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[quote="
As far as it being an amphibian, that,s clearly not the case. What is amazing is that the plane appears to be Bu # 1245, and was the prototype XPBY-5A amphibian, though in the photos I have of that one she is clearly the last PBY-4 with the dash four vertical fin and rudder and dash four engines, cowlings and spinners.
Was this plane Consolidated owned, rebuilt to PBY-5A standard and then de-converted to the 5 configuration for "executive" or vip conversion? With the removal of the landing gear she would have had a much more spacious fuselage for executive transport. Seems the windows preclude the conclusion she was for cargo use.[/quote]
Joe - the pictured machine is BuNo 1245. Planned as the last of the PBY-4s it was built as the prototype amphibian XPBY-5A. In 1943 when based at Coco Solo it was re-worked with PBY-5 style rudder and the deletion of undercarriage and bow turret and became the so-called PBY-5R Sea Mare. The rounded style of bow was also used during the war on the PBY-5As used by TALOA on behalf of the US Navy. One of those aircraft was N31235 mentioned in your email. It is also worth pointing out that a different design of clipper bow was used pre-WWII on the American Export Airlines Model 28-4 NC18997 Transatlantic. So, although perhaps thought of as a post-war mod, the clipper' bow goes back some way before that.
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David Legg
Editor, The Catalina News
The Catalina Society
Author: Consolidated PBY Catalina - The Peacetime Record
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