The Catalina was born on the frigid shores of Lake Erie in 1928 when Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, then located in Buffalo, assembled the XPY-1 prototype of a long-range flying patrol boat for the U.S. Navy. It’s ironic that the airplane that would become a symbol of World War II in the South Pacific couldn’t even make its maiden flight at the factory because both Lake Erie and the Niagara River were frozen over when the prototype was completed in mid-winter. The airplane was trucked south to the Potomac River where it flew successfully.
The Navy didn’t buy the original, but did opt for a follow-on model. By 1936 Consolidated had evolved the design into the PBY, with the “B” standing for bomber, as the airplane could carry bombs or torpedoes. The Navy was content with the letter and number designation, but when the British bought some they graced the airplane with the perfect name of Catalina.
