Welcome to another episode of Warbird Wednesday! Today, we’re discussing the HU-16 Albatross in our flying boat series. Introduced in 1949, it served primarily in search and rescue missions and was retired from military service in 1995. Originally designed to land in the open ocean, it had a deep v-hole design and could land in rough seas. The aircraft saw heavy combat as well as search and rescue missions during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, with some being used for covert operations. Plans to revive production of the HU-16 Albatross under the designation G-1T in Australia have been proposed, with production expected to start in 2025.