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Description
| Notes: HIGH-WING, amphibious aircraft with fixed wing floats. For search/rescue, asw, and general purpose uses (6 CREW, 12 LITTERS) . | ||
| Manufacturer: | Grumman | |
| Base model: | U-16 | |
| Designation: | HU-16 | |
| Version: | E | |
| Nickname: | Albatross | |
| Equivalent to: | UF-2G | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Air Force | |
| Designation Period: | 1952-Present | |
| Basic role: | Utility | |
| Modified Mission: | Search and Rescue | |
| See Also: | ||
Specifications
| Length: | 61' 3" | 18.6 m | |
| Height: | 25' 10" | 7.8 m | |
| Wingspan: | 96' 8" | 29.4 m | |
| Wingarea: | 1,035.0 sq ft | 96.1 sq m | |
| Empty Weight: | 22,883 lb | 10,377 kg | |
| Gross Weight: | 35,700 lb | 16,190 kg | |
Propulsion
| No. of Engines: | 2 | ||
| Powerplant: | Wright R-1820-76B | ||
| Horsepower (each): | 1425 | ||
Performance
| Range: | 2,850 miles | 4,589 km | |
| Cruise Speed: | 150 mph | 241 km/h | 130 kt |
| Max Speed: | 236 mph | 380 km/h | 205 kt |
| Climb: | 1,450 ft/min | 441 m/min | |
| Ceiling: | 21,500 ft | 6,552 m | |
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| Dyess Linear Air Park | Dyess AFB | Texas |
| Historic Aircraft Restoration Projects | Brooklyn | New York |
| Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum | New York | New York |
| March Field Air Museum | Riverside | California |
| McClellan Aviation Museum | McClellan AFB | California |
| National Museum of Naval Aviation | NAS Pensacola | Florida |
| Pacific Coast Air Museum | Santa Rosa | California |
| USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park | Mobile | Alabama |
HU-16E on display
Historic Aircraft Restoration Projects | March Field Museum | McClellan Aviation Museum | Pacific Coast Air Museum | |
USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park |
Recent comments by our visitors
| Steve Dickerson Las Vegas, NV | I was attached to the USCG Air Station Port Angeles, Wa and flew the HU-16E(Goat) from 1969 until 1972. It is a great aircraft from a bygone era of aviation. The 7209, 2123 and 7243 were there during that time period. 06/27/2008 @ 11:30 [ref: 21697] |
| George Maroney ADCS USCG Retired Roscommon, MI, MI | I flew in the Goats from 1957 to 1968. I served at Traverse City, MI, Kodiak Alaska, San Francisco, Traverse City again, Miami Cuban crisis, ARSC AD School. Great airplane and got to fly in one 6 years ago at a Splash In at Gaylord Mi. 06/03/2008 @ 08:07 [ref: 21101] |
| KEN LEYENDECKER MARY ESTHER, FL | SERVED AS FLIGHT MECH. FROM 1964-1967 AT CGAS BROOKLYN N.Y.
I REMEMBER BEING PROUD TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH AN "UNUSUAL AIRPLANE' MY FIRST RON TO MONTREAL IN 1964 BROUGHT US TO THE RAMP NEXT TO A GIANT TUPOLEV WHICH BROUGHT THE RUSSIAN BALLET TROUP FOR PERFORMANCE. THE CREW FROM THE TUPOLEV AND THE ALBATROSS CREW EXCHANGED ADMIRING GLANCES AND WELL DESERVED RESPECT. THE VERAZANNO BRIDGE WAS UNDER CONSRTUCTION AT THE TIME AND WE MANAGED TO SLIP UNDER IT ONE SUMMER AFTERNOON. WATER LANDINGS WERE NOT USUAL,BUT WE DID TRAIN FOR THEM. SITTING IN THE BACK DURING A TAKE-OFF WAS LIKE SITTING IN A SUBMARINE.. WATER EVERYWHERE! AS A METAL SMITH I REMEMBER NEVER BEING DONE WITH THE CHORE OF CORROSION CONTROL. CHANGING AN OLEO STRUT WAS NOT FOR THE MEEK. 03/14/2008 @ 11:46 [ref: 20015] |
| Jim Mahoney Cape Cod, MA | Had the honor to fly with "The Chief", John Perishing Greathouse (last enlisted pilot in any United States military service) as his flight mech many times from Elizabeth City N.C. in the "old Goat". This was in the late 60's and early 70's. It was a great old plane, really miss the water landings which they finally terminated do to structural issues. Chief Greathouse was the check pilot and all the Officers from the air station, air base, and those who flew desks in D.C had to answer to him and be qualified by him. He'd have no problem whatsoever in telling a pilot what he had done incorrectly. The pilots knew his ability and experience, he wore the HU-16 as a second flight suit. The Chief was always shown the upmost respect by all ranks.
There will be a ceremony at Mobile Air Station on March 31st 2008 with a historical wall hanging in the Master Chiefs honor. 03/13/2008 @ 07:27 [ref: 19999] |
| Barry Ervin Norristown, PA | I believe Jimmy Buffett owns and flys an Albatross. It must be nice to be so rich! But I must say, he has good taste in airplanes. Citations and Gulfstreams are so boring. 01/16/2008 @ 17:45 [ref: 19328] |
| Dale Bartels Travelers Rest, SC | I worked and flew as an aircrewman on the HU-16Es assigned to USCG Airsta Miami. I was an airframe mechanic (AM) and was constantly repacking landing gear actuators and doing corrosion removal.
The "Goat" had a very unique sound as both R-1820s idled at low RPM, I loved to hear them taxi out for takeoff. Our APU was a 2 cylinder engine that sounded like a Harley. When we flew long legs out of Miami, I would spend a lot of time operating the engine analyzer looking at the ignition waveform on the scope or relieve the enlisted navigator on the Loran A set. It was a noisy aircraft but sitting back at the scanner's open hatch was a joy. I would put my helmet visor down and stick my head out into the slipstream and wave at boaters as we flew over them. Several years ago I got to see a restored "Goat" at the EAA AirVenture in Osh Kosh, WI what a joy to listen to it idle. 08/06/2007 @ 01:34 [ref: 17478] |
| Paul F. Gabriel Ingleside, TX | Like many others, I was stationed at Elizabeth City while Greathouse was there. Only got to fly with him once. We had to divert to some Navy field when the cowling on the port engine came undzused. Fortunately there was a mech on the line working on an old SNB. He had a box full of duze buttons and gave us enough to get airborne again.
05/10/2007 @ 18:14 [ref: 16454] |
| Ken \"Farmer\" D\'Angelo San Diego, CA | For those that want a copy of that CD with the "goat" touch-n-go recorded sounds my e-mail is padrino@attglobal.net
If you don't hear from me send a couple of e-mails as it might originally end up in my spam folder. Ken 04/17/2007 @ 20:43 [ref: 16217] |
| Ken \"Farmer\" D\'Angelo San Diego, CA | Ex-AT3 with "goat" time at Annette, AK from 67-69. I've just downloaded a reel-to-reel tape done in Sangley Pt by Denby Jones, (ex AT CWO who passed about 8 years ago unfortunately) and transfered the sounds of this HU16E doing touch-n-goes. This is awsome and will send shivers down your back. I'll send anyone that wants one a free CD copy. Put some mo-jo back in your life for sure!
Also, I was involved with the restoration work on the "goat" at March AFB museum at Riverside, CA. Matter of fact, she was getting ready to be painted AF grey when I found her and convinced the curator to paint her up in USCG colors. My name's on the door! Did a reunion with my remaining fly guy bud's from CGAS San Diego for the Aug 4 2001 dedication of the "goat" in a really nice ceremony put on by the USAF. Send a couple of e-mails incase it goes to my spam folder and you don't hear from me if you want a free CD as offered. Ken 04/17/2007 @ 20:38 [ref: 16216] |
| Mike Lyons Scottsdale, AZ | I was assigned as a USAF COMDOC motion picture cameraman to Det. 7, 600th Photo Squadron, Da Nang, RVN 1967-1968. One of my first documentation assignments was to shoot a film that we titled "Last Flight of the Albatross".
The Air Force was in the process of deploying the HH-3E "Jolly Green Giant" to assume the role of prime rescue aircraft. I flew several mission on the coastal orbit from the DMZ north to Hiphong(?) Harbor. Althought I never participated in an actual rescue attempt on any of the flights I was part of I remember the HU-16 as being incredibly noisy, but absolutly unique as an aircraft. A few months later I was part of a Jolly Green crew that was shot down on a attempted rescue in the Ashae Valley, just north of Quang Tri. 12/29/2006 @ 19:30 [ref: 15036] |
Recent photos uploaded by our visitors
