Whale World Albany

I recently went down to Albany for a family holiday. While I was down there I dropped into Whale world and asked the same question every aviation geek ask. Where is the Catalina???? Well you get to talk to the grumpy Wayne..... He did say that it and the Cessna 337 has been sold and is awaiting transport. At this point in time A24-46 is in storage in the shed located in the animal park. I was told that if I was to arrange several aviation geeks/historians and gave them plenty of notice that they would open the shed and allow us/anyone to take photos and have a gander. As for the remainder of the aviation artifacts there is none down there. (Anyone keen for a trip????)

On a side note The Anzac centre was not too bad, and the shop had replica Sopwith propellers for sale. (On sale only for $1595.00) If anyone wants to see a pic, I can put one on the ADF facebook group.

How long as the Catalina been in storage awaiting transport? Do you know who has purchased it and where it will be going?

It's too far for me to travel but if you get any photos of the Catalina please do share them!

I have no idea who has purchased the aircraft, all I am aware of is that the person is on the east coast of Australia. As for photos, if I get a chance I will be sharing them.

I was in contact with the owner in the past when I was chasing parts for A24-88 at Moorabbin, the owner isnt on the East Coast, and has a long term static display incorporated into a hospitality outcome planned.

I assume he is still the owner and that those plans havent changed.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

Not sure Mark, Soda managed to photograph the Cat on one of his trips to WA.

I was provided a number of pics of it by the buyer, I assume its still in the same condition.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

I found the photos supplied to me by the owner, they are associated with the spreadsheet manifest of parts and are the photos of the aircraft from the original sale, hence rather than being panoramic shots of the aircraft - they are close ups of sections to support the spreadsheet manifest.

It is actually impressive to see how much of a Cat John Bell had collected together, it has all the main structures, lots of internal fittings to be installed, and the turret and blisters, the main thing missing is engines.

It is based on A24-46, although its not clear to me exactly how much of that particular aircraft exists within the completed fuselage (I recall seeing the remains with Pearce Dunn and they werent a complete fuselage at that time, but it is restored as a PBY-5, and hence adds to the PBY-5 at Lake Boga to bring the world wide survivors of that early Flying Boat version of the Cat to 3 and 1/2 (there is the NASM example on display at the USN NAM, along with their own sectioned fuselage underneath).

Of course there is A24-88 at ANAM, Moorabbin Vic, a RAAF PBY-5A amphibian converted back to a flying boat as a PBY-5(M) by the RAAF for long distance Black Cat Operations and the only Black Cat survivor, (it is also then the only survivor of either versions of the RAAF PBY-5A), and then A24-385
/ VH-ASA "Frigate Bird II" at the Powerhouse Museum NSW, is the only surviving PB2B Flying Boat worldwide (RAAF or otherwise).

Other than those 4 former RAAF aircraft, the 1 & 1/2 PBY-5's at Pensacola with the USN Naval Air Museum, and the former TAA PBY-5A being restored at RNZAFM as a PBY-5 Flying Boat (as TAA converted it to PBY-5(M) status post war), all other Catalina's surviving in Australia and the world are amphibians rather than Flying Boats, ie PBY-5A's Canadian CANSO's or post war PBY-6A's.

So we have 4 original RAAF wartime Cat Survivors, all of them being the rarer Flying Boat configurations, and then of course at Point Cook Vic, Bull Creek WA, & Rathmines NSW, we have wartime PBY-5A Amphibians or their Canso derivatives but all imported post war from overseas and with no RAAF service, and the three post war former firebomber PBY-6A's of HARS, QANTAS Founders/Longreach, and the Catalina Flying Memorial example currently at Bankstown, also imported from overseas with no RAAF service

Despite the growing number of Cats now being preserved in Australia (I recall when we only had Frigate Bird and the mining survey example in the country, and it was expected to depart eventually leaving us with only 1) - we now have 10 in the country, but we are lucky to still have these 4 authentic RAAF Survivors and A24-46 among them.

Hopefully it will eventually come out of Whaleworld and into a permanent preservation outcome.

Perhaps something for QAM to pursue? smiles



Regards

Mark Pilkington



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Be great to see her in Darwin to commemorate the Black Cat ops from there...

Yes, or Townsville, - there's no Catalina displayed in Queensland