Metal Earth: Consolidated PBY Catalina

A flying boat with a genuine claim to having changed the course of a war by simply looking at something.

The Catalina was slow, ungainly and enormously long-legged, which made it perfect for patrol work nobody else wanted. A PBY found the Bismarck. Another found the Japanese fleet before Midway. The RAAF flew them out of Australia on mining and rescue missions that ran to twenty hours. The parasol wing sitting on its pylon above the hull is one of the most distinctive shapes in aviation.

This is one of the larger Metal Earth kits, which shows in both the sheet count and the price. Laser-cut stainless steel, tab-and-slot assembly, no glue or paint. The wing pylon and the retractable float mechanism are the parts that will slow you down, and the long fuselage needs care to keep straight. Tweezers essential. Finishes on a stand in bare steel.

Perfect for: Anyone whose interest in aviation extends past fighters and into the aircraft that actually did the work.

Laser-cut steel | No glue required | Age 14+