HU-16 and Seaplanes

[conradas]

Just finished reading "Frozen in Time" and found it very interesting. I am interested in books about seaplanes and was looking for any suggestions. Got a whole shelf full of books about PBY's and was looking for other books on aircraft such as Hu-16's and other military seaplanes.
Thanks and have a Merry Christmas.

[glendalegoon]

hi

don't know about any books, but you may find this film interesting

Flight from Ashiya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_from_Ashiya)

"flight from ashiya" involves the Albatross seaplane in rescuse work. I think it is even available online.

enjoy...always thought the albatross was a nifty plane

[ian16th]

My understanding of the nomenclature is that an aircraft that lands on floats, is a seaplane, whereas one that lands on its hull is a flying boat.

This would make the Grumman Albatross a flying boat, albeit an amphibious one.

[Haraka]

My understanding of the nomenclature is that an aircraft that lands on floats, is a seaplane, whereas one that lands on its hull is a flying boat.

Ian you are absolutely correct regarding British nomenclature. However , on the other side of the Pond, "seaplane" loosely refers to any fixed wing type that lands on water.
Americans now also often use the term "aerostat", when actually referring specifically to what is a tethered aerostat. The "stat" part of the definition being misunderstood ( a dirigible airship also being an aerostat).
Aerostats as distinct from aerodynes seemingly now being little understood concepts in terms of their original etymology, judging by the long established adoption of the term "airplane".

[Wander00]

"It's not a "plane", Mr Bader, it's an "aeroplane"!"

[Stanwell]

But then, the Yanks increasingly have had a bit of a problem with the English, and other, languages.
(Stand by for incoming!)

[evansb]

oh just go away...

[glendalegoon]

In the spirit of December, the month that TWO AMERICANS invented the practical airplane (aeroplane) we will call it what we like.And since we crossed the atlantic in a FLYING BOAT before anyone else in an aeroplane, we will use OUR nomenclature.


On the other hand, if we didn't have British people, would we even have pprune? I think not. ;-)

and OP CANDRAS, hope you see that film,
"flight from ashia"

And wasn't it a lend lease PBY Catalina, being FLOWN BY A US NAVY Ensign that spotted the Bismark?

[Haraka]

Oh Dear , back to "Comic Novel" ,article of faith, cap and bells versions of aviation history again .
I'll just get back to enjoying the festive season in the real world
Happy Christmas everybody :)

[Airclues]

I am interested in books about seaplanes and was looking for any suggestions.

"The Sky Beyond" by Sir Gordon Taylor.

[Herod]

"Twenty-thousand miles in a Flying Boat" by Sir Alan Cobham. 1930's exploration of Africa.

[Wander00]

Aah, but then if we had not had British people would we have had Americans?............hat, coat, running...........

[glendalegoon]

wander

and amazingly enough, if there were no Americans, there would be no British people now. They would be ...

not running.

[Flybiker7000]

[quote:] In the spirit of December, the month that TWO AMERICANS invented the practical airplane (aeroplane) [quote!]

Sad perspective to use for supporting any argument!
A): There cannot be talked of any invention of an airplane as Lillienthal should be mentioned as the inventor of that more than a decade before.
Beside, plenty of fanatics(!) around the world played with the concept of motorised flying at same time!
B): I find the phrase 'practical airplane' a little overdone as the Flyer was airborne by the help of downhill tracks and supported in launch by weights/pulleys - And even then it couldn't apparently keep airborne by the engine-power alone :-/
In the end it was up to the upcoming experimentalists to get the construction working in a practical useable manner!

Any country in the modern world had their flight-pioneers and many died in the try long before Kittyhawk. It occours to me that trying to fly might be most deadly the higher above ground one comes and the death of several pioneers indicate a possible lift.
With other words: Orville & Wilburs achievement was morely 'to fly and survive to tell'!

[Wander00]

G - 15 all.

[Airclues]

conradas asked a polite question about book recommendations. Is it not rather rude to hijack his thread with a silly argument about nomenclature?

[glendalegoon]

flybiker7000...wrong...the wright flyer at kittyhawk DID NOT USE PULLEYS or a downhill track. So sorry, you must not have done your research.

and back to the original thread, I think there is another book about the Pan Am Flying Boat that flew around the world away from Wake Island during WW2.

[Flybiker7000]

@ glendalegoon:
Wright Brothers Airplane Invention | Full Story part IV (http://www.wrightbro.com/tablet/full-story-4.html)
Quote: "They tacked a large red flag (or a white sheet) on the side of the hanger, signaling the men of the Kill Devil lifesaving station to come lend a hand. It would be no easy task hauling the 600-pound machine a quarter of a mile away and up the side of the big dune. Even with the help of five men from the station, it took the Wrights over 40 minutes of hard slogging to get the machine into position on the launch rail halfway up the slope" !

The existence of a pyramidical tower with weights for a pulley-system, seems to be connected to later in-land experiments :-/

[glendalegoon]

sorry guy...hope you read the truth sometime.

including the famous telegram indicating all flights were from LEVEL GROUND with engine power alone.


hope you get to the site of the first flights and see for yourself. I see you are quite young, you need to spend years researching this stuff.

I won't even look at your link, when I have the book that ORVILLE wrote , after all , he was there.

[glendalegoon]

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/uploads/2009/02/wbtelegram.jpg


here is a copy of the wright brother telegram...LEVEL GROUND ENGINE ALONE...check it out.

and now back to seaplanes

[India Four Two]

and now back to seaplanes

Thanks, glendalegoon.

Jimmy Buffett has an Albatross:

Jimmy Buffett?s Grumman Albatross ? ?The Hemisphere Dancer? ? N928J » Jimmy Buffett World (http://www.buffettworld.com/aviation/albatross/)

His book "A Pirate Looks at 50" has a lot of aviation content. Recommended.

[glendalegoon]

India 4 2

Yes, very cool.

I think the albatross is a great plane. I wish we still have amphib/seaplane for the US Coast Guard/military.

The japanese have an interesting seaplane/flyingboat too.

Original poster should check it out. I understand it can get airborne at 40 knots, big 4 engine Kawasaki flying boat.


I was interviewed about that tragic Chalks crash a few years ago. Just for background and my best guess.

[India Four Two]

I was lucky enough to have a flight in a BC Airlines Mallard in the 70s. The flight was a round-robin trip from Vancouver to Tofino to Tahsis and return to Vancouver.

My colleague and I were only going as far as Tofino (an ex-RCAF wartime airfield). Tahsis on the other hand had no airfield and the Mallard landed in the water (Village of Tahsis | The Heart of Nootka Sound (http://www.villageoftahsis.com/))

Our departure was delayed due to a maintenance issue. I have a vivid memory of looking out of the gate window, through the Mallard's rear-door and seeing a pair of legs in white overalls, sticking out of the tail cone.

When we were ready to go, the Captain came up to us and said "You're the only two going to Tofino. Since we are late, would you mind if we flew to Tahsis first and then drop you off at Tofino on the way back?" So I got to experience a water landing in a flying boat! :ok:

After landing, the gear went down and we taxied up a slip-way and shut down. The takeoff was the most interesting part. Tahsis is in a fiord and there was no wind, so the water was like a mill-pond. It took forever to get airborne - it seemed to be at least a mile.

A very memorable experience. I have some photos, but unfortunately they are in storage.

Back to Jimmy Buffett, he has had quite an amphibious airforce. Besides the Albatross, he had a Widgeon, which he crashed and survived. He currently has a Goose and a Caravan on amphibs.

For boring land-based flying, he has a Stearman, Pilatus PC-12 and a Falcon 900. Not bad for a rock-and-roller who sings about sailing and sharks!

[evansb]

Thanks for the B.C Airlines memories! I remember you posted a colour photo of a B.C. Airlines Mallard taxiing up the water ramp in Tahsis.

RCAF SAR Grumman CSR-110 (HU-16) Albatross at Pentiction, B.C., 17 May, 1967:
http://i1047.photobucket.com/albums/b477/gumpjr_bucket/9301_Grumman_S-16_Albatross_RCAF_YYF_15MAY67_6926182737.jpg

[Noyade]

The Expendables (2010) - IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1320253/)

Ignoring Stallone and the plot, you can fast forward to the Albatross scenes.

Interesting...

watch?v=WsEWGDhPWq8

I understand it can get airborne at 40 knots, big 4 engine Kawasaki flying boat.Shin Meiwa?

But I did find a massive Kawasaki flying boat project. Cunning nips predicted the H-1 and we're gonna steal it! :)

http://i57.tinypic.com/2gy5010.png

[Haraka]

Noyade, That Kawasaki (?) alleged project reminds me of the Krupp "Germania" from the First World War with , I suspect, about equal provenance.

[Warmtoast]

Out of interest I took this photo of a Manston-based USAF SA-16 doing a rather noisy (ISTR) Rocket Assisted Take-off at Biggin Hill during the September 1954 Battle of Britain display.
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/Biggin%20Hill%20Early%201950s/USAFGrumannAlbartross-BOB-BigginHil.jpg

[Spooky 2]

Ah, now I see where the chem trails come from.

[India Four Two]

Warmtoast,

Great picture. That is probably the first Albatross I ever saw. We lived in Thanet during the 50s and I often saw an Albatross or a Packet parked on one of the dispersals as we drove by Manston.

[Airclues]

Not a book, but this video is seaplane related;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVXACaeucJo

[Lordflasheart]

You should try this for size – "To the Ends of the Air" Gp Capt GE Livock DFC, AFC. published in 1973. Still available to purchase.

Start in 1914 as a wartime naval aviator lifted from school at age 17 – operational six months later up and down the east coast etc on everything that flew off water. Followed by Russian operations in 1919. Continues with his flying boat exploits to the Far East and Australia in the twenties and early thirties where the book ends. In WW2 he was CO of the flying boat bases at Oban and Kalafrana then in HQ Coastal Command.

LFH