Air-Britain News - November 2020 Feedback
Dec 1, 2020 16:38:55 GMT
Post by davidlegg on Dec 1, 2020 16:38:55 GMT
Some comments regarding the entry for Around & About - Loch Ness, Highlands on page NOV1856.
The events described are in the wrong order - I know this as I was on board as Crew Chief. The engine failure on start up whilst on the loch happened first. It was the starboard unit and although initially diagnosed on the loch as a failed starter motor, it later transpired that the failure was further inside the engine which meant it could not be repaired in situ. The damage to the blister transparency - port side, not starboard as stated - happened after the engine failure and after a well-meaning RIB driver rammed the rear hull. To bring the story up-to-date, the flying boat was lifted back onto the loch today and it successfully flew to Inverness and then on to Tatenhill. It will fly on to its base at Duxford (closed today due to COVID-19 restrictions) tomorrow.
In the ABN item, G-PBYA is described as a 'PBV-1A Canso'. It cannot have both a US Navy and RCAF designation although this frequently appears in print! It was in fact built by Canadian Vickers Aircraft Ltd as a Canso A (note 'A' suffix for Amphibian). Canadian Vickers also had a contract to build USNavy PBV-1As but although ordered by the US Navy, they were all destined for the USAAF as OA-10As. Just for the record, G-PBYA is registered with the CAA as a PBY-5A!
David Legg
The events described are in the wrong order - I know this as I was on board as Crew Chief. The engine failure on start up whilst on the loch happened first. It was the starboard unit and although initially diagnosed on the loch as a failed starter motor, it later transpired that the failure was further inside the engine which meant it could not be repaired in situ. The damage to the blister transparency - port side, not starboard as stated - happened after the engine failure and after a well-meaning RIB driver rammed the rear hull. To bring the story up-to-date, the flying boat was lifted back onto the loch today and it successfully flew to Inverness and then on to Tatenhill. It will fly on to its base at Duxford (closed today due to COVID-19 restrictions) tomorrow.
In the ABN item, G-PBYA is described as a 'PBV-1A Canso'. It cannot have both a US Navy and RCAF designation although this frequently appears in print! It was in fact built by Canadian Vickers Aircraft Ltd as a Canso A (note 'A' suffix for Amphibian). Canadian Vickers also had a contract to build USNavy PBV-1As but although ordered by the US Navy, they were all destined for the USAAF as OA-10As. Just for the record, G-PBYA is registered with the CAA as a PBY-5A!
David Legg
