American Heritage Museum’s PBY-5A Catalina Returns to Flight After Extensive Restoration

After years of meticulous restoration, the American Heritage Museum’s Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina has returned to the skies. The historic aircraft completed its first post-restoration flight on Monday, July 6, from New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

The restoration was carried out by American Aero Services under the leadership of project manager Casey Littrell. The Catalina, which spent several years in the Netherlands before joining the American Heritage Museum’s collection in 2019, is one of the earliest PBY-5As ever built.

Built as the attack on Pearl Harbor was unfolding, Bureau Number 2459 was accepted by the U.S. Navy on December 22, 1941, and entered service with Patrol Squadron 73 (VP-73). It soon made history as the first PBY credited with sinking a German U-boat. During its wartime career, BuNo 2459 was credited with sinking three U-boats and sharing the destruction of a fourth.

Back in the Air

The Catalina’s first flight after restoration was conducted by Rob Collings and Joe Scheil and lasted approximately 30 minutes. The crew confirmed that the aircraft’s systems were operating normally while evaluating its flying characteristics.

Restoring the aircraft’s interior to its original 1942 wartime configuration has been one of the greatest challenges. Very little of the original military equipment remained when the Catalina arrived from Europe, requiring components to be sourced, restored, or painstakingly recreated.

Where original parts could not be found, the restoration team relied on factory drawings, period photographs, and historical documentation to reproduce the aircraft’s equipment and fittings as accurately as possible.

Thanks to the dedication and craftsmanship of Casey Littrell and the American Aero Services team, BuNo 2459 is believed to be one of the most historically accurate flying restorations of an early PBY-5A Catalina completed to date.

Its return to flight marks an important milestone for the American Heritage Museum and ensures that this remarkable World War II aircraft—and the stories of those who flew it—can continue to be shared with future generations.