a question bout a bird.....

[Captain Tenneal]

Guys

Ok here it goes....... did the pby ever have a belle bomb bay during WWII? I say no, I have never seen a any photos of one. The one caveat i have seen a pby fire bomber with a belle tank but i think that was a an "after market" addition

thanks

[Snuffy]

Kinda hard to keep a PBY water proof and water tight with a belly bay ... all I've ever seen is wing mounted.

[crashalot2]

Kinda hard to keep a PBY water proof and water tight with a belly bay ... all I've ever seen is wing mounted.

What he said

[srgalahad]

Kinda hard to keep a PBY water proof and water tight with a belly bay ... all I've ever seen is wing mounted.

The original PBY/Catalina/Canso carried it's ordinance under wing (bombs, depth charges). In the early 60's Field Aviation and later, others, converted numerous Cats for fire suppression with two bay doors and a water scoop for pick up. They were water tight... likely no worse than the military Cats that would buckle seams and pop rivets after a couple of hard water landings.

Like any properly equipped boat they had one or more bilge pumps to keep the internal water level to a minimum.