The Grumman HU-16 Albatros is an amphibious flying boat. First flight was in 1947. It was used by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy also in Korea as a search and rescue and combat 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. It has two radial engines and a retractable gear. Later is was also used by the U.S. Coast Guard. 
HU-16E Albatross
This USCG HU-16E Albatros code "2129" is at the USS Alabama Battleship memorial park at Mobil.
Photographed 2011 by Cees Hendriks (c) Copyright IPMS Nederland
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Photos include OFFICIAL USAF COLOUR INFORMATION from Technical order TO 1-1-4 , Collection M. de Vreeze (used with permission)
HU-16E Albatross
This USCG HU-16E Albatross code "2193" was used by the Coast Guard from 1954-1981 from various air stations. This aircraft is at March field museum and is on loan from the USAF museum.
Photographed November 2013 by Cees Hendriks (c) Copyright IPMS Nederland
SA-16A
This is a Grumman SA-16A Albatross , Serial Number: 51-0022. It is painted in the markings of 31st Air Rescue Squadron, Clark AB, Philippines ca. 1957. It is on loan from the USAF museum, and was seen in the Pima Air Museum, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Photographed 1991 by Marcel Bouman (c) Copyright IPMS Nederland
Various plastic scale models exist of Albatross, the 1/72 kit of Monogram (also released by Revell and Hasegawa) is a nice kit. In 1/48 RVPH has an expensive but good resin kit whereas an injection moulded kit was released by Trumpeter in 2014. In 1/144 scale Amodel has some nice little short-run kits.
This webpage was first created March 2013