Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina 48317'6-212' was transported by road from the National Military Museum's storage depot at Soesterberg in the Netherlands to the Dutch Transport Museum in Nieuw-Vennep on August 27. The former Royal Netherlands Navy machine is now set to undergo a full refurbishment to static display condition. Built in 1944 for the US Navy, the Catalina served the Dutch from 1951 until 1957, and prior to its recent move had been in storage at Soesterberg for 16 years. It had joined the attraction in 1984, and was initially on display outside. Little of the amphibian's interior remains, so the restoration team at Nieuw-Vennep will focus its efforts on the outside. The Catalina will be returned to its original (external) condition, a job that will involve fitting gun turrets and fabric-covered flight controls, the latter replacing the existing aluminium examples. The aim is to complete the work within five years.
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