Catalina - the flying yacht

[Simpo Two]

'…The aircraft is a Catalina PBY-5A model and was bought from the US Navy by Thomas W Kendall, a retired businessman who converted it to a luxury flying yacht. In the spring of 1960 Mr Kendall took a pleasure trip around the world with his wife and children together with his secretary and her son. A photographer joined the group to cover part of the trip for life magazine…'

http://www.retronaut.co/2011/11/a-day-on-a-flying-...






I think that's cooler than the £1M luxury yacht thread

[Boatbuoy]

I've heard about this before, what a fab way to go boating!

Didn't they end up getting caught up in a conflict somewhere and abandon the aircraft leaving it to be riddled with bullet holes, or did my brain just make that bit up?

[Boatbuoy]

It seems that I can relax, my brain isn't lying, it's just full of useless junk!

http://www.artificialowl.net/2009/07/abandoned-cat...

[pacman1]

Wow, how crackingly cool. Different era for sure, although Travolta makes a fair attempt at a similar lifestyle I think.

[IanMorewood]

Stunning aircraft (hottie in the polka dot binki isnt bad either) and what a way to see the world although getting shot up by Yemani/Saudi Nomads probably ruined the trip.

Have seen the story of the flying boat before but havent seen most of those pictures, mind if it was me i would rather have an Empire flying boat if someone was offering.

[Hooli]

Very cool, that's how to live.

[ndtman]

Same aircraft? http://www.artificialowl.net/2009/07/abandoned-cat...

[ndtman]

Boatbuoy said:

It seems that I can relax, my brain isn't lying, it's just full of useless junk!

http://www.artificialowl.net/2009/07/abandoned-cat...

Sorry, brain fart on my part, didn't see your post.

[Eric Mc]

You can part own one of these here in the UK.

[Kudos]

They flew during the war from lough Erne in Northern Ireland via a "secret channel" through the Irish republic and out to the Atlantic. There were a couple brought back last year but one was damaged and sat there for months awaiting repair. I heard the pilot lost his job as he didn't want to leave it

[Eric Mc]

The Donegal Corridor - an extremely secret arrangement agreed between Churchill and DeValera - one that DeValera was keen not to be allowed to be made public..

[anonymous-user]

Boatbuoy said:

It seems that I can relax, my brain isn't lying, it's just full of useless junk!

http://www.artificialowl.net/2009/07/abandoned-cat...

Bloody hell, what a tragic end to such a beautiful aircraft, inside and out, and the fact it's still there is more than a little eeire. I see in some later shots on the web the main spar appears to have parted company from the fuselage, with the wing now toppled forward and down in to the roof of the cockpit
Shot to bits by trigger happy Arabs.....nothing ever changes.

Agreed on the hottie in the bikini. I trust she was the secretary?

[Simpo Two]

Crossflow Kid said:

Shot to bits by trigger happy Arabs.....nothing ever changes.

I was thinking the same.



Probably enough plot there to make a film...

[Fishtigua]

Jimmy Buffett, the Parrot-head singer, had one as a 'yacht'. Well his uncle is Warren Buffett, the billionair.

[Simpo Two]

Fishtigua said:

Jimmy Buffett, the Parrot-head singer, had one as a 'yacht'. Well his uncle is Warren Buffett, the billionair.

Ha yes, he could start and airline and call it BillionAir

[TimmyWimmyWoo]

What a coincidence that there's a thread about the Catalina – today I found out that a chap over in Biker Banter owns a share in one of these.

[dave-the-diver]

San Diego Air and space museum claim to have Thomas W. Kendall's Catalina, so perhaps wreck is something different?

http://www.sandiegoairandspace.org/collections/col...

David

Edited by dave-the-diver on Tuesday 10th January 10:38

[anonymous-user]

Nothing says it was the flying yacht version, just that Kendall owned it.
Maybe one of several purchased to provide spares etc for the one in the article, or possibly as part of an intended fleet of which his own conversion was a prototype/demo?

[dave-the-diver]

Fair point!

David

[hwajones]

Kudos said:

They flew during the war from lough Erne in Northern Ireland via a "secret channel" through the Irish republic and out to the Atlantic. There were a couple brought back last year but one was damaged and sat there for months awaiting repair. I heard the pilot lost his job as he didn't want to leave it

All True. the Catalinas were used in Sub-Spotting and sighted the Bismark prior to its sinking.

I live beside the old base and mooring strip.
The Catalina was back for a display when it landed in the bay and had its mooring line caught by the tow boat...
Onshore winds pushed the Catalina into an anchored yacht damaging the tail fin...

The pilot couldn't fire up the engines in fear of causing further damage to the ripped tail fin. In the middle of all this the plane was taking on water...

I was called down to drag the plane out of the water with our telehandler.
We had to cut a significant number of trees to allow the wings to clear the slipway...

I'll look out the photos and post later! It was an exciting weekend...