Amphibious
Grumman HU-16 Albatross
ICAO: U16
Overview
The Grumman J2F Duck was initially designed and manufactured by Grumman as a single-engine amphibious biplane before production was taken over by Columbia Aircraft Corporation. The J2F Duck was in service as a utility and search and rescue aircraft with the United States Armed Forces from the mid-1930s until after the Second World War. It also served the Argentine Navy, the armed forces of Colombia, Mexico, and other independent civilian operators. A total number of 584 aircraft were built.
Live Fleet Activity (J2F)
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Specifications
Units
- Engine
- 1 × Wright R-1820-54 Cyclone
- Engine type
- Piston
- Power
- 900 hp · 671 kW
- Avionics
- —
- Wing tips
- No winglets
- Seats
- 2
- Crew
- —
- Cabin width
- —
- Cabin height
- —
- Cabin length
- —
- Exterior length
- 34 ft 0 in · 10.37 m
- Tail height
- 13 ft 11 in · 4.25 m
- Fuselage diameter
- 4 ft 11 in · 1.50 m
- Wing span
- 39 ft 1 in · 11.90 m
- Baggage volume
- —
- Gross weight
- —
- Empty weight
- —
- Max takeoff weight
- —
- Max landing weight
- —
- Max payload
- 1,100 lb · 500 kg
- Fuel capacity
- 220 gal · 800 L · 600 kg (AvGas)
- Max cruise speed
- 170 kt · 196 mph · 315 km/h
- Maximum speed
- —
- Cruise speed
- —
- Approach speed
- 61 kt · 70 mph · 113 km/h
- Range
- 680 nm · 780 mi · 1,260 km
- Fuel burn
- —
- Ceiling
- 20,000 ft · 6,100 m
- Rate of climb
- 1,500 ft/min · 8 m/s
- Takeoff distance
- —
- Landing distance
- —
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Operational Context
On April 2, 1936, the J2F-1 initial production version performed its first flight. It was fitted with a single Wright R-1820 Cyclone rated at 750 hp and was then delivered to the United States Navy. The J2F-2 was a United States Marine Corps variant with nose and dorsal gun, and the J2F-3, -4, and -5 varied in their engines.
The J2F-6 is a two-seat Columbia Aircraft built variant with an external length of 10.36 meters, a tail height of 4.25 meters, and a fuselage diameter of 1.5 meters. It has a wingspan of 11.89 meters, a wing area of 38 square meters, and retractable main landing gear with a wheelbase of 5 meters. It has an empty weight of 2,486 kg, a gross weight of 3,493 kg, a maximum payload of 500 kg, and a fuel tank capacity of 215 US gal.
The aircraft is powered by a single Wright R-1820-54 Cyclone engine. It is a nine-cylinder single-row supercharged air-cooled radial piston engine with two overhead valves per cylinder with a sodium-filled exhaust valve, a single-speed General Electric centrifugal-type supercharger, a Stromberg downdraft carburetor with automatic mixture control, a dry-sump with one pressure and one scavenging pump oil system, and an air-cooling system. The engine produces a maximum takeoff thrust of 900 hp and drives a three-bladed constant-speed propeller.
The J2F Duck has a maximum speed of 170 knots, a cruise speed of 135 knots, and a stall speed of 61 knots. The travel range is 680 nautical miles. It can fly up to 20,000 feet and can climb at a rate of 1,500 feet per minute. The aircraft is loaded with a single Browning .30 cal machine gun on a flexible mount in the rear cockpit and 295 kg of bombs or depth charges.
Sources and references used for research and fact-checking.