#p5y

[nocternalrandomness]

A Convair XP5Y-1 seen on San Diego Bay the day of it's first flight - 18 April 1950

(U.S. Navy Photo)

[toocatsoriginals]

Convair R3Y Tradewind 

A project to integrate new technologies from WWII into a heavy flying boat, the R3Y, with it's four contra-rotating turboprop engines, was initially designated the P5Y. The original prototypes could carry up to 8,000 lbs of ordinance and were armed with five pairs of 20mm cannons in fore and aft side emplacements, as well as a tail turret.

Later prototypes were built to the R3Y standard, being intended as in-flight refuellers and cargo aircraft. The cargo variant could act as a flying LST, deploying light armor to a landing site via a swing-up nose. In practice, maneuvering the plane near a beach proved next to impossible, so the aircraft were converted solely for the refuelling role. They could refuel up to four aircraft at a time.

Accidents and unreliable T40 turpoprop engines led to a short service life (1956 - 1958), with only 13 aircraft being built. Four were lost to accidents, and the remaining aircraft were scrapped.