Hi all:
I have just returned from Europe where I was training some Aussie pilots on their new purchase a former Chilean PBY6A waterbomber.
It is now registered in Australia VH PBZ, it was to be delivered to Sidney via the middle east however due to the war fears in India the trip was postboned and finally cancelled due the arrival of the monsoon season in the Indian ocean.
Some facts on the PBY:
The endurance is approximately twenty hours, depending on power settings. I personally was airborne for ninteen hours and ten minutes in 1968, a lot of that time was at relitavely low power settings.
The airplane holds 1458 imperial gallons of fuel and 110 imperial gallons of oil. Normal average fuel burn is 72 imperial gallons per. hour. We flight plan at 115 knots.
During the war they added extra internal tanks to give very long endurance.
If anyone is interested I could post some of our flight experiences and some of the many problems we encounter flying these things.
I was gone from home for twenty four days on this last job.
Will be home for about two weeks and then go to London to ferry N9521C to Virginia Beach via London - Prestwick - Reykjavik - Narsarsuak - Goose Bay and down to Virginia Beach.
By the way the Aussies have a very nice PBY6A to take home and play with. It flys real nice and looks real good.
Cat Driver:
......................
The hardest thing about flying is knowing when to say no.