Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina "Black Cat"

In October 1933, the US Navy placed an order with Consolidated and Douglas for prototypes of new machines. The prototype constructed by Consolidated, designated XP3Y-1, became a flying boat built in the largest number of copies. The internal designation assigned to the structure by the company is Consolidated 28. The aircraft, just like its predecessor - P2Y - had a high wing system. The new design, however, uses a system of internal stiffening curvatures, which made the wing look like a free-bearing structure. The only exception was the two small, profiled supports on both sides of the plane, between the fuselage and the center wing. As a result, version 28 was devoid of sources of additional aerodynamic drag, generated in earlier designs by struts and stiffening straps, which were the cause of lower flight parameters. Another aerodynamic innovation limiting drag was the use of stabilizing floats, which were folded up during flight to form a profiled wing tip. The hull with two redans