[ARC5] PBY Radios

[Kenneth G. Gordon]

On 19 May 2017 at 10:56, Robert  Eleazer wrote:

> 
> Just read in a history of the PBY Catalina that in 1939 the British bought one so they could 
> evaluate it.  Consolidated flew one over to England, flying nonstop from Newfoundland.  The 
> British response when it landed was that it could not possibly have flown all that way, for one thing 
> the engines were not leaking enough oil.
>  
> They then asked about the radios.  The American response was that they had the 
> standard Bendix radios and they had been working San Diego while the airplane was on final 
> approach to landing in England.  The Brits again were astounded.  So the next day they took them 
> up and once again worked San Diego to prove it.  The Sunderland flying boat had no where near 
> that kind of range with its radios.     
>  
> Wayne
> WB5WSV

I have always thought that the PBY was an excellent airplane, not properly appreciated by 
most WWII airplane buffs.

The history of the "Black Cats" is particularly interesting.

I remember one incident when a PBY found a Japanese fleet. Zeros were sent up to 
intercept it and shoot it down. It flew into a big cloud bank, and "wouldn't come out", so it got 
away clean.

Ken W7EKB



---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus