The Consolidated Catalina and Canso were close cousins. The Canso was the true amphibious version of the design and therefore included a conventional undercarriage to allow for either water or land use. The Canso provided over two decades of valuable service to the RCAF. The Catalina variant came first and was produced beginning in 1935 for the US Navy. The amphibious version, designated PBY-5A, came in service early in 1941 and the RCAF began using the aircraft on anti-submarine patrols that same year. After World War II, the RCAF used Cansos for search and rescue, arctic survey and various transport operations.

Notable Canso aircraft achievments were a Victoria Cross to Flight Lt. David Hornell of the RCAF (posthumously) against the U-1225 and an RCAF Canso flown by Squadron Leader L.J. Birchall foiled Japanese plans to destroy the Royal Navy's Indian Ocean fleet on April 4, 1942 when it detected the Japanese carrier fleet approaching Ceylon (Sri Lanka).