19.45 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Late-war Catalina with taller vertical tail and radar dome above cockpit
Amphibious retractable gear in hull sponsons, twin R-1830 radials
Search radar fairing between cockpit and parasol wing

The taller, broader vertical tail and the radome above the cockpit are the quickest identifiers of the -6A over earlier Catalina variants; amphibious gear in sponsons confirms the A suffix.

Specifications

The Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina has a length of 19.45 m (64 ft).
It has a wingspan of 31.7 m (104 ft).
Its maximum speed is 288 km/h (179 mph).
Typical crew: 9.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Consolidated built 235 PBY-6As for the US Navy and Soviet Union between 1944 and 1945. The taller tail improved handling in crosswinds and the radar enhanced maritime surveillance capability. Soviet examples designated GST operated in anti-submarine and patrol roles in the Pacific theatre.

Variants

The -6A is distinguished from the -5A primarily by the taller tail and radar fit; the Naval Aircraft Factory PBN-1 Nomad was a parallel redesign sharing some -6A improvements but built by a different manufacturer.

Where you'll see it

Served with the US Navy and Soviet Naval Aviation in the final year of World War II; a number passed to the USCG post-war in search-and-rescue roles.

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