Until a very few years ago there was a PBY operated in the Spokane/ N Idaho area fire bomber. The operator appeared on TV a couple times, bitching, and sounded like politics ended it's run. He was saying they had "plenty of spares to keep running" but evidently the powers that be decided for some reason to hire someone else. Last week I saw 3 of the popular CL215s or what they are called headed for the lake. No idea where they are from.
Infamously, the "Dr Bird" used to have a home around here, and about the time I got out of the Navy had a PBY converted to a ?camper? which he landed up near Sandpoint, ID. on Lake Pend Oreille. (say pond o- RAY)
Either that one or a different one he had, they converted to 4 engines. Chopped up a great airplane, I think.
The "Bird Innovator"
en.wikipedia.org
During the late 1960s
Forrest Bird and his Bird Corporation developed a conversion for the PBY Catalina to improve performance.
The Catalina was modified by adding two 340 hp (254 kW)
Lycoming GSO-480-B2D6 engines positioned outboard of the original Pratt & Whitney radials to increase range and performance.
[1] These engines and cowlings had originally been installed on the McKinnon four engine
Grumman Goose. When they were removed by McKinnon to convert the Goose to twin turboprop power, they were purchased by Bird for his PBY Innovator conversion.
