Consolidated P2Y Ranger

By David L. Veres

Review

Number 96 in Steve Ginter's popular "Naval Fighters" series details the Consolidated P2Y Ranger – and includes the "Consolidated PY-1 Admiral and the civil model 16 Commodore as well as the origins of the Patrol Flying Boat."

And that's where this terrific tome begins.  Kickoff coverage courses from early Curtiss craft through NAF Douglas, Keystone and Martin PN derivatives to Boeing and Hall designs – 24 pages of illuminating introductory content.  A more than modest measure!

Text next turns to the book's Consolidated protagonists – civil and military, domestic and foreign.  And Ginter's sumptuous study contains his typically tremendous level of impressive information.

Seeking Commodore interior décor details?  They're there.  P2Y gun configurations?  Yep.  Ranger unit costs?  Those, too.  Squadron service?  Absolutely.  Ginter musters mountains of minutiae – especially for modelers.

But, sad to say, that's the book's most disappointing department.  The understandably anemic model section sports just one solitary subject: Contrail's 1970-vintage, 1:72-scale vacuum-form.  But who knows?  Maybe Ginter's excellent account will inspire some enterprising manufacturer!

And it certainly is an excellent account – in true "Naval Fighters" fashion.  Design, development, production, service and fate.  This superb study of the immortal Catalina's progenitor tells the total P2Y tale – and more.  In short, everything's there – except, as usual, an index!

Strongly recommended.

With thanks to Ginter Books.