Consolidated Canso
Overview
The Consolidated Catalina and Canso were close cousins. The Canso was the true amphibious version of the design and therefore included a conventional undercarriage to allow for either water or land use. The Canso provided more than two decades of valuable service to the RCAF. The Catalina variant came first and was produced beginning in 1935 for the United States Navy. The amphibious version, designated PBY-5A, came in service early in 1941 and the RCAF began using the aircraft on anti-submarine patrols that same year. After the Second World War, the RCAF used Cansos for search and rescue, Arctic survey missions and various transport operations.
| Designation | PBY-5A |
|---|---|
| Model number | 28-5A |
| Role | Patrol |
| Taken on strength | 1941 |
| Struck off strength | 1962 |
| Number | 224 |
| Service | RCAF |
Source: Canadian Combat and Support Aircraft: A Military Compendium by T.F.J. Leversedge © 2007. Translated and reproduced with permission of the author.
Technical specifications (PBY-5A)
| Manufacturer | Consolidated; also license-built by Boeing (Canada) Ltd |
|---|---|
| Crew / passengers | Crew of eight or nine |
| Powerplant | Two 1,200 hp (895 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 Twin Wasp radials |
| Maximum speed | 175 mph (282 km/h) |
| Cruising speed | 113 mph (182 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 13,000 ft (3,960 m) |
| Range | 2,350 mi (3,782 km) |
| Empty weight | 20,910 lbs (9,485 kg) |
| Maximum weight on take-off | 5,420 lbs (16,067 kg) |
| Span | 104 ft (31.7 m) |
| Length | 63 ft 10 in (19.47 m) |
| Height | 20 ft 2 in (6.15 m) |
| Wing area | 1,400 sq ft (130 m2) |
| Armament | One 0.5 in (12.7 mm) machine gun in each blister, one or two 0.3 in (7.62 mm) machine guns in bow turret and one 0.3 in (7.62 mm) machine gun in rear ventral hatch. Provisions for up 1,000 lbs (454 kg) in bombs or depth charges |
| Cost | Unknown |
Source: Canadian Combat and Support Aircraft: A Military Compendium by T.F.J. Leversedge © 2007. Translated and reproduced with permission of the author.
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