HU-16 Albatross (wallpaper 2) aircraft photo gallery | AirSkyBuster

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HU-16 Albatross (wallpaper 2). HU-16 Albatross aircraft images wallpaper gallery 2. HU-16 Albatross airplane pictures and images collection 2. Special Purpose Aircraft. Since 1950 the HU-16 Grumman Albatross had done yeoman service — an old workhorse and veteran of two wars. It was the only fixed-wing aircraft capable of performing a rescue on water, and its effectiveness would be readily attested to by over 80 aircrew members who had been recovered from the Gulf of Tonkin from 1964 through 1967. Over the years it proved to be a very versatile aircraft. It had a 2500-mile cruising range and can land on water, ice, or snow. Its usefulness was limited, however, by its slow speed, low altitude, and age. Plans for an HU-16 replacement first got off the ground in 1971, when the Coast Guard Aircraft Characteristics Board met to outline the general requirements for a new MRS aircraft. After reviewing the Board's report, the Coast Guard decided to evaluate the ability of available aircraft to meet the standards proposed through a series of trials with a leased turbo-jet (Israeli-Westwind) and a turbo fan-jet (Cessna Citation). HU-16 Albatross (wallpaper 2). HU-16 Albatross aircraft images wallpaper gallery 2. HU-16 Albatross airplane pictures and images collection 2. From April to August 1973 the Coast Guard collected test data from the two leased aircraft. Evaluation of the data determined that the proposed MRS aircraft should have a multi-engine fan jet configuration. The new HU-25A MRS aircraft is a derivative of the Falcon 20G business jet manufactured by the Falcon Jet Corporation. By Fiscal Year 1979 there were no HU-16's in the Coast Guard inventory. On 12 August 1976 the last of the Navy’s seaplanes, a HU-16 Albatross, departed Guantanamo Bay for the Naval Aviation Museum in NAS, Pensacola, Fla. A 20-year old C-131 passenger/cargo plane replaced the air station’s HU-16 seaplanes. The HU-16 on display at the Air Force Museum was one of the last operational USAF Albatrosses. It established a world altitude record for twin-engine amphibians when it reached 32,883 feet on July 4, 1973. Two weeks later, it was flown to the museum. HU-16 Albatross (wallpaper 2). HU-16 Albatross aircraft images wallpaper gallery 2. HU-16 Albatross airplane pictures and images collection 2.