Resurrect the PBY Catalina?

[Dawes]

Well, call me skeptical:

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/aviation-company-relaunching-pby-5-as-modern-military-aircraft

[Josh]

One can dream. I always decided that if I won the lottery (like tens of millions), I'd get a pilots license and find a cat for sale somewhere and make that my home for last of my life.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Well, they did say they were going to put new technology on it. So probably 2 turboprops. I cant see its going to do much that a Canadair Cl215 doesnt do better. But im not going to knock it, I just wish they picked something a bit bigger, like a Sunderland.

[Yama]

Pretty bizarre project, I mean you can copy the overall configuration and I see no reason why it wouldn't work, but it would have next to nothing to do with original PBY.

Sadly, the flying boats are an extreme niche product. 

[Roman Alymov]

37 minutes ago, Yama said:

Pretty bizarre project, I mean you can copy the overall configuration and I see no reason why it wouldn't work, but it would have next to nothing to do with original PBY.

Sadly, the flying boats are an extreme niche product. 

Here in Russia, since at least late Sovoiet time there are talks about how nice it would be to have more or less mass-produced mid-size flying boat to operate from our numerous lales and rivers in remote areas...  But mostly staying just talks -with some experimental vehicles tested

 

[Roman Alymov]

P.S In consuner-oriented segment situation is better

 

[Ivanhoe]

5 hours ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

Well, they did say they were going to put new technology on it. So probably 2 turboprops. I cant see its going to do much that a Canadair Cl215 doesnt do better. But im not going to knock it, I just wish they picked something a bit bigger, like a Sunderland.

I doubt there is much risk of the Kriegsmarine returning to form these days...

[Rick]

https://macsseaplane.com

Nice way to spend a 1/2 hour or so. The town is our long weekend getaway place.

[Stuart Galbraith]

13 minutes ago, Ivanhoe said:

I doubt there is much risk of the Kriegsmarine returning to form these days...

It never hurts to be sure.....

Would mind some H8Ks either. That was a wonderfully handsome machine.

[Roman Alymov]

6 hours ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

Well, they did say they were going to put new technology on it. So probably 2 turboprops. I cant see its going to do much that a Canadair Cl215 doesnt do better. But im not going to knock it, I just wish they picked something a bit bigger, like a Sunderland.

Are serial-produced Be-200 (max takeoff weight 41 tonns vs. about 30 for Short Sunderland) big enough?

 

[RETAC21]

I Shin Meiwa you did there:

 

[Josh]

3 hours ago, Rick said:

https://macsseaplane.com

Nice way to spend a 1/2 hour or so. The town is our long weekend getaway place.

There's actually one that connects Boston and NYC I've been meaning to try. Leaves right off the East River.

[shep854]

The Grumman Albatross with its far more advanced design would be a better candidate for a mid-size flying boat.  
The article makes me think of Sparky…

Edited July 26, 2023 by shep854

[Stuart Galbraith]

Sparky wanted to bring back something that wasn't  any good.

 

[R011]

1 hour ago, shep854 said:

The Grumman Albatross with its far more advanced design would be a better candidate for a mid-size flying boat.  
The article makes me think of Sparky…

Yeah, but the whole idea of a new old aircraft is rule of cool anyway - otherwise we'd be posting mainly about US-2s and CL-415s.

 

A WW2 aircraft like the Catalina is much cooler than a 1950s vintage Albatross.

[Stuart Galbraith]

Doesn't seem to have suffered the wing box failure problem either.

[Yama]

8 hours ago, Roman Alymov said:

Are serial-produced Be-200 (max takeoff weight 41 tonns vs. about 30 for Short Sunderland) big enough?

These have Ukrainian engines, no? How are they produced now, or have they got domestic replacement engine?

[alejandro_]

4 minutes ago, Yama said:

These have Ukrainian engines, no? How are they produced now, or have they got domestic replacement engine?

Yes, they use a Progress D-436 engine from Ukraine. UAC is going to replace it with a PD-8 derivative, which will also be used in SSJ. 

[Roman Alymov]

2 minutes ago, alejandro_ said:

Yes, they use a Progress D-436 engine from Ukraine. UAC is going to replace it with a PD-8 derivative, which will also be used in SSJ. 

Well, not exactly  - first, there is no such thing as "Ukrainian engines", as it was Soviet engines developed in USSR and produced in cooperation of about 200 plants across what becomes Russia and Ukraine. Second, specific for Д-436ТП engine ("naval" version of Д-436Т1) : for above indicated reason Russia got full set of technologies and documentation for production, and back in 2000 Ufa motor plant declared it is ready for serial production of this engines (Д-436 — Википедия (wikipedia.org). So in theory it is no problems in producing them in Russia - except long-time lack of political will (most likely, fueled by nice kickbacks from Motor-Sich)

[Angrybk]

Grumman Goose is obviously best flying boat.

 

[R011]

28 minutes ago, Angrybk said:

Grumman Goose is obviously best flying boat.

 

It was also Arnold's plane in Commando.

[sunday]

6 hours ago, R011 said:

Yeah, but the whole idea of a new old aircraft is rule of cool anyway - otherwise we'd be posting mainly about US-2s and CL-415s.

 

A WW2 aircraft like the Catalina is much cooler than a 1950s vintage Albatross.

Problem is Catalina is too slow because of the wing. Could be useful in some niche application like transporting rich tourists from Male to Maldives resorts, but perhaps that will be all.

[Stuart Galbraith]

5 hours ago, Angrybk said:

Grumman Goose is obviously best flying boat.

 

God, I loved that programme. The execs that gave it only one season deserved to be executed.

[Yama]

7 hours ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

God, I loved that programme. The execs that gave it only one season deserved to be executed.

Well, that's why they're called executives I suppose.

[Stuart Galbraith]