HU-16 Albatross

Infobox Aircraft
name= HU-16 Albatross
placeofburial=


caption=Restored Navy UF-1/HU-16C BuNo 131906, built June 1953
type= Flying boat
manufacturer=Grumman
designer=
first flight= 1949
introduced= 1949
retired=
status=
primary user= US Air Force
more users=
produced=1949-1961
number built=466
unit cost=
developed from =
variants with their own articles =

The Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large twin-radial engine amphibious flying boat. Originally designated SA-16, it was renamed HU-16 in 1962.

Design and development

The Albatross was designed to be able to land at sea in open ocean situations in order to effect the rescue of downed pilots. Its deep-V cross-section and substantial length helped make it possible for it to land in wavy conditions.

Since it weighs over 12,500 pounds, pilots must have a type rating in order to act as pilot or co-pilot on board the Albatross. There is a yearly Albatross fly-in at Boulder City, Nevada, where Albatross pilots can renew their type ratings.

Operational history

The majority of Albatrosses were used by the U.S. Air Force, primarily by the Air Rescue Service. The USAF utilized the SA-16 extensively in Korea, where it gained a reputation as a rugged and seaworthy craft. Later, the HU-16B (long-wing variant) Albatross was used by the U.S. Air Force's Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Service in the Vietnam conflict. The HU-16D Albatross was used for United States Navy Search And Rescue and "skunk runs" on Guam during the Vietnam War at NAS Agana. Goodwill flights were also common to the surrounding Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands in the early 1970s. Open water landing and takeoff training using JATO was conducted frequently at Apra Harbor, Guam. The aircraft was also operated by the United States Coast Guard for many years.

In 1970, Conroy Aircraft marketed a remanufactured HU-16A with Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines as the Conroy Turbo Albatross, but only the single prototype (registration "N16CA") was ever built.

Many surplus Albatrosses were sold to civilian operators, mostly to private ownners, but Chalk's International Airlines flew five examples on scheduled services from Florida to various points in the Bahamas, landing in lagoons and other water strips.

Variants

*XJR2R-1 - Prototype designation, two built.
*HU-16A (originally SA-16A) - USAF version
**HU-16A (originally UF-1) - Indonesian version
**HU-16B (originally SA-16A) - USAF version
**SHU-16B (modified HU-16B for Anti-Submarine Warfare) - export version
*HU-16C (originally UF-1) - US Navy version
**LU-16C (originally UF-1L) - US Navy version
**TU-16C (originally UF-1T) - US Navy version
*HU-16D (originally UF-1) - US Navy version
**HU-16D (originally UF-2) - German version
*HU-16E (originally UF-1G) - US Coast Guard version
*HU-16E (originally SA-16A) - USAF version
*G-111 (originally SA-16A) - USAF version
*CRS-110 - RCAF version

Operators

*ARG
*BRA
*CAN
*CHI
*ROC
*COL
*GER
*GRE
*ISL
*IDN
*ITA
*JPN
*MYS
*MEX
*NOR
*PAK
*PER
*PHI
**Philippine Air Force
*POR
*ESP
*THA
**Royal Thai Navy
*USA
**US Air Force
**United States Navy
**United States Coast Guard
*VEN

urvivors

*HU-16B, AF S/N 51-5282, at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. This was USAF's last operational HU-16. [http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=372]
*Jimmy Buffett's Hemisphere dancer, now the centerpiece of Universal Studios' Margaritaville Cafe in the Orlando, Florida.
* Restored Navy UF-1/HU-16C, Navy Bureau Number (BuNo) 131906, originally built June 1953
*Swimwear manufacturer Billabong operates a well-equipped Albatross for surf touring.
*Quiksilver also operates a similarly-equipped Albatross for surf touring.
*Several private owners have Albatrosses equipped with sleeping quarters which can be used as an airborne recreational vehicle (sleep-aboard), either at an airport or on the water.
* HU-16B Albatross, AF S/N 51-7163, at Castle Air Museum (former Castle AFB, Atwater, California
* Two HU-16B's of the Hellenic Air Force are on display at Dekelia (Tatoi) Air Base, north of Athens.
* An HU-16E of the United States Navy (BuNo 141266) and an HU-16E of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG 7236) at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola, Florida. These aircraft were the last operational HU-16s in their respective services.

pecifications (G64)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=both
ref=
crew=two, pilot and co-pilot
capacity=up to 30 passengers
length main=62 ft 10 in
length alt=19.16 m
span main=80 ft 0 in
span alt=24.4 m
height main=25 ft 10 in
height alt=7.8m
area main=883 ft²
area alt=82 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main=20,000 lb
empty weight alt=
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=33,000 lb
max takeoff weight alt=15,000 kg
more general=
*Fuel Capacity :1,075 gal plus 2-300 US gal drop tanks (4,000 L plus 1,100 L drop tanks)
engine (jet)=15KS1000
type of jet= rocket
number of jets=2 or 4
thrust main=1,000 lb_f
thrust alt=
thrust original=
afterburning thrust main=
afterburning thrust alt=
engine (prop)=Wright R-1820-76 Cyclone 9
type of prop=radial engine
number of props=2
power main=1,425 hp
power alt=1,063 kW
power original=
max speed main= 205 knots
max speed alt= 236 mph, 380 km/h
cruise speed main= 130 knots
cruise speed alt= 150 mph, 241 km/h
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 2,477 nm
range alt= 2,850 mi, 4,587 km
ceiling main= 21,500 ft
ceiling alt= 6,553 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
*Additional lift utilizing two or four RATO 15KS1000 units with 15 seconds of solid propellant.
armament= None
avionics=

ee also

aircontent
related=
*Grumman Goose
*Grumman Mallard
similar aircraft=
*Canadair CL-215
*Bombardier CL-415
*PBY Catalina
*Harbin PS-5
*ShinMaywa US-1
*ShinMaywa PS-1
lists=
see also=

References

* [http://www.hu-16.com/current.htm Production listing, source for Variants section]

External links

* [http://www.warbirdalley.com/hu16.htm HU-16 history, including other designations]
* [http://www.hu-16.com/ The Grumman Albatross Site]
** [http://www.hu-16.com/current.htm List of all Albatrosses ever produced, and their current status]
* [http://www.is.northropgrumman.com/gallery/historical/index.html Historical Aircraft page] on Northrop Grumman Web Site
*Summary at [http://www.uscg.mil/history/WEBAIRCRAFT/HU_16.html Coast Guard Historian's] site
* "Flight from Ashiya", a 1964 movie which centers on three crewmembers of a USAF Air Rescue Service HU-16 Albatross and various experiences in their collective pasts. Aircraft sequences are generally considered quite good, especially for fans of the Grumman Albatross.