207273 Modeler 1/72 amphibious Aircraft PBY-5A "Catalina"

Additional Information

in the Autumn of 1933, consolidated and Douglas received a proposal from the United States Navy to develop flying boats for long-range patrols. The designers of the "consolidated" headed by Mack Ladanom prepared a draft and submitted it to the customer. March 21, 1935 experienced aircraft XP3Y-1 made its first flight
Of all the models of "Katalin" was the most successful PBY-5. The number of aircraft produced this modification reached 808 copies. Another 803 machines were manufactured in amphibious version PBY-5A. They differed from the PBY-5 by the presence of a wheeled chassis, which significantly increased the versatility of an extremely successful and efficient aircraft. In total, 2299 cars of all modifications were produced.
the High performance of the flying boat from consolidated did not go unnoticed outside the United States. The USSR acquired a license for the production of PBY and launched them in a series under the designation of GST, and after the war 106 aircraft of the upgraded version were bought by the UK. There they were assigned the index "Catalina" MK I (later the name "Catalina" was assigned to all PBY and in the United States).
"Catalina" actively used in all theaters of war and entered in his biography many glorious pages, the most famous of which was the operation to search for and destroy the German battleship "Bismarck". 26 may 1941 Lieutenant Leonard on "the Catalina" with the hull number W8406 first discovered and pursued the German battleship. All in all, "Catalina" was tracked down a huge number of warships and submarines of the enemy, many of which were sunk. The most successful tactic of "Katalin", was a tactic of night search and attack, lasting from mid-1942 until the end of the war in the South and southwest Pacific. The tactics of "Black cats" were introduced after the high losses PBY in the first days of the war showed their vulnerability from fire of antiaircraft guns and fighter jets during operations in the daytime. Two factors contributed to the success of the night operations: the emergence of reliable radars and the Japanese commitment to the night transport of troops and supplies, especially landing ships, for their garrisons on numerous Pacific Islands.
Night raids have been carried out by patrol squadrons operating in the Solomon Islands area since mid-1942. But the first unit, specially equipped for night attacks, was the VP-12 squadron equipped with black-painted PBY-5A, it arrived at Guadalcanal in December 1942 and operated there until March 1943.
no other flying boat in the world can compare In efficiency and popularity with the Catalins, and the best evidence of their outstanding qualities is that most of them have been serving people for many years after the end of the second world war.

Warning! Glue and paint are not included.