![Atop Empire State- in construction; Chrysler Bldg & [Daily] News in middle foreground. (1931)](http://2-www-accel-pss.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?container=accel&gadget=howtobearetronaut.com&debug=0&nocache=0&v=u8u7jnqbdijrtp344779jt5bjs&rooe=1&html_tag_context=img&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.retronaut.co%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F05%2FAtop-Empire-State-in-construction-Chrysler-Bldg-Daily-News-in-middle-foreground.-1931--199x123.jpg "Balancing on the Empire State, 1920s")
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All images by Loomis Dean
Thank you to LIFE Archive
A Day On a Flying Yacht, 1960
If you like this, check out:
Colour photographs of Market Day, Oxford, 1968
Behind the Scenes at 'Abbey Road'
Cars of the Future, 1948
The Plexiglass Pontiac
Car Crashes, Clerkenwell, 1950s
Vintage Toy Racing Cars
Futurliner c.1939
Playground Equipment Catalogue, 1962
'How Long Are You Gonna Last?' - The Beatles, 1963
Experiment to discover whether an astronaut can imitate the falling movements of a cat, 1968
Cafe Lehmitz, 1967-1970, by Anders Petersen
Norman E. Timbs Buick Streamliner, 1948
'I'm An Indian Too', Cliff Richard, 1968
Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, WWII
Behind the scenes at 'Planet of the Apes', 1967
Is this a Catalina? I’d love to catch a flight on one.
I do believe it is a PBY Catalina, flying boat Made by the US during WWII and used by the US and the Allies. I’m sure many became available as surplus after the war. This looks to be a very nice retrofit.
What I really liked here was the pictures of the folding aerodynamic wingtip to wingtip float. I have never seen pictures of that before.
The story follows on, with interesting pictures, here: http://www.artificialowl.net/2009/07/abandoned-catalina-seaplane-50-years.html
I saw one of these at Van Nuys airport in the mid 90′s. All decked out but upgraded with modern conveniences. Very cool! I could imagine flying in to Lake Powell or a remote lake in Alaska with my sweetheart for the weekend.
Photos of the abandoned plane are on this site as ‘Abandoned Seaplane’. Fascinating story.