On Fri, 06 Apr 2012 12:50:36 -0400, Jim Wilkins wrote:

-"Gordon" wrote -For decades, we had a docent
taking tickets at our front desk that -kept a photo nearby of his "Black
Cat" following a successful mission -- they were hit on their run and a
shell carried away one of their -props, narrowly missing the cockpit as
it careened on by with a roar. -Already committed, the pilot got his
bombs off and accounted for a -troop ship with his single-engine
Catalina. Just a little reminder -that men that go to war in elegant,
pedestrian seaplanes are just a -little different than most.

I'm impressed that they patrolled for reported (MAGIC) enemy carriers,
trusting their lives to their ability to hide from the CAP in whatever
clouds they might find.

The PBY is an amazing beast - I've never been inside one, but I've seen
a couple of them fly.
It's a big airplane - it bulks out about the same as a B-17, with half
as many engines.
It kinda reminds me of a giant Aluminum seagull - optimized to get
the most distance out of a drop of fuel.

The guys that flew them were definitely a special breed - hours upon hours
of searching empty ocean, then instant adrenaline if/when they found something.

--
Pete Stickney
Failure is not an option
It comes bundled with the system