New/Old maritime aircraft aiming for possible military contracts.
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New/Old maritime aircraft aiming for possible military contracts.
Well, what can I say, a company in the USA is aiming to start building NEW CATALINA'S with modern engines and avionics
https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-w...154255.article
The company thinks the time is right to relaunch the venerable flying boat.
“Our senior management team made the decision to formalise a production restart programme,” Catalina says, citing “positive interest” from unnamed “governments, militaries, agencies and commercial operators”.
The company says NGAA Catalina IIs will be capable of operating from oceans, rivers and lakes, and from tarmac, dirt and grass runways.
The civilian variant will have maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 14,515kg (32,000lb), with capacity for 34 passengers or 5,443kg of cargo. The military version will have an expanded MTOW of 18,143kg.
The US military has expressed interest in water-capable aircraft in recent months. Special Operations Command is exploring a seaplane variant of Lockheed Martin’s C-130J transport, while the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is developing a heavy-lift seaplane known as the Liberty Lifter. General Atomics and Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences are participating in that project.
Defence giant Lockheed Martin has also invested in start-up Regent Craft, which is developing a wing-in-ground-effect vehicle (it calls them ”seagliders”) with potential military applications.
Such projects are geared toward helping the Pentagon prepare for potential conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region – where vast swaths of open ocean and small, lightly developed islands present substantial challenges to military planners.
“Our senior management team made the decision to formalise a production restart programme,” Catalina says, citing “positive interest” from unnamed “governments, militaries, agencies and commercial operators”.
The company says NGAA Catalina IIs will be capable of operating from oceans, rivers and lakes, and from tarmac, dirt and grass runways.
The civilian variant will have maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 14,515kg (32,000lb), with capacity for 34 passengers or 5,443kg of cargo. The military version will have an expanded MTOW of 18,143kg.
The US military has expressed interest in water-capable aircraft in recent months. Special Operations Command is exploring a seaplane variant of Lockheed Martin’s C-130J transport, while the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is developing a heavy-lift seaplane known as the Liberty Lifter. General Atomics and Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences are participating in that project.
Defence giant Lockheed Martin has also invested in start-up Regent Craft, which is developing a wing-in-ground-effect vehicle (it calls them ”seagliders”) with potential military applications.
Such projects are geared toward helping the Pentagon prepare for potential conflicts in the Indo-Pacific region – where vast swaths of open ocean and small, lightly developed islands present substantial challenges to military planners.
The US military seems to have opted for VTOL and onboard ship ops instead of amphibious already.
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Another aviation wet dream. It will never go anywhere. The Catalina is a primitive design with low performance and many undesirable flying characteristics. In any case Dehaviland Canada already has a military version of the Turbine powered 415, a far more modern design with much superior performance to the Catalina.
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What is it with things that float, an Oz company is talking of building new Grumman Albatross.
https://australianaviation.com.au/20...e-built-in-nt/
https://australianaviation.com.au/20...e-built-in-nt/
Pity they got rid of all the flying boats; Shorts would be back in business.
And didn't the US Navy build a flying boat with 4 jet engines? Martin P6 Seamaster?
A good article and some beautiful pics here:
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...itary-aircraft
I have a ‘thing’ for the ShinMaywa US 2 ❤️
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...itary-aircraft
I have a ‘thing’ for the ShinMaywa US 2 ❤️
Strange they haven't produced a decent 'artists impression' of the Catalina II, just a fuzzy indistict 'low resolution' one along with some admittedly superb shots of the original version; what are they trying to hide I wonder?
Another aviation wet dream. It will never go anywhere. The Catalina is a primitive design with low performance and many undesirable flying characteristics. In any case Dehaviland Canada already has a military version of the Turbine powered 415, a far more modern design with much superior performance to the Catalina.
Hmm
Primitive design ?
It can land and take off in sea state 3, this revamped version has a maximum cruise speed of 200 knots
It also has an endurance of 19 hours, the 415 cannot come close to that
Shouldn’t have bothered with the 2 flat tops and the runt of the litter “battle penguin” F35. Should have gone for a modern version of the SARO SR.A/1. There is more chance of a few of these still being around at dispersed locations to get airborne after day 2 of the Straights of Taiwan War, than 2 big flat tops and 48 jets sitting on the bottom of the sea bed!
Last edited by The B Word; 26th Jul 2023 at 11:00. Reason: Add video
