Grumman Albatross Hu-16B

This is a scale model that is one of those rare airplanes that flies good as a scale model because of its large tail control surfaces. The model flies so well that I did a loop and roll on the third flight. It taxies great and is easy to lift off the water. It usually lifts off in 100 to 150 feet, with a slight amount of up elevator. This depends on head winds of course, but the model is stable at high speed taxi because of the large angle of attack of the wing floats. Its broad beam gives it good floatation and a quick transition to ³step² making it a fun plane to fly.

The only modification to the plane is the addition of splash rails along the chine below the cockpit to prevent bow splash into the props during the transition to step and 1² to the cord of the wing to provide a little more wing area.

The plane tracks and grooves smoothly and with the wash out called for in the wing it makes a gentle strait ahead nose drop when stalling. No snaps or ugly stuff. Slow flight is stable but the typical control mushiness shows up just before the stall speed. The flaps are very functional and the model can maintain altitude on 1 engine if the speed is kept up. On any twin, you never get slow on one engine.

Landing Gear: These are offered as a separate kit. They are scale and operate from the wing and as they fold up they pull the wheel up into the fuse.

The kit includes Cowls and Nacelles made of Fiberglass with a dummy radial engine formed into the cowl.

This kit comes with all wood needed and lots of hardware, including metal hardware pieces such as engine spacers, flange, water rudder tube, shaft, sheet metal, etc. The wing comes with a pre cut airfoil and is pre slotted for the spars. The 1 / 4² ply leading edge main spar is hand sawed and it incorporates the engine firewalls into it. All balsa is lite grade. Most of the plywood parts are pre cut ready to fit into the fuselage and wing. The battery pack is located in the nose and the receiver and servos are mounted under the leading edge of the wing in the fuselage.

The vertical stab is foam core sheeted with 1/16" balsa and is glued on just above the horizontal stab. The horizontal stab foam cores are glued to a 1/8" ply spar that goes through the fuselage. It is also glued onto the fuselage making a very strong structure.

This is a very well developed kit. It is not a basic of builders kit. It will frame out very quickly. Within 16-24 hrs. you should have the plane built ready for the radio and finishing details. The only carving is the leading edge of the wing, floats and wing tips. All the hardware for a water rudder are included. A water rudder is great for cross wind taxying and single engine taxying. See the OCT 89 issue of Model Airplane News for a feature article on the Albatross.

THE ALBATROSS KIT CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING PARTS

1 CONSTRUCTION MANUAL 1 4 1 X 1/4 X 1/8" HOLE SHEETMETAL FOR MOTOR BELL CRANK
2 2 1 X 1/4 X 1/8" HOLE SHEETMETAL FOR ELEVATOR HORN
3 1 3 X 1/8 STEEL ROD FOR WATER RUDDER SHAFT
4 1 1-5/8 X 1/8 BRASS TUBE FOR WATER RUDDER SLEEVE
5 1 2 X 3 SHEET METAL PLATE FOR WATER RUDDER
6 1 3-1/2 X 1-1/2 X 2 BALSA FOR RUDDER BOTTOM
7 1 VACUUM FORMED RADOME
8 1 3-1/4 X 2 X 3/4 BALSA FOR VERTICAL STAB TIP
9 1 2-1/2 X 2 X 1/2 BALSA FOR RUDDER TOP
10 1 4-1/2 X 1 X 3/8 HARD WOOD BLOCK FOR WING SERVO MOUNTS
11 1 2-1/4 X 3/4 DOWEL FOR WING BOLT SPACERS
12 1 4 X 3/8 DOWEL FOR NACELLE ANCHORS
13 2 1 X 1/4 X 3/32" HOLE FOR FLAP HORN
14 2 2-1/4 X 3/32 STEEL ROD FOR ELEVATOR TORQUE TUBE ENDS
15 1 1 X 1 X 1 BALSA FOR WATER RUDDER POST MOUNT
16 1 15 X 2 X 1 BALSA FOR WING TIPS
17 1 14 X 1 X 1/2 BALSA FOR WING LEADING EDGE
18 1 9 X 5/8 SQUARE FOR VERTICAL STAB LEADING EDGE
19 1 12 X 2 X 3/16 BALSA FOR WING SADDLE FILLER
20 1 10 X 1 X 3/8 WING TRAILING EDGE
21 1 9 X 2 X 1/2 BALSA FOR HORIZONTAL STAB TIP
22 1 13 X 1/4 DOWEL FOR ELEVATOR AND FLAP HORNS, WING FRONT HOLD DOWN PINS, FLOAT STRUT MOUNTING [PLATE ANCHORS AND RUDDER HINGE HARD MOUNTS FOR HINGES
23 1 15 X 1/2 X 1/4 TRIANGLE STOCK FOR SPLASH CHINES
24 1 1/8 X 24 PLY SPAR FOR HORIZONTAL STAB
25 1 1/4 PLY FIREWALL LEADING EDGE SPAR
26 4 VAC. FORMED ENGINE NACELLES
27 2 VAC. FORMED ENGINE COWLS
28 1 VAC. FORMED STYRENE TURTLE DECK
29 1 11 X 8-1/2 X 1/4 PLY PLATE FOR PARTS
30 1 20 X 8-1/2 X 1/8 PLY FOR PARTS
31 1 RUDDER FOAM CORE
32 1 VERTICAL STAB FOAM CORE
33 1 SET OF HORIZONTAL STAB FOAM CORES
34 1 SET OF WING FOAM CORES
35 1 SHEET OF ACETATE FOR WINDOWS
36 1 20 X 4 X 1/4 BALSA FOR FLOAT STRUT SIDES
37 2 30 X 3/8 SQUARE BALSA FOR ELEVATOR AND RUDDER PUSHRODS
38 1 24 X 3/8 SQUARE BALSA FOR WATER RUDDER PUSHROD
39 1 30 X 3/8 SQUARE HARDWOOD FOR COWL MOUNT BEAMS
40 1 24 X 2 X 1/8 BALSA FOR MAIN GEAR DOORS
41 1 24 X 3/4 X 3/8 BALSA FOR ELEVATOR TRAILING EDGE
42 1 24 X 5/8 SQUARE BALSA FOR HORIZONTAL STAB LEADING EDGE
43 2 30 X 1 X 1/2 WING LEADING EDGES
44 2 36 X 1 X 3/8 WING TRAILING EDGES
45 1 48 X 1/8 WING MAIN SPAR
46 1 24 X 2 X 2 BALSA FOR FLOATS
47 17 36 X 4 X 1/16 BALSA FOR WING, AND EMPENAGE COVERING