Consolidated Canso Catalina PBY PB2B A-10 OA-10 Black Cat
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The Consolidated Catalina and Canso were close cousins. The Canso was the true amphibious version of the design and therefore included a conventional undercarriage to allow for either water or land use. The Canso provided more than two decades of valuable service to the RCAF. The Catalina variant came first and was produced beginning in 1935 for the United States Navy. The amphibious version, designated PBY-5A, came in service early in 1941 and the RCAF began using the aircraft on anti-submarine patrols that same year. After the Second World War, the RCAF used Cansos for search and rescue, Arctic survey missions and various transport operations. RCAF
CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF Owned (274) RCAF 400 Squadrons (18) Canadian Crewed (83) Canadian Museum (3)Canso A 9781
With No. 116 (BR) Squadron in Nova Scotia, c.1943. Coded "M". Transferred to No. 5 (BR) Squadron. Broke up and sank off Labrador in February 1944, after forced landing during operational patrol. Wreckage found on the ice off Battle Harbour on 5 February 1944 by Liberator from 10 Squadron, which dropped supplies and rafts. Crew took to rafts on 6 February 1943 after aircraft sank, not rescued for 2 weeks. RCAF - Accident Investigation File
1943-03-30 Taken on Strength Eastern Air Command 2019-08-20
1944-February-04 Accident: 116 Squadron Loc: Names: Boothe | Forth | Gillatt | Mcnicholl | Moon | Skilleter | Sloan | Starr
1944-03-27 Struck off Strength Struck off after crash, see comments. 2019-08-20