PBY-6A: The last of the "Black Cats" (Suggestion draft)

BOMBAY9997042-live · May 6, 2026, 8:39pm

PBY-6A “the last of the black cats”

History

The PBY “Catalina” was the US Navy’s primary patrol aircraft prior to and during World War II. The most famous version of it was the PBY-5A. However, one of the lesser-known varieties is the PBY-6A. The PBY-6A was designed as a nighttime patrol aircraft equipped with an AN/APS-3 Search radar that enabled it to locate enemy surface vessels and surfaced submarines even on a moonless night.

The PBY began its story in 1933 with the XP3Y-1 prototype, designed to be much cleaner than the older flying boats it replaced. It achieved this by instead of using messy external wires, using a high mounted parasol wing supported by a central pylon and internal struts to cut down on drag. They also designed the wingtip floats to fold up and become the ends of the wings while in flight, which helped the plane fly further and more efficiently.

As the Navy started needing a plane that could attack, not just scout, the design moved into the PBY-1 through PBY-4 models. These designs added more engine power and better defensive guns, however they were minor models that did not see much usage. They also included bomb racks under the wings and updated the tail sections to keep the plane stable. During this time, the airframe proved to be quite rugged, enough to remain in the air for significant amounts of time, carrying heavy loads over long distances.

The PBY-5 was the most produced upgrade and is the version most people recognize today. It added the famous teardrop-shaped glass bubbles on the sides of the fuselage so the crew could easily spot submarines or people in the water. This model also got improved 1,200 hp engines and extra fuel tanks. While this version was being built, the British started using it and gave it the name Catalina from then on the aircraft was nicknamed the Catalina.

A major shift in the aircrafts use occurred with the introduction of the PBY-5A, which turned the plane into an amphibian. By adding retractable landing gear, the plane could operate from dirt runways or the ocean. This made it much better for “Dumbo” rescue missions and “Black Cat” night raids because it wasn’t stuck waiting for a seaplane tender. This flexibility allowed crews to take off from an inland base and land at sea to save downed pilots.

Further refinements led to the PBY-6A, the final production variant. This model incorporated a taller, squared-off vertical tail and rudder taken from the PBN-1 Nomad design to improve handling. It also featured a standardized twin-gun turret in the nose and radar equipment housed in a pod above the cockpit. These changes made the aircraft more effective at hunting enemy ships during the final stages of the war. The PBY-6A was used by the black cats alongside the 5A.

Information

Dimensions
Length: 62ft 11in
Width: 104ft
Height: 22ft 5in
Weight (BASIC): 23388 lbs
Wing area: 1400sq ft
Crew
Crew: 8
Gunners: 4
Pilots: 2
Other: 2 (not modeled)

performance (with 4x 1000 lbs bombs)
Top speed: ~173 mph@ 4800ft
Minimum speed: ~75mph
Turn time: ~30 seconds
Rate of climb: ~560 fpm
Takeoff run: 2740ft (Airport)
service ceiling: 13600ft

Weaponry:
GUNS:
2x 20mm M3 (fixed, optional, removes the bomb sight) ammo: unknown (wip)
2x .50 M2HB (blister turrets) ammo: 1156
2x .30 AN/M2 (nose turret) ammo: 2100
Ordnance:
100lbs bomb x 12
1000lbs bomb x 4
Mk13-3 torpedo x 2
325lbs depth bomb x4

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