Book Review of HU-16A Albatross
Italian Aviation Series
Aviation Collectables Co.
ISBN: 9788894105094
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $24.95
ISBN: 9788894105094
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $24.95
HISTORY:
The Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large, twin–radial- engined amphibious seaplane that was used by the United States Air Force (USAF), the U.S. Navy (USN), and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), primarily as a search and rescue aircraft. Originally designated as the SA-16 for the USAF and the JR2F-1 and UF-1 for the USN and USCG, it was redesignated as the HU-16 in 1962.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Air-sea rescue flying boat
Manufacturer: Grumman
First flight: October 24, 1947
Introduction to service: 1949
Retired: 1995 (Hellenic Navy)
Status: retired
Primary users: United States Air Force, United States Coast Guard, United States Navy, Hellenic Navy
Produced: 1949–1961
Number built: 466
Developed from: Grumman Mallard
THE BOOK:
Aviation collectables Co. is based in Italy.
This book is soft-cover of 65 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
It is authored by a group of 6 writers, which is Aviation Collectables format for their books.
The cover art shows a color photo of an Albatross on a lake making a take-off run. It is white, with a red nose and tail and a yellow fuselage band and yellow wing pontoons. Its spine and the tops of its wings are grey. The tip of its tail is light grey, over a black horizontal bar with white SAR on it, over a narrow yellow horizontal bar. It has Italian Air Force roundels in the normal positions and a black fuselage no. 15-5 on the sides of its nose. The tip of its nose is black.
The back cover shows a color side profile of an Albatross that is medium-blue, with a red nose and tail, yellow fuselage band, medium-blue rudder tip, over a narrow horizontal yellow band over a black band with white SAR on it, over a second narrow horizontal yellow band. Its wing pontoons are overall yellow. It has a black nose tip. It carries Italian Air Force roundels in the usual positions and a black fuselage no. 15-6. It is posed against a large Italian Air Force roundel.
Including the front cover there are 89 color photos of the Albatross in the book. Twenty are of the walk-around type.
There are 50 black and white photos that show Albatrosses and pilots and two posters.
The modelers section shows a built up Trumpeter brand 1/48th scale model of the Albatross. Shown are the box art of the Trumpeter kit and two decal sheets. There are 6 color walk-around photos of the model being assembled. No modelers name is given for having built it.
There is a black and white photo of the Albatross engine.
The color side-view profiles show 4 Albatrosses.
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning on building an Albatross and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the North American distributor of Aviation Collectable books and all of their titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
The Grumman HU-16 Albatross is a large, twin–radial- engined amphibious seaplane that was used by the United States Air Force (USAF), the U.S. Navy (USN), and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), primarily as a search and rescue aircraft. Originally designated as the SA-16 for the USAF and the JR2F-1 and UF-1 for the USN and USCG, it was redesignated as the HU-16 in 1962.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Air-sea rescue flying boat
Manufacturer: Grumman
First flight: October 24, 1947
Introduction to service: 1949
Retired: 1995 (Hellenic Navy)
Status: retired
Primary users: United States Air Force, United States Coast Guard, United States Navy, Hellenic Navy
Produced: 1949–1961
Number built: 466
Developed from: Grumman Mallard
THE BOOK:
Aviation collectables Co. is based in Italy.
This book is soft-cover of 65 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
It is authored by a group of 6 writers, which is Aviation Collectables format for their books.
The cover art shows a color photo of an Albatross on a lake making a take-off run. It is white, with a red nose and tail and a yellow fuselage band and yellow wing pontoons. Its spine and the tops of its wings are grey. The tip of its tail is light grey, over a black horizontal bar with white SAR on it, over a narrow yellow horizontal bar. It has Italian Air Force roundels in the normal positions and a black fuselage no. 15-5 on the sides of its nose. The tip of its nose is black.
The back cover shows a color side profile of an Albatross that is medium-blue, with a red nose and tail, yellow fuselage band, medium-blue rudder tip, over a narrow horizontal yellow band over a black band with white SAR on it, over a second narrow horizontal yellow band. Its wing pontoons are overall yellow. It has a black nose tip. It carries Italian Air Force roundels in the usual positions and a black fuselage no. 15-6. It is posed against a large Italian Air Force roundel.
Including the front cover there are 89 color photos of the Albatross in the book. Twenty are of the walk-around type.
There are 50 black and white photos that show Albatrosses and pilots and two posters.
The modelers section shows a built up Trumpeter brand 1/48th scale model of the Albatross. Shown are the box art of the Trumpeter kit and two decal sheets. There are 6 color walk-around photos of the model being assembled. No modelers name is given for having built it.
There is a black and white photo of the Albatross engine.
The color side-view profiles show 4 Albatrosses.
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning on building an Albatross and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the North American distributor of Aviation Collectable books and all of their titles can be seen on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.