I have a soft spot for the Catalina. In my optics it's one of the most beautiful aircraft ever build, the operational history of it is impressive, and - finally - my old English teacher in primary did his military service in Greenland. And sometimes he had the opportunity to fly with the RDAF PBY's. He was a vivid storyteller and could show us youngsters pictures to show that he was not telling us sea stories. (I am sure he did sometimes, but it was always very entertaining ;-) ( )

I have always had an interest in these aircraft, since reading an account of the battle of Midway in elementary school. The Catalina flew on every part of the globe and was notably strong and reliable. It was tasked with generally non-glamorous jobs, and saved lives (frequently in the teeth of enemy gunfire). Well written and gives solid coverage of what this plane did over the course of WW2. ( )