The
Consolidated PBY Catalina, also known as the
Canso in Canadian service, was an
American flying boat, and later an
amphibious aircraft of the 1930s and 1940s produced by
Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of
World War II. Catalinas served with every branch of the
United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other nations.
During World War II, PBYs were used in
anti-submarine warfare,
patrol bombing,
convoy escorts,
search and rescue missions (especially
air-sea rescue), and
cargo transport. The PBY was the most numerous aircraft of its kind and the last active military PBYs were not retired from service until the 1980s. In 2014, nearly 80 years after its first flight, the aircraft continues to fly as a
waterbomber (or airtanker) in
aerial firefighting operations all over the world.