In Box Review of Revell-Monogram 1/48th Scale
PBY-5 "Catalina" Flying Boat
Kit no. 5609
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1995. I paid $22.40 for my kit back then. It is available 4 places overseas in kit no. 04507 that has a copyright date of 1997.
By Ray Mehlberger
OUT OF PRODUCTION
Copyright 1995. I paid $22.40 for my kit back then. It is available 4 places overseas in kit no. 04507 that has a copyright date of 1997.
HISTORY:
The Consolidated PBY Catalina, also known as the Canso in Canadian service, is an American flying boat, and later an amphibious aircraft of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft.
It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other nations.
During World War II, PBYs were used in anti-submarine warfare, patrol bombing, convoy escort, search and rescue missions (especially air-sea rescue), and cargo transport.
The PBY was the most numerous aircraft of its kind and the last active military PBYs were not retired from service until the 1980s. As of 2014, nearly 80 years after its first flight, the aircraft continues to fly as a water-bomber (or air-tanker) in aerial firefighting operations all over the world.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Maritime patrol bomber, search and rescue seaplane
Manufacturer: Consolidated Aircraft
First flight: 28 March 1935
Introduction to service: October 1936, United States Navy
Retired: January 1957 (U.S. Navy Reserve), 1979 (Brazilian Air Force)
Primary users: U.S. Navy, U.S. Army Air Forces, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force
Produced: 1936–1945
Number built: 3,305 (2,661 U.S.-built, 620 Canadian-built, 24 Soviet-built
Unit cost: U.S. $90,000 (as of 1935)
Adjusted for inflation: U.S. $1,644,684
Variants: Bird Innovator
The Consolidated PBY Catalina, also known as the Canso in Canadian service, is an American flying boat, and later an amphibious aircraft of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft.
It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served with every branch of the United States Armed Forces and in the air forces and navies of many other nations.
During World War II, PBYs were used in anti-submarine warfare, patrol bombing, convoy escort, search and rescue missions (especially air-sea rescue), and cargo transport.
The PBY was the most numerous aircraft of its kind and the last active military PBYs were not retired from service until the 1980s. As of 2014, nearly 80 years after its first flight, the aircraft continues to fly as a water-bomber (or air-tanker) in aerial firefighting operations all over the world.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Maritime patrol bomber, search and rescue seaplane
Manufacturer: Consolidated Aircraft
First flight: 28 March 1935
Introduction to service: October 1936, United States Navy
Retired: January 1957 (U.S. Navy Reserve), 1979 (Brazilian Air Force)
Primary users: U.S. Navy, U.S. Army Air Forces, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force
Produced: 1936–1945
Number built: 3,305 (2,661 U.S.-built, 620 Canadian-built, 24 Soviet-built
Unit cost: U.S. $90,000 (as of 1935)
Adjusted for inflation: U.S. $1,644,684
Variants: Bird Innovator
THE KIT:
Revell and Monogram are both old prolific model manufacturers that produce all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. They were located in Morton Grove, IL when this kit was released in 1995.
The kit came in a large 20" x 14" sturdy box that is a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box. It has cardboard supports that are inside the tray, to support the top.
The box art shows a Catalina landing to rescue the crew of a downed Avenger.
The Catalina is overall navy-blue with a neutral-gray undercarriage. It has a white no. 14-P-5 on the fuselage sides. It has black deicer boots on the wing leading edges and the leading edges of the rudder and elevators. The U.S. roundels are the early war type of a blue circle with white star with a red center. There are red and white horizontal alternating stripes on the rudder flap.
One side panel has the kit's features in English and French: From patrol missions to bombing raids, this flying-boat served many purposes during WWII. Hundreds of them remained flying long after the war all over the world. Detailed cockpit interior and waist position blisters. Beaching gear and underwing depth charges. Decals for a U.S. Navy PBY-5 of VP-71. Molded in light gray and clear.
Revell and Monogram are both old prolific model manufacturers that produce all manner of model subjects in the popular scales. They were located in Morton Grove, IL when this kit was released in 1995.
The kit came in a large 20" x 14" sturdy box that is a shrink-wrapped tray and lid type box. It has cardboard supports that are inside the tray, to support the top.
The box art shows a Catalina landing to rescue the crew of a downed Avenger.
The Catalina is overall navy-blue with a neutral-gray undercarriage. It has a white no. 14-P-5 on the fuselage sides. It has black deicer boots on the wing leading edges and the leading edges of the rudder and elevators. The U.S. roundels are the early war type of a blue circle with white star with a red center. There are red and white horizontal alternating stripes on the rudder flap.
One side panel has the kit's features in English and French: From patrol missions to bombing raids, this flying-boat served many purposes during WWII. Hundreds of them remained flying long after the war all over the world. Detailed cockpit interior and waist position blisters. Beaching gear and underwing depth charges. Decals for a U.S. Navy PBY-5 of VP-71. Molded in light gray and clear.
The other side panel has 4 color walk-around type photos of the model made up in the cover art scheme, followed by more kit features in English and French: Plastic model can be painted to match photos on box. Paint not included. Model cement not included, required for assembly. Length 16 1/4". Wingspan 26 1/4". Kit contains 124 parts. Pictorial instruction sheet provides assembly instructions in English.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
This kit contains 4 light-gray trees in 2 sealed clear cello bags, a clear tree, decal sheet and instructions.
The instructions consists of a staple-bound booklet of 16 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the PBY-5 and Revell-Monogram mentioned as being in Morton Grove, IL at the time this kit was released. Copyright 1995 and MADE IN USA.
Page 2 begins with READ BEFORE YOU BEGIN instructions, over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested paint color listing in English, French, Spanish and German.
Page 3 through 12 gives a grand total of 15 assembly steps.
Page 13 through 16 are painting and marking instructions for the box art scheme as 5-views.
The parts-trees are not alphabetized.
The 1st light-gray tree holds: the fuselage, seats, wheels, engines, cowlings, landing gear legs, a propeller, struts etc. (29 parts)
This kit contains 4 light-gray trees in 2 sealed clear cello bags, a clear tree, decal sheet and instructions.
The instructions consists of a staple-bound booklet of 16 pages in 8 1/2" x 11" page format.
Page 1 begins with a black and white repeat of the box art, over the history of the PBY-5 and Revell-Monogram mentioned as being in Morton Grove, IL at the time this kit was released. Copyright 1995 and MADE IN USA.
Page 2 begins with READ BEFORE YOU BEGIN instructions, over international assembly symbol explanations and a suggested paint color listing in English, French, Spanish and German.
Page 3 through 12 gives a grand total of 15 assembly steps.
Page 13 through 16 are painting and marking instructions for the box art scheme as 5-views.
The parts-trees are not alphabetized.
The 1st light-gray tree holds: the fuselage, seats, wheels, engines, cowlings, landing gear legs, a propeller, struts etc. (29 parts)
The 2nd light-gray tree holds: machine gun, wing halves, one elevator etc. (11 parts)
The 3rd light-gray tree holds: other wing halves, other elevator, bombs, struts etc. (23 parts)
The 4th light-gray tree holds: pontoons, engine-nacelles, machine guns, bulkheads, steering yokes, dashboard, antennas, upper wing center section etc. (44 parts)
The clear tree holds the canopy, fuselage side blisters and windows (16 parts)
The decal sheet completes the kit's contents.
For my reference I have the Squadron/Signal Book Walk Around PBY Catalina and a set of aftermarket resin wheels by True Details.
There are no crew figures. Detail is of the engraved type. Flaps are all molded solid.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.