[Aviation Geek] Catalina Aircraft, holder of the Type Certificates for the 28-5ACF Catalina, today announced on Jul. 25, 2023 during Oshkosh AirVenture the rebirth of the iconic and legendary Catalina as the Catalina II Amphibious Turboprop. A production re-start program has been formalized for the Next Generation Amphibious Aircraft (NGAA) Catalina II twin turboprop amphibious flying boat, and the company is preparing to take pre-orders as part of the turboprop production re-start program.An Alaska Coastal PBY on the runway at Juneau-2012
Based on the design fundamentals of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) & Transport Canada (TC) Large, Transport Category certificated 28-5ACF Catalina amphibious flying boat, Catalina Aircraft is offering two new production variants, a NGAA Civilian Variant and a NGAA Special Use Variant, both of which represent the quintessential standard in airborne amphibious operations for the private, commercial, government and military sectors.
"Interest in the rebirth of this legendary amphibian has been extraordinary. The capabilities this modernized iconic platform offers, being capable of performing so many unique missions, and in a variety of market segments, speaks to the heritage of the Catalina product line. The NGAA Catalina II is a modern amphibian with advanced engines and avionics and will offer capabilities no other amphibian can provide today." said Lawrence Reece, President Catalina Aircraft, in a company news release. "We are looking forward to moving this program forward rapidly."
The NGAA Catalina II targets two major aircraft client groups, the civilian / commercial operator and the Government / Military customer. The NGAA Catalina II will be the largest, fastest, longest range, highest payload, and most capable amphibious aircraft available worldwide with Western Certifications. Capable of operating from runways, grass, dirt, lakes, rivers, bays, and open water. Utilizing green energy power initiatives, the NGAA Catalina II provides civilian, commercial, government and military operators a significant capabilities expansion over many current platforms employed in amphibious operations today. The NGAA Catalina II provides unmatched precision, speed and flexibility from land to air to sea.