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 9710
Ordered as a Catalina, equivalent to PBY-5. Transferred to RAF before completion, to repay loan of RAF Catalinas to RCAF in early 1941. Never carried RCAF serial, never operated by RCAF. Also assigned RAF serial VA710, never marked. Accepted in US by British Air Commission, received temporary ferry markings "V9710". Ferried by civilian crews to Australia, arriving 30 March 1942, received RAAF serial A24-22 on arrival. Used by No. 11 Squadron, RAAF. Caught fire in flight and crashed near Lae/Gasmata on 8 March 1943. All on board killed. ADF Serials web site reports company number as 285, Griffin reports as 291.1941-10-20 Ownership Transferred (? date) Transferred to British Air Commission. 2019-08-20
1941-10-21 Struck off Strength 2022-02-07
1941-10-21 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20