Grumman HU-16 Albatross Amphibious Aircraft
Photo: Dylan Agbagni, CC0 (cropped)
A stop on Hiller Aviation Museum: Unofficial Guide, a free self-guided tour.
The Grumman HU-16 Albatross is an amphibian: it can take off and land on water or on runways. Its hull is shaped like a boat, and floats under each wing keep it stable on the water. Retractable wheels let it land on runways.
First flown in 1947, the Albatross was used by the Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard, mainly for search and rescue. It could land in the open sea to pick up downed pilots and shipwrecked sailors, and it rescued many airmen during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
The Coast Guard flew the last of its Albatrosses in 1983, and a few remain in private hands.
Look at the hull bottom and the high-mounted engines, set above the wing to keep the propellers out of the spray.
More on Wikipedia: Grumman HU-16 Albatross
Stops on this tour
- Boeing 747-100 Cockpit and Forward Fuselage
- Hiller Flying Platform
- Boeing Condor High-Altitude Reconnaissance UAV
- NASA AD-1 Oblique Wing Research Aircraft
- Wright Flyer Replica and Early Flight Exhibit
- Black Diamond - 1910 California Pioneer Aircraft
- Grumman HU-16 Albatross Amphibious Aircraft
- Boeing 737-200 Cockpit
- Flight Sim Zone
- Women in Aviation Gallery
- Aircraft Engine Collection
- Lockheed YO-3 Quiet Star
- San Francisco Airport Control Tower Beacon
- Drone Plex and Future of Flight Exhibit
- Michael King Smith Research Library and Museum Store