PBY operations · 1939–1945
The Catalina served almost everywhere there was ocean. It searched for the Bismarck, shadowed fleets at Midway, hunted submarines in the Atlantic, rescued downed aircrew and flew long black-painted night missions in the Pacific. A good model starts with the route: US Navy blue-grey patrol aircraft, RAF Coastal Command white schemes, RAAF/RCAF patrol aircraft, amphibious PBY-5A, or a black-painted Pacific “Black Cat”.
Role & strengths
- Allied long-range maritime patrol flying boat and amphibian
- US Navy, RAF Coastal Command, RCAF, RAAF, Dutch, Soviet and Black Cat routes
- Parasol wing, flying boat hull, waist blisters, beaching gear/amphibious gear and many antenna fits
- Blue-grey, white/grey Coastal Command, black night-patrol and theatre-specific finishes
- Salt fading, waterline staining, oil streaking, exhaust, hull grime and sun-bleached upper surfaces
Key theatres
- Atlantic convoy and anti-submarine patrols
- Midway search and Pacific reconnaissance
- Black Cat night attack/rescue routes
- RAF Coastal Command and Commonwealth maritime patrols
Specification PBY-5A
Survivors today
Surviving Catalinas are useful for hull shape, blisters, cockpit framing, beaching gear, amphibian undercarriage, antennae and weathering logic, but restored markings need checking.
View survivorsTimeline highlights
Build this PBY as…
Pick the operator and role first. A US Navy search aircraft, RAF Coastal Command Catalina, Black Cat, air-sea rescue aircraft and amphibious PBY-5A all need different details and weathering.
Aircraft identity
PBY-5 flying boats, PBY-5A amphibians and RAF/Commonwealth Catalinas differ in gear, blisters, antennae and markings. Choose the subject first.
Catalina weathering is maritime: salt, sun, waterline grime, exhaust and oil. Avoid generic bomber chipping.
Paint scheme cards
Early Pacific and Atlantic patrol route with salt fading and long-range grime.
RAF Coastal Command route with white staining, exhaust and anti-submarine patrol wear.
Black Cat route needs black modulation, salt streaking, exhaust and mission grime.
Weather the hull, beaching gear, waterline, blisters and engine nacelles separately.
Campaign cards
Convoy patrol and submarine-hunting route with white/grey finishes and salt-weathering.
US Navy search route with long patrols, early markings and Pacific sun fading.
Night Pacific route with black finish, rescue/attack missions and heavily worked surfaces.
Rescue route with practical weathering, hull stains and worn maritime finish.
Build difficulty and related guides
High. Huge wing, struts, hull seams, clear blisters and beaching/amphibian gear need planning.
Very high. Hull, blisters, wing struts and antennae define the model.
High. Maritime weathering needs salt, sun, waterline grime and oil rather than standard aircraft chipping.
PBY Catalina patrol squadrons and flying boat units
Sortable PBY unit cards covering US Navy patrol squadrons, RAF Coastal Command, Black Cats, air-sea rescue and survivor/reference routes.
PBY Catalina operating map
Airfield info
Click a marker to show linked PBY unit cards and modelling notes.
Campaign timeline
Survivors
Books and reference sources
PBY Catalina build guide
PBY Catalina videos, photos and archive material
Media replaces the old separate walkaround tab: cockpit, exhaust, undercarriage, markings, survivor references, archive imagery and video cards are grouped here.