Monogram 1/48 Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina (Flying boat)

[Sergeant]

On December 29, 2021, I contacted a friend and fellow model builder Jack Geratic in Ontario, Canada regarding my desire to build a Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina. From experience on previous projects, I knew that Jack was very good at research and knew his way around scale modeling better than I did. At the time we found there were only a few Monogram #5609 and Revell #04520 kits in 1/48 scale on eBay.

 

The kits were introduced in 1995 and had been out of production for some time. Then Revell reintroduced the PBY kit in 2014 but as a PBY-5A which is the amphibious version (with landing gear), otherwise the aircraft was the same as a PBY-5. My thinking at the time was if we use an amphibious version which was readily available it would require major body work to cover the retractable landing gear on the side of the hull.

 

What we found out later in reviews is that both Monogram and Revell kits had a design issue called 'tail bloat', the tail section was not to scale. It was 9.5mm (3/8-inch) too wide at the root of the vertical stabilizer which negatively affected its overall appearance. Jack located a detailed cross-section drawing of the actual aircraft and we found that Monogram had a flatter cross-section which we believe is what caused the tail bloat issue. However, there was a good solution, Belcher Bits in Canada offered a resin tail conversion kit that required removing the entire tail of the model.

 

When you see the finished tail conversion below, I think you will agree it looks right. In my opinion the Belcher Bits solution was a lot of work, but Mike Belcher captured in resin the graceful elegance of the Catalina tail. And by the way the name Catalina was given to the Consolidated PBY by RAF, RCAF and RAAF crews because the early versions were manufactured in California. The name was adopted by Consolidated and used for the remaining production years.

 

Harold

 

Reference Photographs:

 

 

 

 

Modification Phase:

 

 

 

 

Completed Model:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 18, 2022 by Sergeant

[SAT69]

Best looking Catalina model I've ever seen!

[t15dja]

Stunning build, Harold, well done.

I have the Revell PBY-5A in the stash and yours has inspired me to make a start 

By the way, how will you display yours given that it has no "legs"?

[Sergeant]

8 hours ago, t15dja said:

Stunning build, Harold, well done.

I have the Revell PBY-5A in the stash and yours has inspired me to make a start 

By the way, how will you display yours given that it has no "legs"?

Thank you for your kind comment. I gave quite a bit of thought to how I will display this very large aircraft. My wife agreed that we could use a coffee table to display the model in a frame of resin ocean water like the photograph below.

 

 

Edited November 14, 2022 by Sergeant

[bigbadbadge]

Whar a gorgeous Catalina   looks absolutely stunning   great work, that display in the coffee table will be fantastic,  you must have really earned a considerable amount of Brownie points to get the domestic authorities to agree 😉.

 

Chris

[Sergeant]

8 minutes ago, bigbadbadge said:

Whar a gorgeous Catalina   looks absolutely stunning   great work, that display in the coffee table will be fantastic,  you must have really earned a considerable amount of Brownie points to get the domestic authorities to agree 😉.

 

Chris

Thank you, Chris. My wife gets a new coffee table and I get a place to display my work, a win win arrangement.

 

Harold

[Maginot]

Very nice indeed. Great work sorting the tail fin. I had the Monogram PBY-5 when it was first released. Before the advent of www and with limited model review resources, I always thought the tail fin looked wrong but never knew for sure. Lost it part assembled in a fire. Wouldn't mind having another crack one day, likely an RAAF version.

[Sergeant]

5 hours ago, Maginot said:

Very nice indeed. Great work sorting the tail fin. I had the Monogram PBY-5 when it was first released. Before the advent of www and with limited model review resources, I always thought the tail fin looked wrong but never knew for sure. Lost it part assembled in a fire. Wouldn't mind having another crack one day, likely an RAAF version.

Thank you for your compliments. Jack and I started out to build a U.S. Navy PBY-5 like my father and aunt worked on in World War 2, then decided instead to build an RAAF PBY-5, but in researching the history we learned the first RAAF PBY-5s were part of a contract the RAF had with Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego, California. So my PBY model has an RAAF serial number, otherwise it is the same as RAF Catalina Flying-boats with tempered sea scheme camouflage used from 1941 until aircraft were repainted in the RAAF blue camouflage in 1943.

 

Harold

Edited November 14, 2022 by Sergeant

[JackG]

Harold, good to see this one across the finish line.   Given it's size, it really takes the extra attention from build to painting to get these excellent results.  👍

 

The planned coffee table display is certainly different, don't think I've seen anything like that before.

 

 

regards,

Jack

[Sergeant]

50 minutes ago, JackG said:

Harold, good to see this one across the finish line.   Given it's size, it really takes the extra attention from build to painting to get these excellent results.  👍

 

The planned coffee table display is certainly different, don't think I've seen anything like that before.

 

 

regards,

Jack

The style of coffee table is undecided, but the concept has been agreed. I may end up modifying an unfinished coffee table and adding LED lighting so I can power the lights with a battery pack under the table. I haven’t used my shop for about three years and this will be a good project to help me get started wood working again.

 

Many thanks to you my friend for all the work you did on this project. It has been a pleasure and great learning experience working with you.

 

Harold

 

 

Edited November 14, 2022 by Sergeant

[Marcello Rosa]

Superb!

[Sergeant]

10 hours ago, Marcello Rosa said:

Superb!

Thank you, Marcello. During our research of the Catalina we learned how important the aircraft was to Australians during the war. Later I found this YouTube documentary video that tells the RAAF Catalina story.

 

 https://www.google.com/search?q=consolidated+PBY-5+Catalina+RAAF&client=firefox-b-1-m&sxsrf=ALiCzsaCs7lFDi4h-FPlRpKWL9y62nFkZg%3A1668403303591&ei=Z9BxY_PaI7iP0PEPgam30A0&ved=0ahUKEwizqoLS9qz7AhW4BzQIHYHUDdoQ4dUDCA8&uact=5&oq=consolidated+PBY-5+Catalina+RAAF&gs_lcp=Cgxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAQAzIFCCEQoAE6CggAEEcQ1gQQsAM6DQgAEOQCENYEELADGAE6BggAEBYQHjoICAAQhgMQiwM6BQgAEIYDSgQITRgBSgQIQRgASgQIRhgBUI0HWL0rYOgwaAFwAXgAgAGRAYgB4AOSAQM0LjGYAQCgAQHIAQ24AQLAAQHaAQYIARABGAk&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:7c4b26b3,vid:m-Gw5Efqkcw

 

Edited November 14, 2022 by Sergeant

[Farmerboy]

Sublime build and finish, close up shot’s really show an immaculate paint job, very impressive work.

[SafetyDad]

Wonderful job - those close-up pictures really show the care and attention that you have given to the fit and finish.

 

Well done sir!

 

SD

[81-er]

It's been a joy to watch this one take shape, Harold, and the finished model is absolutely stunning. I'm happy to hear it'll have an appropriate home, I'll look forward to seeing that base take shape 

 

James

[Pete in a shed]

Lovely precise build with a superb paint finish. A pleasure to peruse your work.

Pete

[Sergeant]

9 hours ago, Farmerboy said:

Sublime build and finish, close up shot’s really show an immaculate paint job, very impressive work.

Thank you for your positive comments.

 

Harold

[Sergeant]

7 hours ago, SafetyDad said:

Wonderful job - those close-up pictures really show the care and attention that you have given to the fit and finish.

 

Well done sir!

 

SD

I appreciate  your encouraging feedback.

 

Harold

[Sergeant]

7 hours ago, 81-er said:

It's been a joy to watch this one take shape, Harold, and the finished model is absolutely stunning. I'm happy to hear it'll have an appropriate home, I'll look forward to seeing that base take shape 

 

James

Thank you, James. By the way, I see my eye surgeon today and after surgery I plan to start the 1/48 HKM Lancaster I wanted to do for the Canadian GB. I think my wife is going to need a large coffee table.

 

Harold

Edited November 14, 2022 by Sergeant

[Sergeant]

6 hours ago, Pete in a shed said:

Lovely precise build with a superb paint finish. A pleasure to peruse your work.

Pete

Thank you, Pete. Scale modelling is relaxation for me and combined with photography, military history and the Internet forums it is something I look forward to every day.

 

Harold

[81-er]

Good luck with the surgery, Harold. I'll keep a watch for that HKM Lancaster

 

James

[cardiff guy]

Really nice job on an aircraft I really like, well done.

[georgeusa]

What a wonderful looking Cat you have built.  I have heard the problems fitting the Belcher Bits tail modification, but part of it is finding the exact right diameter of the kit to cut to match the diameter of the replacement tail.  It looks like you have been able to master that feat and the revised tail section looks as if the fuselage sides on one piece affairs.

 

Now the coffee table, you must post the finished table with dio and lights on it.  That is something I really want to see.

[David H]

i love it!

[Sergeant]

On 11/13/2022 at 2:04 PM, SAT69 said:

Best looking Catalina model I've ever seen!

Thank you for your comment.

 

Harold