The Officially Shameless PBY/Halloween '09 GB

I will probably get Academy's PBY-5A Black Cat. Would like to make it into a Catalina that flew in the MTO. Thinking tan uppers and the basic light blue lowers with markings like the P-40s that participated in Operation Torch. Still up in the air right now.

P.S.-Does anybody know of any weapon sets or something that have torpedoes in it. I would like to put torpedoes on shackles under the wings if possible.

WarHammer25 wrote:

I will probably get Academy's PBY-5A Black Cat P.S.-Does anybody know of any weapon sets or something that have torpedoes in it. I would like to put torpedoes on shackles under the wings if possible.

THAT would be a very cool scheme, WarHammer! I don't know the MTO load-outs, but PTO carried torps a lot. I'll check refs!

 Hey Nam someone posted this pic in one of your guess what I saw today threads. Can't remember who but it may be a candidate for a GB badge!

 Just a thought as I am sure you got that all covered!

WOOHOO!!!

Count me in with the 1/48 Revell PBY-5A from VP-41 on Kodiak Island in the Aleutians.  Can't wait to start!

I'll be building the Academy 1/72 PBY-5A Black Cat Catalina.

Josh

WarHammer25 wrote:

I will probably get Academy's PBY-5A Black Cat. Would like to make it into a Catalina that flew in the MTO. Thinking tan uppers and the basic light blue lowers with markings like the P-40s that participated in Operation Torch. Still up in the air right now. P.S.-Does anybody know of any weapon sets or something that have torpedoes in it. I would like to put torpedoes on shackles under the wings if possible.

Warhammer,

Accurate Miniatures makes a WWII ordnance set that has 1 torpedo in it Squadron lists it at around 18.00.  True Details makes a Mk.13 torp in resin, Squadron has them at 2.96 each.

Nam,

Put me down for 1/72 PBY.  Make and model TBD.

List me for the Revell 1/48 OA-10. Haven't decided yet on which markings though. I'll also looking be looking at getting some of the Academy 1/72s, but that'll be down the road aways.

nam,

Okay I am torn between choosing to do the Revell 1/72 PBY-5A or the 1/48 Revell-Monogram Pro Modeler PBY-5A that are in my stash. I'm leaning more towards the 1/48 PBY-5A at the moment.

At this point I am not sure as well as to what scheme I want to do this in I would like to do something different then the Black Cat Squadron look so more reaserch is in order.

I'll post again soon with a more concrete decision.

Oh and there is only one i in my name .

Cheers,

Thom

Sorry about that Thom! I'll fix it.

Thanks for the new entries and the added info.....Page will be updated in a little while! 

I'm still thinking up a theme for the 'interaction of this GB.....I'll post something and ask for some help deciding or for suggestions!

Okay Folks! The front page is updated. I promise to check it constantly and update as necessary!

Warhammer: I'll try and help with your MTO/torpedo issues! I'd love to see that!

Thanks again for all the interest.....I know we are all involved in other modeling things and GB's are fun. We have a couple months for getting kits, doing research etc......and a 10 month build time. This should be much FUN!

Alright, alright, I'm in...

I'll be building a 1/72 Academy PBY-5 Catalina in the markings of "The Dabster", A24-64, 43 SQN, RAAF.

If the build goes well, and I don't get sidetracked by something else, I'll also build a 1/72 Academy Catalina Mk.Ib in the markings of "Jossing II" , JW933, 333 (Norwegian) Sqn, RAF.

I don't know much at all about the catalina, so I'll probably have loads of questions. 

Cheers,
Alex

cardshark_14 posted this in the Aircraft Trivia post and thought it might be of interest:    

"In his quest for increased firepower, Lahodney made several flights in the Army's B-25 bombers and was impressed with their gunfire capabilities. These planes had 75 mm in the nose but also several fixed-quad .50 caliber machine guns which were was of particular interest to the Cat pilot.

He decided to experiment with the same .50 caliber installation in the nose of his PBY. It was a somewhat radical concept and, as might be expected, there were many raised eyebrows. The PBY after all was a patrol plane, not a fighter, and it was the opinion of some that the fifties would tear the nose of the airplane. The old cat was simply not built to take that kind of abuse, they said. Others thought the installation would have an adverse effect on the aircraft weight and balance.

Few were optimistic that it would work.

Lahodney was not to be deterred. Removing the bombsight (which had not proven very effective for the specialized work of the Black cats) and the small bow plate window, he bolted the guns, mounted two over two, to the keel of the big boat. The top set of the two was mounted forward of the lower set, so the muzzles of all four were aft of the angle of the angled bow plate. 

An aluminum panel with four blast tubes extending forward for seven inches replaced the window, and was all that was visible of the lethal addition from an exterior view. An electric trigger on the pilot's yoke and a selector switch which permitted the pilot to fire the guns individually or together, completed the installation.
Bill lahodney was confident that the Cat would not only withstand the vibration of the fifties, but that twin thirties normally mounted just above that spot could be retained along with the gunner's position.

With a minimum volunteer crew, consisting of himself, a flight engineer, and a bow gunner, Lahodney took off from Palm Island seadrome to try out his idea. Dropping a floating smoke light in the water for a target, he executed a wing-over and put the Cat into a steep dive.
Eyeballing the burning smoke light he pressed the trigger and the fifties responded with a burst that churned the water and extinguished the smoke. That was the kind of firepower he was looking for. During the run he had also noted that the extra weight in the nose had no perceptible effect on the aircraft's performance.

The test was repeated with the same result and upon returning to base, a careful inspection revealed that the old Cat had shouldered her new burden without complaint. The experiment was a complete success, so much so that the quad fifties were installed in at least three planes in every succeeding squadron.

Other tests also bore out Lahodney's views. They demonstrated that a gunner could straddle the quad mount and operate the thirties with almost as much mobility as before. A burlap pad was placed on top of the hot .50 caliber barrels to prevent the gunner from being burned.
One problem with the installation was that because of its positioning it was difficult to keep saltwater from getting into the muzzels. Rubber plugs were made to fit in the blast tubes but they leaked badly. Then someone got the idea that the standard rubber devices used for the prevention of venereal disease would be just the thing to make the blast tubes watertight. And they were.

In preparing for the coming deployment, Lahodney flew over to Townsville on the Australian mainland on a supply run. He picked up two additional quad mounts from the army supply depot and an unusally large quantity of condoms to protect the gun muzzles. The swells were heavy that day and during the take-off run one bounced the Cat into the air prematurely. The starboard wing dropped about forty degree and full power on the starboard engine would not bring it level. 

It hit the water and broke off and the rest of the airplane came down hard. As it began to sink, Lahodney again applied full throttle and ran the broken Cat up on the rocks of the Townsville breakwater. Incredibly, no one was hurt.

With a heavy on-shore wind, the condoms were scattered about and it looked like there were many thousands as they floated ashore. Lahodney recalls that since there were no women on Palm Island there were much humourus speculation concerning the intended use of all those contraceptives."

Could make for a cool build if someone wanted to tackle it.

nam: Thanks for helping. Any info would be much appreciated. As of right now, I have only found one set of Mk.13 torpedoes in 1/72 and they are for a PT boat. Could work if I rigged up some shackles maybe.

 Namredneferitious ! How be ye? Weekend party time? Now where is that PBY?

 Ok here is the one I have. I was guessing it was pretty much the same thing but wanted to post a pic so you could verify?  This is not the Pro - Modeler version and it has the figures? Why they were not included this time I dunno? Seems disappointing as I like figures. 38-24 36 usually.

Put me in for the build. I have both versions from Monogram. (I am still partial to the Monogram name). I am leaning toward the rescue version in 1/48th.

I finally checked back to see what was happening with the build. I am going strictly stock with kit so it will have the markings of OA-10A 44-33939 4th Rescue Squadron Hamilton Field California. I also have decided to build my other Cat which is a PBY-5 but, this one I am going to find some other decals to use.

Thanks to Jeff and Mike for joining! Page updated.....let me know of any errors.

Aaron....Same top box art, but my side panels show the OA-10A build.....and those are the decals I got. I'll find what I need. Luck to ya Man!

Nam-

PM received, and returned!

Hey Nam...the name's Alex, not Jeff...

Cheers,
ALEX

cardshark_14 wrote:

Hey Nam...the name's Alex, not Jeff... Cheers, ALEX

That's what I get for jotting too quickly.....sorry!.....I really did know that!

 Hmmmmm Alex you know this is the great and powerful Nam's thread! ( pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!) Perhaps I should start calling you Jeff. Or Calvin?

 Nam ? Did you mix the rum with your OJ again?  The power has gone to his head just as the paint fumes and poor ventilation have gone to mind?

 Does anyone have the Pro Modeler kit? I was just wondering if the figures were the same?

Glad we got the name thing correct.......

Aaron.....what the heck is it about you and pilot figures......you're beginning to scare me!

namrednef wrote:

Aaron.....what the heck is it about you and pilot figures......you're beginning to scare me!

Just beginning too ?

Monogram Pro Modeler 1/48th PBY-5A Black Cat Diorama.  Guess I need to get that giant box outta the closet anyway...  This's as good a reason as any...

Does anyone have the Pro Modeler kit? I was just wondering if the figures were the same?

No figures...

cardshark_14 wrote:

Hey Nam...the name's Alex, not Jeff... Cheers, ALEX

Alex.....I fixed that hours ago....there is no longer a Jeff by your name at the top of this thread

Thanks HvH....Mike....you is on the list!

I think I'll have a go at this one although I have no idea what being in a group build means... This will be my first. There seems to be enough time anyway even with my Trumpeter 1/48 P40 between the Typhoon I'm building now (nearly finished) and the PBY. I will likely just build whatever version is in the box - and if there are more than one, I'll have to decide once the model actually arrives at my house - I just ordered it. Hope that's OK. Do I need anything else?

 Rich