Aircraft N115FB Data

N115FB
Grumman HU-16D Albatross, c/n G-462
Latest photos of N115FB
N115FB @ FFZ - Taken at Falcon Field Airport, in March 2011 whilst on an Aeroprint Aviation tour - by Steve Staunton
Steve Staunton
@ FFZ
N115FB @ KMZJ - Chalk's Albatross in storage at MZJ - by John Meneely
John Meneely
@ KMZJ
Airframe Info
Manufacturer Grumman
Model HU-16D Albatross Search all Grumman HU-16D Albatross
Construction Number (C/N) G-462
Aircraft Type Fixed wing multi engine
Number of Seats 8
Number of Engines 2
Engine Type Reciprocating
Engine Manufacturer and Model Wright R-1820 SER
Aircraft
Registration Number N115FB
Mode S (ICAO24) Code A03F45
Certification Class Special Flight Permit
Air Worthiness Test 1977-12-05
Last Action Taken 2011-02-10
Current Status In Question
Owner
Registration Type Individual
Address Mesa, AZ 85215
United States
Region Western-Pacific
User Comments
Dave, 2013-10-13 22:26:25
While N115FB is currently registered with the FAA as a Grumman HU-16E, it is not one. An HU-16E is the long-wing conversion used by the US Coast Guard. The aircraft now registered as N115FB was never operated by the US Coast Guard. It was built as a long-wing model UF-2 for the JMSDF (Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force) under a US Navy procurement contract as Bu. no. 148327, the third to last Albatross ever built new by Grumman. After the 1962 DOD re-organization of military aircraft designations, in the US Navy at least, the model UF-2 became an HU-16D.
In the late 1970's Grumman bought this Albatross back from the JMSDF, converted and upgraded it to FAA Part 25 Transport Category standards under TCDS no. A22SO, and officially re-certified it as a model G-111 - one of only 13 such Albatross conversions done by Grumman at that time. For some unknown reason, all of those conversion were still identified using previous military serial numbers instead of Grumman's OEM civilian serial or construction numbers. N115FB is actually Grumman OEM s/n G-462.