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GRUMMAN ALBATROSS HISTORY
Inspired by the performance of the Grumman Goose during WWII, the U.S. Navy solicited Grumman to design a significantly larger amphibian with longer range. In 1944, Grumman submitted and won approval of its design G-64, to be named "Albatross," with accommodation for a crew of four, and a cabin capacity of 10 passengers, stretchers, or 5,000 pounds of cargo, as circumstances dictated. In addition, there were pylons under the wing and outboard of the engines which made it possible to carry weapons or drop tanks for increased range. In addition, fuel could be carried in the fixed underwing floats.
Ordered by the Navy as a utility aircraft, the prototype which flew first in October of 1947, was designated XJR2F-1, going into production as the UF-1.
Too late for service in World War II, the Albatross was used extensively in the Korean and Vietnam wars. Experience with the UF-1 led to a number of modifications, such as more effective de-icing boots for the leading edges of airfoils, increased wing span, redesign of the leading edge to increase lift, and an increase in the area of the ailerons and tail surfaces.
Albatrosses assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard originally designated UF-1G were reclassified as HU-16E, and the 10 supplied to Canada were designated CSR-110.
The final official Grumman classification was G-111, devised in the 1970s as the result of a collaborative effort between the manufacturer and Resorts International to convert the military aircraft to an airliner. Of the 57 surplus aircraft purchased for rehabbing, 12 were completed and placed in storage by Chalk Airlines of Miami, where they remain. Despite that disappointing outcome, by 1997 there were 92 Albatrosses on the US civil registry, of which 30 were still flying as island-hopping airliners, or as customized executive aircraft.
Thus, the Grumman HU-16 "Albatross" continues to fulfill the people-hauling part of the role that it was intended for when it first entered military service with the United States Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard, eventually serving 22 foreign governments as well.
[History by Kevin Murphy]
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ALBATROSS SPECIFICATIONS
• Year: 1951
• Model: HU-16
• Engines: Two 1,425-hp Wright R-1820-76A
• Fuel Capacity: 1546 US gal (9276 lbs)
• Fuel Burn: 200 gal/hr
• Cruising Speed: 236 mph
• Range: 2850 miles
• Wingspan:96' 8", Length:61' 10", Height:25' 10"
• Maximum Weight: 35,700 lbs
Click here for a photo story
about the TP Aero Albatross in action.
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