Hi Bass...
Your PBY is actually a PBY-5A...the "A" being for Amphibian.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consolidated_PBY_CatalinaHere we called them a "Canso" and many of us referred to them as "Pig Boats".
The Catalina/Canso with the rear blisters were a little faster than the aircraft with just solid Dutch Doors but either way, with rear Blisters or Dutch Doors all the freight and passengers were loaded from those positions.
We used to unload 45 gallon drums of fuel and oil through those rear doors into a flat bottom boat alongside the aircraft while keeping the aircraft into the wind in two or three foot waves. Lots of fun.
Where the Flight Engineer sat (in the pylon with one little windows either side) we installed a bladder to carry fuel oil, stove oil and gas. We never carried a Flight Engineer much but we had a Load Master who performed the same job as they did on the Douglas DC3s/C47s/Daks.
As a crew of three (3) we all worked together.
Everything went North by air, all year round. The Barge usually made it around to the settlements once a year (but not always) before freeze up.
Open Water we used the PBY-5A.
Winter we used the DC3/C47/Dak on wheel/skis to land on the ice.
The DE Havilland of Canada DHC-3 radial engine "Otter" on wheels/wheel/skis/floats and amphibious floats was and still is used today.
I enjoyed those long trips as Captain I got to practice my cooking on the crew...
Eighteen Hour Flying Days were not uncommon back then....
Wonderful set Bass...
