The Consolidated XP4Y Corregidor (company Model 31) was an American twin-engined long-range

maritime patrol {{Unreferenced, date=March 2008 Maritime patrol is the task of monitoring areas of water. Generally conducted by military and law enforcement agencies, maritime patrol is usually aimed at identifying human activities. Maritime patrol refers to ac ...

flying boat built by

Consolidated Aircraft The Consolidated Aircraft Corporation was founded in 1923 by Reuben H. Fleet in Buffalo, New York, the result of the Gallaudet Aircraft Company's liquidation and Fleet's purchase of designs from the Dayton-Wright Company as the subsidiary was ...

for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. Only one was built and a production order for 200 was cancelled.

Design and development

The Model 31 was a new flying boat design started in 1938, intended for both military and commercial use. The aircraft was of all-metal construction with a high-mounted, high aspect ratio cantilever monoplane wing (the

Davis wing The Davis wing is a World War II-era aircraft wing design that was used by Consolidated Aircraft on the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, as well as other models. The airfoil had a lower drag coefficient than most contemporary designs, which allowed ...

, which was later used in the B-24 Liberator)Donald, David, ed. ''Encyclopedia of World Aircraft'' (Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997), p. 266. and an upswept aft fuselage with a tail unit with twin endplate fins and rudders. It had retractable floats on the undersides of the wings and was powered by two of the new

Wright R-3350 The Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone is an American twin-row, supercharged, air-cooled, radial aircraft engine with 18 cylinders displacing nearly . Power ranged from 2,200 to over 3,700 hp (1,640 to 2,760 kW), depending on the model. ...

radial engines. The civil version could carry seats for 52 passengers, or sleeper accommodation for 28.Wegg 1990, p. 81. The prototype Model 31 first flew on 5 May 1939, demonstrating excellent performance. The

Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, ju ...

on 7 December 1941 brought America into the Second World War just as testing was complete and the

purchased the prototype, designated XP4Y-1, which was converted into a prototype patrol aircraft, fitted with nose, tail and dorsal gun turrets and 4,000 lb (1,820 kg) of external stores.Green 1962, pp. 164–165. A production order for 200 P4Y-1 was placed in October 1942, with a new aircraft plant which had been constructed at

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

to build the aircraft. Delays in preparation of the prototype and the shortage of Wright Duplex Cyclone engines (which were required to power the

B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is an American four-engined propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to its predecessor, the B-17 F ...

) led to the production order being cancelled, with the factory being used to build the

PBY The Consolidated PBY Catalina is a flying boat and amphibious aircraft that was produced in the 1930s and 1940s. In Canadian service it was known as the Canso. It was one of the most widely used seaplanes of World War II. Catalinas served w ...

, instead.Wegg 1990, p. 82.

Specifications (XP4Y-1)

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, Page 1194 * Donald, David, ed. ''Encyclopedia of World Aircraft'' (Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997), p. 266, "Consolidated (Model 32) B-24 Liberator". * Green, William. ''War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Five Flying Boats''. London:Macdonald, 1962. . * Wegg, John. ''General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors''. London:Putnam, 1990. . {{USN patrol aircraft Consolidated P4Y Corregidor P4Y Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United States High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1939 Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft

Design and development

Specifications (XP4Y-1)

See also

References