The Grumman HU-16 Albatross was an American search and rescue flying boat. It was in service with the US Air Force, the US Coast Guard, and the US Navy from 1949 to 1983. The Hellenic Navy also used this amphibious aircraft. Formerly known as the SA-16, a total of 466 Albatross flying boats were built between 1947 and 1961. It was used in the Korean and Vietnam War, plucking dozens of downed pilots and crew members out of the hostile waters.
The Albatross prototype, the JR2F Pelican, first took to the air on October 1, 1947. It was officially introduced in December 1949 as the SA-16A (HU-16A), when the US Air Force received its first batch of 99 flying boats. This branch of the United States military would acquire the largest number of Albatross, with a total of 305 seaplanes, which included the HU-16B version, with a wider wing span. In March 1952, it entered service with the US Coast Guard as the HU-16E. The HU-16C (formerly designated UF-1) would be used by the US Navy.
The ASW Albatross
In May 1961, the anti-submarine warfare version of the Albatross made its first flight. The development of this variant had begun in 1960 as part of a Military Defense Aid Program (MDAP) project to produce an anti-submarine patrol aircraft suitable for the air forces of friendly nations. Two prototypes were built first for the trial period. It was the most radically different of the Albatross family.
This combat seaplane had a bulbous upswept nose radome, which housed an AN/APS-88 search radar. It was also fitted with a magnetic anomaly detector boom, which was extendable from its tail. This was designated SHU-16B, with a total of 13 being used by the Greek Air Force. It was armed with two homing torpedoes and Mk-54 depth charges.
Below, a United States Coast Guard HU-16E Albatross flying along the eastern coast.
Technical Description
The Grumman HU-16 Albatross was a twin-engine, amphibious monoplane, with shoulder-mounted wings. It was of conventional, all-metal construction, consisting of a deep "V" two-step hull. The wing featured fixed leading edge slots, outboard of the float pylons. The purpose of these slots were to enhance low-speed performance and handling characteristics. It had landing gear for on the ground operations; this retracted up and flush into wells on the hull sides. It was powered by two Wright R-1820-76, air-cooled, radial engines, each one producing 1,425 horsepower.
Specifications (HU-16A)
Type: search and rescue seaplane
Length: 18.49 m (60 ft, 8 in)
Wing Span: 24.38 m (80 ft)
Wing Area: 77.39 m2 (833 sq. ft)
Height: 7.39 m (24 ft, 3 in)
Power Plant: two 1,425-HP, Wright R1820-76A-94 Cyclone, 9-cylinder, air-cooled, piston radial engines.
Maximum Speed: 383 km/h (237 mph)
Range: 4,310 km (2,680 miles)
Service Ceiling: 7,560 m (24,800 ft)
Crew: 4/ or 6
A Grumman HU-16 Albatross of the Japanese Navy in 1957 (video)
Below, a US Navy UF-1 (HU-16C), with dry floaters.
A HU-16A of the US Air Force flying over the coast of California.
