Consolidated PBY Catalina Color Photographs Part 2 – Details

A nice view of the nose of a PBY at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas taken in 1942 while a mechanic makes adjustments to the starboard engine.  The aircraft in the background are assigned to training as evidenced by the high-visibility yellow upper wing surface paint.  (Howard Hollum photograph)

The PBY-5 introduced the characteristic waist blisters on the fuselage aft of the wing.  These improved the visibility and arcs of fire for the gunners.  Here is a view of the port waist gunner armed with a Model M1919 .30 caliber Browning machine gun which was the standard flexible defensive armament on USN aircraft at the beginning of the war.

Another view of the port waist gun position, the can on the left of the gun held ammunition, that on the right collected the spent cartridges.

Here the gunner prepares to board the aircraft with his weapon using the detachable ladder.  Note that the fuselage is camouflaged in two different colors.

An obviously posed photograph, but one which shows useful details of the detachable beaching gear.  The Catalinas were flying boats through the PBY-5 series, but became amphibians when retractable landing gear was fitted to the PBY-5A.

Many interesting details are visible in this view of a crewman fueling an early PBY in the pre-war Yellow Wings scheme.  Note the paint wear around the fueling ports and the exhaust staining.  Another PBY passes by in the background.

Officers inspecting the starboard engine of another Yellow Wings PBY.  Pre-war propeller warning markings were bands of Red, Yellow, and Blue.  These were generally not over-painted even after the tip color was later changed to Yellow, it is possible to see the three-color tip markings on some mid-war aircraft.  The clear yellow varnish on the main body of the propeller blades is not common but can be seen on several aircraft types.

No tip warning markings on this propeller.  This picture also shows details of the wing bomb attachment paints and landing light.

Given the fill point being serviced I suspect this is the oil tank being topped off.  Radial engines were notorious oil leakers.  Another aircraft with the varnished propeller blades.

A close up view of a PBY on the ramp with the crew visible at their stations.  Crew size could vary between six to eight depending on the mission and equipment carried.

This is the starboard waist gun position on an early PBY.  On the PBY-1 through -4 the waist gun positions were covered with a sliding hatch with a window as opposed to the more familiar teardrop faring of the -5 and later Catalinas.  Here the gunner has deployed his .30 caliber gun and raised the hatch to deflect the slipstream over his position.

Consolidated PBY Catalina Color Photographs Part 3

Part III here: https://inchhighguy.wordpress.com/2020/05/06/consolidated-pby-catalina-color-photographs-part-3/