aerospot

I've recently purchased a set of Vintage plans for the Consolidated PBY Catalina.
Upon arrival I unrolled the 5 sheets and examined the details. I have done some complicated scratch builds in the past but nothing like this!

Does anyone have experiance with building this 108" seaplane from plans?
I'm hoping to make it as scale as possiable with retractable tip floats & Landing Gear.
Nothin but time right? (& $$)

Thanks in advance as any and all will be most helpful with this build. I have yet to make the wood order and am cleaning up some loose ends (Wings Needing Matching Fusealages) in my shop before I do but am hopeing to build this over the course of the winter.

Dave

bear 57

Dave, a local group of us are presently building a fibreglass/foam version from these very same plans.
the fuse mold is completed and we are about to do our first fuse.
We have already done the cowls and nacelles. Also have a window blister plug almost ready. I can forward pics if you are interested.
I plan on using two .60's and air retracts for the tip floats. The wing would be three piece.

Lorne

Wayne22

My Feedback: (2)

I was wondering what you guys were working on this year!! Will they be ready for June? On another note, how is the PBM doing?

bear 57

Hi Nony. The PBM is in dry dock right now awaiting some inclination on my part to go flying. It will not likely see water till next spring now.
If the enthusiasm remains high, you will see a PBN next june, at least one anyway. I am most heavily involved with the PBN, but also to a lesser degree, the twin Otter and Beaver. All these are 9 foot span.
Regards.

Chilipecker

My Feedback: (37)

I also have an old set of Sid Morgan PBY plans, cowls and blisters. Probably never actually get around to cutting it.
Are you guys going to sell any of your fiberglass fuse, or foam wings?

bear 57

For the present time. we would like to get the initial four models of the PBN done and then stand back and review the situation.
We are for the most part retired, fixed income individuals. We work on these projects when time permits and we don't like comittments. However, stay tuned you never know.

Newc

I got a set of the same plans from Fred Novak a couple of years ago and decided to wait until I was retired to build the plane after reviewing the plans. Well, been retired now for a while and after looking at the plans I virtually decided to get the G&P Sales kit for the 104" PBY-5a Catalina kit. That is, until I saw Bill Price's video of the water handling of the PBY that also had some footage of a couple of his PBN Nomads. Due to this I have decided to get the PBN.

The G&P Sales PBY-5A has the retracts that you are looking for.

bear 57

Are those the wing tip retracts or the wheels? Air or electrics? I don't plan on using wheel retracts. It will be strictly water. I am going to use a civilan colour scheme used by Pacific Western
in this part of the world. (Red, white and blue)

Newc

Check out the 81" and "Big" PBY-5A Catalinas and the PBN Nomad on this site - http://www.rcairplane.net/index1.html - for more info. All have float retracts and the big PBY has wheel retracts as well. You will note that on the Nomad it is stated that "The floats retract using a standard pneumatic 2 gear retractable landing gear set."

Hope that this helps.

barryco

Hello, I'm Kent Norman living in Sweden.

To make it short: I have built and flown the Sid Morgan 105" Catalina.
Did not made any retractbly gears. Hard to make it waterproof.
I made some simple plug in gears so I could fly it from ground with a steerable nose wheel.

It's timeconsuming to build but it's a great flier. Two O.S 61 longstroke were pulling it.

I have a Loggbook with pictures. If you still is intersted I can sent it to you. It,s in
Swedish, lol.

email: [email protected]

Sold the Cat last year, already missing it.........

Kent Norman

Newc

Barry - Nice looking! What are the three-bladed props?