A Florida company is hoping to build a modernized version of the Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat, an aircraft developed almost 90 years ago and most famously used to hunt Nazi U-boats in the Second World War. Catalina Aircraft has announced it plans to build a turboprop amphib flying boat using the “same design principles” as the lumbering twin. A few of the type are still used in commercial service as water bombers and cargo planes, and several museums keep flying versions. The company thinks there is still a niche to be filled in civilian and military service.
The news release says the company plans to build two models, a civilian aircraft with an all-up weight of 30,000 pounds and room for 34 passengers and 12,000 pounds of cargo. A more powerful military version will weigh in at 40,000 pounds. “Interest in the rebirth of this legendary amphibian has been extraordinary,” Lawrence Reece, president of Catalina Aircraft, said in a press release. “We are looking forward to moving this program forward rapidly.” They hope to be flying in 2029.
