PBY Catalina / CANSO — Aircraft Manuals Collection

One of the most versatile and enduring flying boats ever built. From open-ocean patrol to air-sea rescue, from anti-submarine warfare to aerial firefighting, the Consolidated PBY Catalina served in every theatre and outlasted the conflict that made it famous. This collection brings together 20 surviving original primary-source publications — factory handbooks, U.S. Navy technical orders, RAF Air Council notes, Canadian repair instructions, and specialist operational manuals — preserved as issued, structured for research.

Engineering Profile

Parasol Wing and Hull Architecture. The PBY's defining structural decision was the parasol wing — raised entirely above the hull on a streamlined central pylon and braced by dual lift struts. This elevated the two Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines clear of destructive water spray during water operations, while the cantilever interior wing structure eliminated external wire bracing, reducing parasite drag across the large wing area. Retractable wingtip floats fold upward in flight to form the aerodynamic wingtip profile, minimising drag on long-endurance cruise missions. The tailplane and elevators are mounted halfway up the vertical stabiliser, isolating the control surfaces from hydrodynamic wake and spray during water taxiing.

Two-Step Hull Hydrodynamics. The fuselage features a sharp V-shaped bottom with two distinct hydrodynamic steps. These steps break water surface tension during takeoff acceleration while maintaining a low aerodynamic profile once airborne. Hydrodynamic step geometry mitigates high-speed porpoising during water takeoffs, though crews must manage trim carefully to avoid premature surface separation.

Performance Data — PBY-5A. Maximum speed: 196 mph (170 knots) at 7,500 feet. Cruising speed: 125 mph (108 knots). Maximum range: 2,520 miles (4,050 km). Service ceiling: 15,800 feet (4,816 m). Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (305 m/min). Empty weight: 20,911 lbs (9,485 kg). Maximum takeoff weight: 35,419 lbs (16,066 kg).

Powerplant. Two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder twin-row radial engines, each producing 1,200 bhp for takeoff. The flight deck station split is operationally significant: the pilot manages throttles and mixtures while a dedicated flight engineer controls cowl flaps, starters, and fuel selectors from inside the wing pylon structure. Electric inertia starters are operated by the engineer; emergency manual override hand-cranking sockets are positioned directly between the exhaust collectors. Hydraulic pressure is driven by a single 2-GPM Pesco-type pump mounted to the starboard engine accessory section. Fuel capacity: up to 1,457 Imperial gallons across wing tank centre sections, split between self-sealing and non-self-sealing cells.

Handling and Stability. The PBY behaves as a stable, heavily damped instrument platform. The 104-foot wingspan creates substantial lateral inertia, requiring proactive rudder coordination during roll initiation. Positive longitudinal static stability is maintained across the flight envelope; structural changes across variants are documented in T.O. 01-5MA-8. Large aileron surfaces ensure adequate low-speed response, critical for open-sea landings where stall speeds approach 65 mph. Water handling requires active trim management to control porpoising during the takeoff run.

Technical Orders and Engineering References. AN 01-5MA-1 covers checklists, cruise settings, and limitation data for the PBY-5A. AN 01-5MA-2 covers airframe rigging, float retraction mechanics, and cable routing. AN 01-5M-3 provides structural specifications for the metal hull, stringers, and skin plating. The Canadian Aerial Tanker Installation manual (Dept. of Transport) documents the post-war conversion of PBY-5A airframes for aerial firefighting, including door operating mechanisms and probe and filler pipe drawings.

Collection Manifest — 20 Documents

CAC Factory Publications — Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, San Diego

• C.A.C. Report ZE-28-030 — Pilot's Handbook for the Consolidated Model 28 Flying Boat (Aug 1941, Contract CAN. 78)
• C.A.C. Report ZE-28-033 — Repair Instructions for the Consolidated Model 28 Amphibian Airplane for Canada (Oct 1941, Contract CAN. -78)
• C.A.C. Report ZE-28-054 — Preliminary Pilot's Handbook, U.S. Navy PBY-5B Airplane (May 1942, Restricted, Contract L.L. 88477)

U.S. Navy Pilot's Handbooks and Flight Operating Instructions

• Pilot's Handbook — U.S. Navy PBY-5 Airplane, R-1830-92 Engines (Jun 1942, Restricted, Contract 91876, S/N 04425–04514)
• NAVAER 01-5SE-1 — Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions, PBY-5 Airplane
• AN 01-5MA-1 — Pilot's Handbook of Flight Operating Instructions, Navy Model PBY-5A (Rev. 20 Jan 1945)
• AN 01-5MC-1 — Preliminary Pilot's Handbook of Flight Operating Instructions, Navy Model PBY-6A (supersedes 1 Dec 1944 edition)
• AN 01-5MC-1 — Pilot's Handbook of Flight Operating Instructions, Navy Model PBY-6A (15 Feb 1946, Rev. 15 Oct 1948)

RAF / Air Council Publications

• A.P. 2036A, B & D–P.N. — Pilot's and Flight Engineer's Notes, Catalina I, IB, II, IV — Two Twin Wasp R1830–S1C 3-G Engines (2nd Ed., promulgated by Order of the Air Council)

Erection and Maintenance

• AN 01-5MA-2 — Erection and Maintenance Instructions, Navy Model PBY-5A (20 Jul 1944, Restricted)
• AN 01-5MA-2 — Handbook of Erection and Maintenance Instructions, Navy Model PBY-5 & PBY-5A (15 May 1945, Rev. 10 Mar 1945)

Structural Repair

• AN 01-5M-3 — Handbook of Structural Repair, PBY Series

Parts Catalogs

• AN 01-5M-4 — Parts Catalog, PBY-5A / PBY-6A / OA-10 (1945)
• PBY — Illustrated Parts Catalog (IPC)

Powerplant

• AN 01-3MA-2 — Engine Manual, Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Series (PBY application)

Specialist and Operational

• Maintenance Manual — Aerial Tanker Installation, Models A, B & C on PBY-5A Aircraft (Dept. of Transport, Canada) — incl. Drawing C-82112 Door Operating Mechanism & Drawing C-82113 Probe and Filler Pipes

Variant Flight Manuals

• PBY-5 — Flight Handbook
• PBY-5A — Flight Manual
• PBY-5B — Pilot's Handbook
• PBY-6A — Pilot's Handbook

This is a Living Collection. Documents are added as new archival sources are acquired. Purchasers receive free lifetime updates.

Permitted Uses

Historical research and scholarship. Aircraft restoration reference. Museum and heritage documentation. Flight simulation and scale modelling. Aerospace education. This collection is not approved for active airworthiness maintenance.

⚠️ Regulatory Notice: Under FAA 14 CFR § 43.13 and EASA Part-M, any mechanic performing maintenance on an active aircraft must use current, manufacturer-approved revision-controlled data. This archival collection does not satisfy that requirement.

This is an archival, static-copy edition fixed at its original publication date. Intended for historical reference, flight simulation, museum restoration, and educational use only. Not approved for active airworthiness maintenance under FAA 14 CFR § 43.13, EASA Part-M, or equivalent international regulations. Operators of active aircraft must use current, revision-controlled publications from the Type Certificate holder or an authorised distributor.

Living Collections with Free Lifetime Updates – Please review our Legal Notice and Export Notice before purchasing.