The Catalina and HD's Thames transport thread.

[BOAC]

Split from the London City thread.

[hobie]

I found something that would have been ideal for HD's trip up the Thames .....

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1076189/M/ (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1076189/M/)

[WHBM]

I found something that would have been ideal for HD's trip up the Thames
Here's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekranoplan) an even better one. Notice the similarity !

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

<<I found something that would have been ideal for HD's trip up the Thames ..... >>

Well thank you kindly. Unfortunately I do have my own private flying machine which is quite adequate for perambulating along the Thames. Thanks to Air-Britain Photo Images Collection it may be viewed here

http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1005213/

[hobie]

Well thank you kindly. fortunately I do have my own private flying machine which is quite adequate for perambulating along the Thames.

HD .... your photo reminds me of something very similar .... I was walking the doggie late march 2004 and heard a very slow a/c passing overhead ..... a little after takeoff following refueling after an Atlantic crossing .... looked up and I saw a great big yellow Catalina ...... she was enroute to Duxford and I understand a great deal of work has been done on here since, including a complete paint job .....

here's what she looked like on that day ....

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0855411/M/ (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0855411/M/)

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

hobie.. and here's what she looks like today..
http://www.brendan-mccartney.fotopic.net/p31507591.html
I'm hoping to get a ride in one in a few months... can't wait.

[WHBM]

The Catalina comes right overhead London City several times a year it seems, maybe routing from Duxford to/from the Biggin Hill show or somewhere. Always nice and low and slow and pleasantly noisy. I bet the crew in the tower are all out with their binoculars.

[hobie]

hobie.. and here's what she looks like today..
http://www.brendan-mccartney.fotopic.net/p31507591.html
I'm hoping to get a ride in one in a few months... can't wait.


seems she's doing lots of shows .... some recent shots here ...

http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.search?regsearch=G-PBYA&distinct_entry=true

G-PBYA was originally ordered for the Royal Canadian Air Force as a Canso A amphibian, basically equivalent to the US Navy PBY-5A. It was built by Canadian Vickers at Cartierville, Quebec and was allocated their constructors number CV-283 before adopting the RCAF serial 11005. It was taken on charge by the air force on 27 October 1943 and initially saw service with 9 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron at Bella Bella on the British Columbia coast between Vancouver and Prince Rupert.

Imagine ..... 63 years old and looking like brand new ! :eek:

there's a short history of the aircraft here ....

http://www.catalina.org.uk/our-catalina

What a brilliant project ! .... :D

[corsair]

Plane sailing's previous aircraft is now sitting in Dublin's Weston airport waiting restoration. This is how it looks now.

http://www.catalina.org.uk/images/news/wcn-may06/Photo17.jpg

The rest of it is sitting in lorry trailers nearby. It looks OK in the photo but closer examination reveals it's a bit of mess. Not helped by it sitting out in the open. If only I won the Euro lotto I would buy it and restore it to fly again.

[Chuck Ellsworth]

The Dutch are flying this one out of Lelystad airport and doing passenger flights with water landings.

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e353/ChuckEllsworth/Cat_PH-PBY_MG_9858.jpg

Hope they keep flying her as these machines are really neat and have a long history.

[V800]

The Dutch are flying this one out of Lelystad airport and doing passenger flights with water landings.



Here is what she looks like from the inside.

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5816627

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5816618

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5820805

Well worth the EUR179 for a ticket!

[hobie]

there are not too many aircraft you could take a similar photo from .... :)

http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=5820805

[Chuck Ellsworth]

That looks familiar.:E