Framed at the top by the bottom of the hull of a PBY-5 Catalina displayed courtesy of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the unique PBY Cutaway Exhibit allows visitors to view the interior compartments of the flying boat. The tail section is removed from the aircraft, which at its full length stretched over 60 feet in length, leaving space devoted to a variety of tasks that supported the crew on long missions around the world.

The PBY Cutaway's road to the museum began during World War II, when with wings and tail surfaces attached, it flew training missions at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola. Damaged during its active service and deemed unflyable, it eventually had a section of its skin removed and was placed in the back wall of the School of Aviation Survival at NAS Pensacola. When the school was closed, museum staff removed the aircraft from the building for restoration and display.

A nose on view of the PBY Cutaway Exhibit reveals interesting features of the aircraft. The bombardier could peer through the square window in his compartment at the extreme front of the aircraft, which also housed a machine gun turret. A boat that flew, the PBY operated from a host of waters and oftentimes it was a necessity to tie up to ship and shore.  Lines were secured to the cylindrical post visible on the left side of the aircraft's nose. The aircraft's wing, which spanned 105 feet, was mounted atop the pylon visible behind the pilots in the cockpit.  This allowed for excellent visibility when searching ocean waters below, which was the aircraft's primary mission when it was introduced to fleet service in 1936.

Flying an aircraft as large as the PBY Catalina required the efforts of both a pilot, who served as patrol plane commander, and co-pilot. Given the nature of their aircraft, they had to be part aviator and part mariner, mindful of the ways of the air and of the sea. Among those who logged time in the cockpit were Admiral Thomas Moorer, Chief of Naval Operations and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Vietnam War era, who was shot down during the opening weeks of the war.