A US company based in Longboat Key, Florida, is aiming to resurrect production of the iconic Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat in the form of the Next Generation Amphibious Aircraft (NGAA) Catalina II.
Catalina Aircraft announced the initiative on 25 July 2023 at the AirVenture Oshkosh air show in Wisconsin. The company, which is the official type certificate holder for the 28-5ACF Catalina variant, is offering two new production versions of the aircraft: a military NGAA Special Use Variant and an NGAA Civilian Variant.
“The NGAA Catalina II is a modern amphibian with advanced engines and avionics and will offer capabilities no other amphibian can provide today,” Lawrence Reece, president of Catalina Aircraft, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “We are looking forward to moving this program forward rapidly.”
Catalina Aircraft states on its website that the NGAA Catalina II “carries forward the history and legendary performance of the currently Transport Category, Standard Airworthiness certificated 28-5ACF Catalina by exploiting today’s advances in digitisation, systems, materials, corrosion control, avionics, and engine/propulsion technologies”.
The aircraft will be powered by twin turboprops, with the Special Use Variant having a maximum take-off weight of 40,000 lb (18,144 kg).
Catalina Aircraft states that “pricing has not been announced yet, while deliveries are anticipated to begin in 2029”. There is currently no evidence of an initial customer so far, however.
Although US Air Force Special Operations Command is currently looking to trial a flying boat variant of the Lockheed Martin MC-130J Hercules tanker/transport variant known as the MC-130J Amphibious Capability (MAC), this effort is said to be two to three years away from making a maiden flight and is currently only moving towards a critical design review.
Meanwhile, the only major producer of military flying boats today is Japan’s ShinMaywa, which introduced the US-1A in the 1970s and has produced the US-2 since 2003. Six US-2s are currently in service with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, which has a requirement for up to 14, while the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard have also shown interest in the type.
The original Catalina first flew on 21 March 1935 and between 1936 and 1945 a total of 3,308 of the type were built. The PBY was the most widely used flying boat during the Second World War and saw wartime service mostly with the armed forces of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Russia. It was operated primary for maritime patrol and reconnaissance, anti-surface and anti-submarine attack, air-sea rescue and cargo transport.
The type also saw service both militarily and commercially with several nations after the war and a small number are still flying. Catalina Aircraft states on its website that it “has been supporting the continued airworthiness of legacy Catalinas around the world for the last 14 years”.
Peter Felstead
