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Description
| Manufacturer: | Grumman | |
| Base model: | U-16 | |
| Designation: | HU-16 | |
| Version: | B | |
| Nickname: | Albatross | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Air Force | |
| Designation Period: | 1952-Present | |
| Basic role: | Utility | |
| Modified Mission: | Search and Rescue | |
| See Also: | ||
Specifications
| Length: | 61' 10" | 18.8 m | |
| Height: | 25' 10" | 7.8 m | |
| Wingspan: | 96' 8" | 29.4 m | |
| Gross Weight: | 35,998 lb | 16,326 kg | |
| Max Weight: | 36,000 lb | 16,326 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 2 | ||
| Powerplant: | Wright R-1820 | ||
| Horsepower (each): | 1425 | ||
Performance
| Cruise Speed: | 165 mph | 265 km/h | 143 kt |
| Max Speed: | 250 mph | 402 km/h | 217 kt |
| Ceiling: | 22,000 ft | 6,705 m | |
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| Castle Air Museum | Atwater | California |
| Maryland ANG - 175th FG, Baltimore | Baltimore | Maryland |
| Museum of Aviation | Warner Robins AFB | Georgia |
| National Atomic Museum | Kirtland AFB | New Mexico |
| New England Air Museum | Windsor Locks | Connecticut |
| Strategic Air Command Museum | Ashland | Nebraska |
| Travis Air Force Museum | Travis AFB | California |
| United States Air Force Museum | Wright-Patterson | Ohio |
HU-16B on display
Castle Air Museum | Museum of Aviation | New England Air Museum | Strategic Air Command Museum | |
United States Air Force Museum |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Keith l. Austin Beaverton, OR | I was stationed in Naha, Okinawa for 2 years with the 51st OMS C130 sq.Then sent to Elglin AFB assigned a C130 test sq. We were the ones making in flight live pickups for testing if it was possible to survive the G force! We also tested in flight refilling of helicopters.
We were part of a air rescue sq which had HU16. The C130's were late getting there so we were part of HU16 rescue group! Water landings suck! 10/16/2015 @ 14:04 [ref: 69278] |
| Bob McArdle , FL | As a Capt USAF, was the LAST "OPEN SEA QUALIFIED" aircraft commander on the HU-16 (1970) ( Coast Guard was restricted to "Sheltered Water") after 2 tours in SEA flying over Laos; got an unaccompanied tour to Sondrestrom AB, Greenland; learned to fly with the USAFR Search and Rescue unit out of Portland Int'l Airport, Oregon. What a great bunch of guys....Memorial Day, 1971, we flew both "Duck Butts" in formation at Sondy...fire in # 2 and swallowed a valve in # 1... Everyone on the ground thought it was a great "air show" - so realistic!!!...ended up with a double engine change... Then ordered to ferry the bird to "The boneyard".....We were being replaced by "Jolly Greens" for SAR.... At Loring AFB ( Presque Isle , Maine) made an emergency landing with # 2 shutdown during thunderstorm...another engine change... 4 days later off to the boneyard...lost # 1 about 4 minutes after takeoff...another emergency landing at Loring...another engine change...enroute to Davis Monthan, ended up diverted to Tuscon to turn it over to a civilian who had purchase it for approx $13,000.00..he had a couple of PBY5A's he used to fly clients to fish in Baja California... The "Hueys " taught me what "Bush Pilot" flying was all about...we could land on land, sea, and ice with that modified hull...loved that old bird 08/12/2015 @ 12:20 [ref: 69207] |
| Dabio Dejalma de Souza Florianópolis SC, OTH | OLA PRECISO DAS INFORMAÇÕES DO GRUMANN HUB 16 PARA TRABALHO ESTUDO MECANICO DE AERONAVES OBRIGADO 05/29/2015 @ 05:51 [ref: 69108] |
| C.H. \"Chuck\" Clayton Tyler, TX | I was an ATN3 stationed at Naha, Okinawa from February, 1964 through August, 1966 and flew radio aboard the Hu-16 during that entire period of time. I remember on one a/c we did not have the usual ARC-38 transceiver for HF but instead had a BC-348 for a receiver and an ART-13 for a transmitter. You had to tune the receiver to the transmitter (or vice versa) and when you keyed the mike and touched the knobs on the ART-13 you'd get RF burns on your fingertips.....hurt like hell....but it worked. That was the only pain ever inflicted on me by the Albatross.....it was a great a/c. I have very many fond memories of the pilots and plane captains I flew with. As a young man it was a very exciting period in my life.
Great plane....great shipmates.....it doesn't get any better than that. 01/24/2015 @ 07:10 [ref: 68903] |
| Dale Ferguson Anchorage, AK | I'm writing on behalf of my brother, James Kent Ferguson. He was a radio operator on the HU-16 and was assigned to the 304th Rescue Squadron, AFRES, Portland Air Base. He flew to Da Nang in 1963 but has no offical record of being in Viet Nam. Since he was a reservist, he gets no VA benefits and has never asked for any. But with is age and poor health, he could use the VA's help. I am asking, does anyone have any records of the 304th being in Viet Nam in 1963? 08/25/2014 @ 13:50 [ref: 68624] |
| Neal Alders Titusville, FL | Andrew Campbell
I would like to chat with you. Please email me at nealalders@yahoo.com 06/26/2014 @ 18:44 [ref: 68538] |
| DONALD L. COOK DENISON, TX | I AND MY FAMILY WERE AT GOOSE BAY FROM JAN 1968 TO JAN 1970. WE HAD 3 HU-16B'S, 3 U1-A'S. 2 C-97'S AND THE TANKER KC-135 ALERT FACILITY THAT ROTATED FROM STATESIDE UNITS.
WE HAD THE ONLY HU-16 CREWS IN THE AIR FORCE AT THAT TIME.. A CREW WENT TO THE DAVIS-MOTHAN BONE YARD AND PICKED ONE UP AND FLEW IT TO MADIGASCAR VIA SOUTH AMERICA, OVER AFRICA. AND THEN TO THAT ISLAND NATION.I WANT SAY THEY WERE GONE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS BEFOR MAKING IT BACK. WHO USED IT OVER THERE, I DO NOT KNOW.. MY AFSC WAS AIRCRAFT ENVIRONMENT SYSTEMS, WHICH IS NOW ECS-ELECTRIC.. ENJOYED MY TIME ON THEM,, COMBUSTION HEATERS, GASEOUS OXYGEN SYSTEM, INFLATEABLE SURFACE DE-ICE SYSTEM AND FIRE EXTINGUISHER SYSTEM. AN ENJOYABLE TOUR FOR MY FAMILY AND KIDS.. DONALD L. COOK MSGT. USAF RET. 04/26/2013 @ 09:51 [ref: 67763] |
| DONALD L. COOK DENISON, TX | I AND MY FAMILY WERE AT GOOSE BAY FROM JAN 1968 TO JAN 1970. WE HAD 3 HU-16B'S, 3 U1-A'S. 2 C-97'S AND THE TANKER KC-135 ALERT FACILITY THAT ROTATED FROM STATESIDE UNITS.
WE HAD THE ONLY HU-16 CREWS IN THE AIR FORCE AT THAT TIME.. A CREW WENT TO THE DAVIS-MOTHAN BONE YARD AND PICKED ONE UP AND FLEW IT TO MADIGASCAR VIA SOUTH AMERICA, OVER AFRICA. AND THEN TO THAT ISLAND NATION.I WANT SAY THEY WERE GONE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS BEFOR MAKING IT BACK. WHO USED IT OVER THERE, I DO NOT KNOW.. MY AFSC WAS AIRCRAFT ENVIRONMENT SYSTEMS, WHICH IS NOW ECS-ELECTRIC.. ENJOYED MY TIME ON THEM,, COMBUSTION HEATERS, GASEOUS OXYGEN SYSTEM, INFLATEABLE SURFACE DE-ICE SYSTEM AND FIRE EXTINGUISHER SYSTEM. AN ENJOYABLE TOUR FOR MY FAMILY AND KIDS.. DONALD L. COOK MSGT. USAF RET. 04/26/2013 @ 09:51 [ref: 67762] |
| Ron Hebert Laurens, SC | Retired AF..1st assignment was the 48th in '64. Went from phase doc to flt mech. Did the TDY to 33rd at Naha and Danang. Loved leaning out the back on the low level flts down to Homested. Had to keep the weekenders up to par.Water landing in the Big "O" I lived just down he road. Also FE on C-141s And C-130s. Retired out of Travis... 07/10/2012 @ 13:45 [ref: 63111] |
| TJ HARRIS CMSGT RET CLEVELAND, AL | WERE IS ALL THE 48TH ARS FOLKS AND 37TH ARS FOLKS EGLIN AND DANANG VIETNAM . THE HU-16 DID A HECK OF A JOB IN VIETNAM, BUT YOU DID NOT HEAR ABOUT IT.( THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE) 01/20/2012 @ 18:22 [ref: 52182] |
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