Re: PBY Catalina
 

me no thinka torpeda

Re: PBY Catalina
 

Actually, I think there was a squadron called the "Black Cats" that made night torpedo runs on Japanese ships. Dunno if use was more widespread though.

Japanese H6K and H8K planes would be a nice addition.

The Italians probably have a cool flying boat or two as well.

Re: PBY Catalina
 

ive never seen torps on a cat, maybes mod

Re: PBY Catalina
 

What roles did PBYs and similar planes fill?

Recon, Maritime patrol (armed)? Pilot rescue?

Re: PBY Catalina
 

anti ship and anti submarine. fleet patrol, pilot rescue, laison.

Re: PBY Catalina
 

Yup Black Cat PBY's were used with great success in the Pacific. Most Jap merchant ships had no radar and very few destroyers did. And the Japanese did not have a credible night fighter force so the Balck Cats operated almost with impunity.

By painting the aircraft black they were very hard to spot at night even with searchlights and by throttling back on the attack run the Black Cats were very hard to detect audibly over the ships own noises.

As far as I know most carried a aerial torpedo under each wing. I do believe there were some that carried 2 x 500lb bomb under each wing and used skip bombing tactics to attack.

Heres some nice Black Cat pics

http://www.daveswarbirds.com/blackcat/photo4.htm

Re: PBY Catalina
 

did they have some sort of modified hardpoint to carry torpedoes? ive never seen a PBY-5A Cat with torps on them.

Re: PBY Catalina
 

http://www.betatechschools.com/fight.../catalina.html

It looks like the torpedo/depth charges required a different rack than the bombs.

Pics of PBY's with torps are as rare as P-47's with rockets

Battle of Midway, June 1942

Pilots of the four Patrol Squadron 24 (VP-24) and Patrol Squadron 51 (VP-51) PBY-5A "Catalina" patrol bombers that flew the torpedo attack mission against the Japanese fleet's Midway Occupation Force during the night of 3-4 June 1942.
Those present are (left to right):
Lieutentant (Junior Grade) Douglas C. Davis, of VP-24;
Ensign Allan Rothenberg, of VP-51;
Lieutenant William L. Richards, Executive Officer of Patrol Squadron 44 (VP-44), who flew in a VP-24 aircraft on this mission; and
Ensign Gaylord D. Propst, of VP-24.

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/e...way/mid-1m.htm

Re: PBY Catalina
 

I posted another thread without realising that this thread was posted. However, it does have a bunch of screenshots that the FH team can use:

http://www.gamingforums.com/showthread.php?t=153540

Re: PBY Catalina
 

Actually, this plane is already modeled. I think the skin is nearing completion, so our dreams are fufilled. Now, for an Fw200 and a Sunderland...