South African Catalina nears flight condition

[Bearcat SA]

Restoration of the Catalina at Rand Airport (FAGM) is nearing completion to flight status.
On Friday it conducted taxi trials.
This pic was taken today 20 Feb 2010

[Jesse C.]

That looks very nice and clean! What is the history on this bird?

[David Legg]

Built by Canadian Vickers at Cartierville, PQ for RCAF as c/n CV-427 and s/n 11089. Served with RCAF from new until 11/1962. Served as a water bomber for many years with the Province of Quebec as CF-PQO/C-FPQO. In 1996 it went to Greece for Athenian Airlift Services. In 9/1999 was flown to South Africa during which it carried out some advertising work for a German deodorant company along the way! Once in South Africa it was little used and has been undergoing a long overhaul at Rand in preparation for a ferry flight to North America. It had the Swaziliand registration 3D-PBY reserve for it some time ago but I do not believe this was ever formally taken up. The registration N427CV has recently been reserved for it by current owner Steve Hamilton.

[Bearcat SA]

Another pic taken today
Nobody likes to forecast when the "first" flight will be ... not even Boeing ... but apparently things are coming together nicely ... so who knows ...perhaps in the next month or so...

Darrell ... I sent you an e-mail. Did you get it ...I know you have changed yr e-mail address..

[TAdan]

I love the choice of paint scheme.

[Bearcat SA]

I love the choice of paint scheme.

I would feel a lot happier if they could get the tail stripes in the right order !!!!
It should be red white blue ... not blue white red !!!!

[TAdan]

I love the choice of paint scheme.

I would feel a lot happier if they could get the tail stripes in the right order !!!!
It should be red white blue ... not blue white red !!!!

Isnt blue, white, red french?

[Bearcat SA]

I love the choice of paint scheme.

I would feel a lot happier if they could get the tail stripes in the right order !!!!
It should be red white blue ... not blue white red !!!!

Isnt blue, white, red french?

Yup ... thats the way the French do it .... so it does not sit well with me with respect to the US markings under the wings

[Fouga23]

My God, that looks gorgeous!

[6trn4brn]

Hey Bearcat SA...is there another member here with as cool of name as mine? Do we know each other or were you referring to someone else here?

(Darrell aka 6trn4brn)

[ChrisDNT]

As again for US birds, they are tons of authentic and nevertheless graphically interesting finishes for an aircraft like the Catalina and a fantasy finish, which screams "not authentic" is choosen. I know the usual counter-arguments (their money/their planes ; looking cool etc...), but I will nevertheless never understand it.

[Pogo]

My God, that looks gorgeous!

Aye, sir!

Cool looking "Ol' 927 engines" too. Thanks, Mr. Austin; I'll never be able to look at a PBY without thinking about that ever again.

[Taylor Stevenson]

Amazing job! I love the scheme I wish there were more PBYs on the airshow circuit here in the states...

[Bearcat SA]

Amazing job! I love the scheme I wish there were more PBYs on the airshow circuit here in the states...

Well, good news for you ...and bad news for us here ..... the Cat will be leaving for the US once its test flights are completed.

[k5083]

As again for US birds, they are tons of authentic and nevertheless graphically interesting finishes for an aircraft like the Catalina and a fantasy finish, which screams "not authentic" is choosen. I know the usual counter-arguments (their money/their planes ; looking cool etc...), but I will nevertheless never understand it.

I agree Chris, but as you can see by the other comments on this thread, here in the US we like our color schemes gaudy and inaccurate. This plane would look great flying with the CAF's FM-2 and the Lone Star F6F -- the Crayola Navy Flight!

August