The Dynam PBY Catalina!

RC PBY Catalinas have always been about in the hobby. They're just cool looking aircraft. There's something really unique about the way they look and the way they fly. Here's one of the latest one from Dynam that we checked out to see how it stacks up against older models. Check it out!

History of the Catalina

The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a quirky aircraft and certainly iconic. As a flying boat, it was used extensively in World War II by multiple air forces all over the globe due to its versatile design. For this reason, it was the most used seaplane of the war. It was especially useful in the Pacific war and played a prominent role against Japan. 

Catalinas were used in anti-submarine warfare, maritime patrol, night attack bombing missions and search and rescue among other roles. The bright colours of the PBY pictured below is because it belonged to the USAF 4th Rescue Group. 

Postwar, Catalinas found themselves being reassigned to smaller airforces around the world. The last amphibious Catalina left the USAF in 1957, so they stuck around a bit long after the war was over perhaps owing to their usefulness. Some Catalinas found themselves as fire-fighting aircraft and others became privately owned pleasure aircraft.  

Spec of the Model

Adverse Yaw

If you're new to RC airplanes, or aviation in general, you may not know what 'adverse yaw' is. Here is a brief explanation to help clarify. 

Essentially, adverse yaw is a natural tendency for your aircraft to yaw in the opposite direction of a roll. This is caused by the drag of deflected ailerons. The effect can be minimised by applying rudder against the undesired yaw. This is called a coordinated turn. In the main video, Josh shows how he programmed his radio to do this for him automatically.  

Maiden Flight Tips

When you get your hands on a brand new, shiny, delicious looking RC airplane, it's sometimes quite nervewracking. Here are a few tips to get you in the air by limiting that stress.

1. Take your time on the day. It's easy to get flustered and rush.

It's the same as what you do with general aviation - you go through things one by one. With RC, what I like to do is prepare everything when I'm in the warmth and comfort of my own home. I pack a bag with batteries, my transmitter, and spare parts/emergency tape to ensure everything is there and to hand at the field. When I'm there, I slowly set out my things and turn everything on one by one. This is so important for a maiden flight as all you want to worry about is flying the plane. Putting your mind at ease beforehand is a great way to focus on this.

2. Check everything. 

Check your servos. Check your motor mount. Check your linkages and the settings on your transmitter. Double check your CG (centre of gravity). Everything matters and it only takes one link to fail to bring the whole plane down in a ball of flames (okay - maybe not the flames part). If lists are your thing, consider making a checklist.

3. Stop caring for your aircraft.

Another way of saying this is 'prepare to crash'. If something goes wrong and the maiden flight is a failure, it's a real shame, but it is just a plane at the end of the day. Putting your model at risk is part of the hobby and something that makes the success of a good maiden flight even sweeter. Make sure you take all the necessary steps to not rush and to check everything and it's all you can do! Best of luck and happy landings.

We hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful. If you want to find out more about the Dynam Catalina, or pick one up, check out Motion RC's website.  Also, if you prefer DIY planes, check out our store to pick up a speed build kit.

Handy Links:

Motion RC

Our Store

This RC Catalina on the Motion RC Store

Our Forums (to chat about the episode and airplane)

Our Facebook Group (to do the same as the above on Facebook!)

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Article by James Whomsley

FliteTest.com Editor

www.youtube.com/projectairaviation

www.projectair.co.uk

Instagram @jameswhomsley