@888888username Oh, I believe that. I once heard someone describe flying a mission-ready Black Cat loaded for bear being like flying your house half filled with water. Also heard about several mile long take-off runs from water with a heavy plane... Far as I've read, the extra engines on the 'Bird helped the fuel range, not much else. Sure hope I get a chance to join a Cat in the air at some point, only been inside on the ground. Views amazing for sure!
@carmium I've heard "pedestal" many times, but I believe the correct term is "pylon", and I imagine that it's still there, and that's why the guy was saying "wow, it needs a flight engineer, huh?". Which is odd, because many post war Catalinas (and even some wartime ones) were converted to put the engineer's controls in the cockpit. Makes more sense to me; maybe they had actual marine designers working on it, and they were used to needing a dedicated man to run the engines and lower anchor, etc?
@TheAmericanRifleman By modern standards, the Catalina is an extremely inefficient design. Well, it was by WWII standards already. The wings are so bulky that only a part of them are actually useful for creating lift. The two extra engines increase airflow over the outer parts of the wings, making it far more efficient. At least that's what I was told was the reason for the Bird Innovator.
There were a very few Catalina's that had a pair of Lycoming inline engines added outboard of the radials. This was an aftermarket civilian modification. Gave the aircraft a huge performance and range boost. Although most of these that I have seen were the SuperCat's with the 1700hp radials, and this one seems to still have the 1200hp engine's.
This a flying RV. Also with the (4) engines, it is also a (1) of. What a great way to see the world
wn6904k 6 days ago
@888888username Oh, I believe that. I once heard someone describe flying a mission-ready Black Cat loaded for bear being like flying your house half filled with water. Also heard about several mile long take-off runs from water with a heavy plane... Far as I've read, the extra engines on the 'Bird helped the fuel range, not much else. Sure hope I get a chance to join a Cat in the air at some point, only been inside on the ground. Views amazing for sure!
DODwebdotorg 4 months ago
That's impressive! Is there still an engineer's station in the wing, uh, pedestal or whatever you call it? Sorry, I forget the proper name.
carmium 4 months ago
@carmium I've heard "pedestal" many times, but I believe the correct term is "pylon", and I imagine that it's still there, and that's why the guy was saying "wow, it needs a flight engineer, huh?". Which is odd, because many post war Catalinas (and even some wartime ones) were converted to put the engineer's controls in the cockpit. Makes more sense to me; maybe they had actual marine designers working on it, and they were used to needing a dedicated man to run the engines and lower anchor, etc?
justforever96 4 months ago
It looks like a submarine from the inside.
Pagweb 6 months ago
Too bad they converted it back. It had, at one time, two Lycoming 300+ horse engines outboard of the radials.
MandolinHymns 11 months ago
Why four?
TheAmericanRifleman 11 months ago
@TheAmericanRifleman By modern standards, the Catalina is an extremely inefficient design. Well, it was by WWII standards already. The wings are so bulky that only a part of them are actually useful for creating lift. The two extra engines increase airflow over the outer parts of the wings, making it far more efficient. At least that's what I was told was the reason for the Bird Innovator.
DODwebdotorg 7 months ago
@DODwebdotorg its a twin engine bird, not a 4 engine.
godzilla74114 6 months ago
@godzilla74114 except for the one in the video, huh i've never seen a 4 engine cat before.
godzilla74114 6 months ago
@godzilla74114 Google the "Bird Innovator" and see for yourself :)
DODwebdotorg 6 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
There were a very few Catalina's that had a pair of Lycoming inline engines added outboard of the radials. This was an aftermarket civilian modification. Gave the aircraft a huge performance and range boost. Although most of these that I have seen were the SuperCat's with the 1700hp radials, and this one seems to still have the 1200hp engine's.
StevenPLegere 29 minutes ago
StevenPLegere 1 year ago
Comment removed
StevenPLegere 1 year ago
This one is the 4-engined Bird Innovator. Too bad it doesn't exist anymore, it was "restored" to twin in 1997.
noryal 1 year ago
LOOK AGAIN
CHECK 1JPEDRO1
1jpedro1 2 years ago
Catalina's only have 2 engines.
kblackav8or 2 years ago
@kblackav8or All Catalinas came with 2 engines, period!
RogerDeanSmart 1 year ago
@RogerDeanSmart That is what I said..only 2 engines.
kblackav8or 1 year ago