
Catalina
One of the most iconic objects in the Powerhouse Collection, the Catalina flying boat Frigate Bird II features in a new exhibition of previously unseen collection objects and archival material documenting its pioneering flight from Australia to Chile.
The exhibition highlights the scale of the aircraft and allows its impressive engineering to be examined up close.
‘I was fortunate enough to be able to fly with my father aboard the Frigate Bird II, a Sunderland flying boat, a few years after his South Pacific crossing with Frigate Bird II. Travelling in a flying boat of that kind, with its comfort and space, was such an incredible experience compared to air travel today.’