Seaplanes were operated by the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force during WW-II, Korea and Vietnam

U.S. Navy Seaplane Name and Acronym Primer:

If you have ever wondered why the Navy gave their seaplanes so many confusing model numbers this might help translate some of it:

Seaplanes with "PB" mean "patrol bomber", (but actually they could also be doing transport, reconnaissance and other missions as well.)

A "PBM" was a patrol bomber made by Martin. A "PBY" was a

patrol bomber made by Consolidated (and later called Convair).Seaplane names like "Mariner" and "Mars", etc., usually came from the original aircraft maker. The British RAF gave the names "Catalina" and "Coronado" to those seaplane types because they were made in San Diego. Other seaplane types were usually named after

sea birds, like "Goose" "Kingfisher", "Widgeon" "Albatross", etc.

Seaplanes were also

operated by the U.S. Army

Air Corps and Air Force.

And even the U.S. Air Force once had their own seaplanes. Pre-war colors were

usually silver with yellow-orange trim. Most Pacific

War colors were flat dark

blue with flat white underneath. Post-war and Korea

Era seaplanes were a royal

Blue with white or red trim.

U.S. Navy Seaplane Name and Acronym Primer:

If you have ever wondered why the Navy gave their seaplanes so many confusing model numbers this might help translate some of it:Seaplanes with "PB" mean "patrol bomber", (but actually they could also be doing transport, reconnaissance and other missions as well.) A "PBM" was a patrol bomber made by Martin. A "PBY" was a patrol bomber made by Consolidated (and later called Convair).Seaplane names like "Mariner" and "Mars", etc., usually came from the original aircraft maker. The British RAF gave the names "Catalina" and "Coronado" to those seaplane types because they were made in San Diego. Other seaplane types were usually named after sea birds, like "Goose"