Making a welcome return after a few years is another multi engined WWII American Icon. We'll be hoping that the weather doesn't give the Catalina the possibility of showing off it's best party trick; it's a flying boat. Catalinas were used for all sorts of things in the War; troop carrying, submarine spotting and they were particularly good at Search & Rescue missions.
Catalina's are still in service fulfilling specialist roles today (they're excellent water bombers for a start). This one, 'Miss Pick Up', is preserved as a flying tribute in her original USAF colours.
They're very big, very powerful and have various features not to be found elsewhere. Two sets of landing gear, for example, wheels and then separately two large floats under each wing for water landings.
'Miss Pick Up' lives at IWM Duxford and is a reasonably regular feature at the most exclusive Airshows. She's also, mercifully, not still stuck in Loch Ness.