David Tallichet's Pby's from Brazil

The latest issue of Warbirds International Vol. 27 / No. 2
features an article on Mr. Tallichet and has four stills of the
Catalina ferry trip from S. America.

Simon Beck
www.uswarplanes.net

This thread is a tad dated now but I wanted to comment on a note I made within it. Although it is correct that a total of five, not four, former FAB Catalinas did come out of Brazil to the USA, and all five remain extant at various locations there, it is NOT correct that the address of the owner of N4934H is the same as the address for the other four. This was my error from a mis-reading of data years ago and which I have perpetuated since without realising it! Although Tallichet may have been loosely connected with its acquisition in Brazil, he was not on the delivery flight and the registered owner is both different to, and at a different address to, his four Project Catalina aircraft

Took a look on Google, can’t say anything around Belem resembles a PBY at all but I may have missed something.

Re the 5th PBY, I have looked out the various US magazine articles that covered the flights of these PBYs from Brazil to the USA. Air Classics 8/1985 says that FAB 6525/N4934H was originally intended to be pole-mounted at Belem air base but when the authorities realised that they already had FAB 6527 in the Rio museum, they agreed to sell 6525 via Maurice Skinazi who had brokered the deal for the original four aircraft. Tallichet wasn’t on the ferry flight of this fifth aircraft but the registererd owner, as said before, shares the same address as the other four aircraft linked with Tallichet. So, there does seem to be an element of murkiness here regarding Tallichet’s involvement.

Ironically, Belem did get it’s own PBY gateguard in the end even though 6525 went to the USA. This was PBY-6A 6552 and which,to the best of my knowledge, is still there.

A couple of corrections and updates are needed to the list a few messages back….

Bu#46456 N4852T should read N4582T and this is no longer at Cherry Point but is with Project Catalina at Floyd Benett Field, NY under static restoration. It was FAB 6509
Bu#46457 N4852U should read N4582U. It was ex-FAB 6510
Bu#46582 N4583A is ex-FAB 6520
Bu#46595 N4583B is ex-FAB 6551

In fact, a fifth ex-FAB PBY (actually a former Canso A) did come to the USA later and was registered to an owner at the same address as the other four and all were connected with David Tallichet. This was N4934H ex-FAB 6525 and RCAF 9838 and it is now to be found at the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum at Tyler, Tx.

If Stangman would like to contact me off group at [email]davidlegg@pby5.fsnet.co.uk[/email] , I can help him with articles about the recovery flights as originally requested.

Hi David,

Very interesting because when I ask David about these Cats three years ago he never mention the 5th he always told me that the one he wanted is now the one on display in Rio. As for the Project Catalina my understanding is that this is assocated with MARC some how. What is really interesting is the 2U is listed as part of Project but I and you both know that this is still on display at Kirtland.

As for Air International Sales that is one of the mystery company’s that I’ve been trying to get information on. Yes its the same mailing address as MARC but is it part of the over all company’s of Davids it would fit in, some other aircraft that are under that name are quite a few L-382Cs and a DC-3C that I know is Davids because I’ve sat in it with him some time back.

On a side note the PBY that is now on display at Wright and Pat this was and the Kirtland PBY where part of the deal that David got three C-54s and then he turned around and trade one to the guy who owned his B-17.

I know that David told me that he had talk to the Air Force Museum about trying to get all of the PBYs from Brazil but they wouldn’t part with three of them.

A couple of corrections and updates are needed to the list a few messages back….

Bu#46456 N4852T should read N4582T and this is no longer at Cherry Point but is with Project Catalina at Floyd Benett Field, NY under static restoration. It was FAB 6509
Bu#46457 N4852U should read N4582U. It was ex-FAB 6510
Bu#46582 N4583A is ex-FAB 6520
Bu#46595 N4583B is ex-FAB 6551

In fact, a fifth ex-FAB PBY (actually a former Canso A) did come to the USA later and was registered to an owner at the same address as the other four and all were connected with David Tallichet. This was N4934H ex-FAB 6525 and RCAF 9838 and it is now to be found at the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum at Tyler, Tx.

If Stangman would like to contact me off group at [email]davidlegg@pby5.fsnet.co.uk[/email] , I can help him with articles about the recovery flights as originally requested.

scorpion89 & wieesso
Many thanks guys

It’s interesting to read…
1990 Volume 2, Number 2 (p.04, 05, 06)
http://www.pbycia.org/Newsletters.nsf/301d73508ff582a288256898007b614b/73c62e71a608d4ff882568990020f48c!OpenDocument

I have read many accounts of David Tallichets life recently, and all mention that he led a group of 5 Pby-5a’s from Brazil.
Is their an account of this trip anywhere in a book or online?
Any pictures or info on the 5?

cheers

Hi Stangman,

The aircraft are as follows,

Bu#46456 N4852T now on display at MCAS Cherry Point
Bu#46457 N4852U now on display at Kirtland AFB
Bu#46582 N4583A now on display at NAS Jacksonville
Bu#46595 N4583B now on display at Wright-Patterson

There were only four the fifth aircraft never came thru it is now on display in Rio.

As for photo I will have to see if I have they all didn’t come up in one big flight two at a time.