GRUMMAN ALBATROSS HU-16

[coastaldriver 915]

A few people have asked if there is a Grumman Albatross available for P3DV5. Yes there is it is the old FSX Virtavia HU-16. The model is still available from SimMarket and a couple of other sellers as an FSX model but I had no problems installing it into P3DV5 (Using an earlier FSX Installation). Typical Virtavia, nice model, good graphics and very realistic but lacking a lot of functionality in the VC area (but it has popups for some stuff like the radios etc.) Flies well, sound is good and good on water and on land. Here are couple of screens from my installation in P3D. 

and the VC

Edited September 19, 2021 by coastaldriver
layout correction

[BostonJeremy77 519]

45 minutes ago, coastaldriver said:

A few people have asked if there is a Grumman Albatross available for P3DV5. Yes there is it is the old FSX Virtavia HU-16. The model is still available from SimMarket and a couple of other sellers as an FSX model but I had no problems installing it into P3DV5 (Using an earlier FSX Installation). Typical Virtavia, nice model, good graphics and very realistic but lacking a lot of functionality in the VC area (but it has popups for some stuff like the radios etc.) Flies well, sound is good and good on water and on land. Here are couple of screens from my installation in P3D. 

and the VC

I don’t quite know what that means when you say using your old FSX installation. I have never owned FSX, so not sure if that would work for me?

[coastaldriver 915]

BostonJeremy - this was an FSX era model that was not upgraded for P3D. Because it is 64 bit compliant it will work in P3D without any problems. If you buy it (it will be listed in the FSX aircraft areas) you just have to tell the installer to put it into P3D not FSX or you can use a dummy folder then move it into P3D. It works fine in P3D without any problems for me at all. 

[DonMuskopf 32]

Deleted. Answered my own question. Sorry.

 

Edited September 20, 2021 by DonMuskopf

[shermank 166]

There is  freeware goose  here...though I am not sure whether it will work in P3D

https://library.avsim.net/search.php?SearchTerm=turbo+goose&CatID=fsx

AND, here for a different version

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/fsview.php?do=list&fid=199783

and, this link....which may or may not work depending upon how your browser is configured. In any event, if you get the download, I suggest you run a virus scan before unpacking. I have this one, and it turned out OK.

https://www.lockonfiles.com/files/file/1312-fsx-grumman-goose-hd-redux-v12/

Sherm

 

 

[BostonJeremy77 519]

18 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

BostonJeremy - this was an FSX era model that was not upgraded for P3D. Because it is 64 bit compliant it will work in P3D without any problems. If you buy it (it will be listed in the FSX aircraft areas) you just have to tell the installer to put it into P3D not FSX or you can use a dummy folder then move it into P3D. It works fine in P3D without any problems for me at all. 

Perfect. I want to buy this. On SimMarket I see the one for FSX and one for FSX-SE... which one should I get, do you know?

 

Got the FSX one... saw that the FSX-SE one is a free upgrade from that, so that way I got both. Just in case. 😉

Edited September 20, 2021 by BostonJeremy77

[BostonJeremy77 519]

Just flew it for a quick test flight in the Carribean. Is there no way to control the prop levers? That's my only and biggest gripe with this. Everything else is decent though I wish there was a way for it to start cold and dark, because it starts with engine on. 

[coastaldriver 915]

BostonJeremy - had to go and revist this one. So here is some info to help you or anyone else on this old bird. Remember this is an old MS FSX model from 2010, lucky it even works at all in P3D. Could do with some upgrading on gauges, switches etc but that is another project for another time I guess. As it is it is nicely functional with limits. 

Not sure if you got the manual with your purchase but here is a link to the Virtavia manual online:

Virtavia_HU-16_Albatross_Manual.pdf (akamaihd.net)

That manual has the necessary performance (speeds etc) and fuel data you need to know about. 

The checklist should appear on your kneepad in P3D. As I said some of this model is rudimentary and would have benefited from some more coding and guage work but anyway you can work most of this using the traditional keyboard commands because in some areas you have to as there are no VC Controls.

The fuel tank selector switches on the overhead do work as well. 

Park Brake - there is no park brake lever or switch I could find and the manual also says use the keyboard, so you will have to use your normal keyboard command to put it on or off. 

Starting - the magnetos on the overhead do work with the red levers on the magneto switch controlling the mags left and right (down position is ON  with up controlling the mags L/R then OFF. A master ignition button or switch is the silver one in the middle, on or off. Fuel pumps are in the overhead, ON or OFF. The primer buttons on the lower panel to the right of the control column do work as do the starter buttons. However the starter torque setting in the aircraft config file is too low and it will not start so amend the starter torque setting in the config in the aircraft config file to the following:

normalized_starter_torque=    0.055        //0.035  This change will then allow the starters to function normally. I find that about 8-10% throttle also helps not throttles closed. 

A couple of things - there is no propeller controls other than the feather buttons (which work) but if you use the keyboard CTL+F2 you can change the prop rpm that way. For some reason there are not propeller control levers in the overhead. I am not sure but looking at the original Albatross I suspect the props were controlled via electrical switches not levers as they were constant speed props and this feature was not modelled but the normal CTL+F2 etc will control the props for you ok, a little rough but ok!

The supercharger control lever is inoperative. The aircraft has the engines modelled as having turbochargers but the issue of supercharger controllers or  a supercharger guages has bedevilled the best of modellers with these old piston engines so setting the config to say the engines are turbocharged is a neat and dirty fix that works. 

The cowl flap switches on the lower panel area work as does the electrical cowl flap controll switches. Auto pilot on/off and GPS or NAV feed selector on the lower pedestal also works but you will have to bring up the autopilot pop up to drive it. Same with the radios you have to use the pop up to set and control. 

Now lighting does work but it has the old FSX bug or issue of no night VC lighting until the sun goes down. I might have to do a FSL Spotlights on this one now to get some better lighting control. 

Trim switch is electrical and on the pedestal and does work with an indication of how much trim is being used and the trim indicator gauge on the panel (co pilots side) does work and change when you alter the trim setting. 

There are no landing lights, apparently Grumman did not fit them to the Albatross!

Now its onwater behaviour is ok but can be a bit strange if you start with it on water not on land. This is a quirk with a lot of amphibians flying boats that are ported over to P3D. So if you find it is jumping about all over the place or similar strange behaviour (like using the slew command will have it take off is another bug with these old models) then simply use the keyboard to reload the aicraft and it will load and sit normally on water. I have a special key command setup in P3D to quickly do a complete reload of an aircraft to do this! The keyboard command CTL -W should activate the water rudder but you can control it better using assymetric thrust with the overhead power levers L or R to steer on water. 

Thats about all I can tell you. It otherwise works well and behaves nicely and is quite enjoyable. There are a number of repaints about for it including one of the USAF  Albatross used in the movie "Flight from Ashiya" which is acutually an old flim with Richard Widmark about a difficult and dangerous SAR flight in the Albatross, not a bad film actually at all with depth to the story as well. 

I will do the FSL Spotlights for the VC lighting and let you know when it is done, if you have FSL Spotlights (a free download FSL Labs) 

Edited September 20, 2021 by coastaldriver

[BostonJeremy77 519]

5 hours ago, coastaldriver said:

BostonJeremy - had to go and revist this one. So here is some info to help you or anyone else on this old bird. Remember this is an old MS FSX model from 2010, lucky it even works at all in P3D. Could do with some upgrading on gauges, switches etc but that is another project for another time I guess. As it is it is nicely functional with limits. 

Not sure if you got the manual with your purchase but here is a link to the Virtavia manual online:

Virtavia_HU-16_Albatross_Manual.pdf (akamaihd.net)

That manual has the necessary performance (speeds etc) and fuel data you need to know about. 

The checklist should appear on your kneepad in P3D. As I said some of this model is rudimentary and would have benefited from some more coding and guage work but anyway you can work most of this using the traditional keyboard commands because in some areas you have to as there are no VC Controls.

The fuel tank selector switches on the overhead do work as well. 

Park Brake - there is no park brake lever or switch I could find and the manual also says use the keyboard, so you will have to use your normal keyboard command to put it on or off. 

Starting - the magnetos on the overhead do work with the red levers on the magneto switch controlling the mags left and right (down position is ON  with up controlling the mags L/R then OFF. A master ignition button or switch is the silver one in the middle, on or off. Fuel pumps are in the overhead, ON or OFF. The primer buttons on the lower panel to the right of the control column do work as do the starter buttons. However the starter torque setting in the aircraft config file is too low and it will not start so amend the starter torque setting in the config in the aircraft config file to the following:

normalized_starter_torque=    0.055        //0.035  This change will then allow the starters to function normally. I find that about 8-10% throttle also helps not throttles closed. 

A couple of things - there is no propeller controls other than the feather buttons (which work) but if you use the keyboard CTL+F2 you can change the prop rpm that way. For some reason there are not propeller control levers in the overhead. I am not sure but looking at the original Albatross I suspect the props were controlled via electrical switches not levers as they were constant speed props and this feature was not modelled but the normal CTL+F2 etc will control the props for you ok, a little rough but ok!

The supercharger control lever is inoperative. The aircraft has the engines modelled as having turbochargers but the issue of supercharger controllers or  a supercharger guages has bedevilled the best of modellers with these old piston engines so setting the config to say the engines are turbocharged is a neat and dirty fix that works. 

The cowl flap switches on the lower panel area work as does the electrical cowl flap controll switches. Auto pilot on/off and GPS or NAV feed selector on the lower pedestal also works but you will have to bring up the autopilot pop up to drive it. Same with the radios you have to use the pop up to set and control. 

Now lighting does work but it has the old FSX bug or issue of no night VC lighting until the sun goes down. I might have to do a FSL Spotlights on this one now to get some better lighting control. 

Trim switch is electrical and on the pedestal and does work with an indication of how much trim is being used and the trim indicator gauge on the panel (co pilots side) does work and change when you alter the trim setting. 

There are no landing lights, apparently Grumman did not fit them to the Albatross!

Now its onwater behaviour is ok but can be a bit strange if you start with it on water not on land. This is a quirk with a lot of amphibians flying boats that are ported over to P3D. So if you find it is jumping about all over the place or similar strange behaviour (like using the slew command will have it take off is another bug with these old models) then simply use the keyboard to reload the aicraft and it will load and sit normally on water. I have a special key command setup in P3D to quickly do a complete reload of an aircraft to do this! The keyboard command CTL -W should activate the water rudder but you can control it better using assymetric thrust with the overhead power levers L or R to steer on water. 

Thats about all I can tell you. It otherwise works well and behaves nicely and is quite enjoyable. There are a number of repaints about for it including one of the USAF  Albatross used in the movie "Flight from Ashiya" which is acutually an old flim with Richard Widmark about a difficult and dangerous SAR flight in the Albatross, not a bad film actually at all with depth to the story as well. 

I will do the FSL Spotlights for the VC lighting and let you know when it is done, if you have FSL Spotlights (a free download FSL Labs) 

Thank you so much for this. This Albatross is not ideal, but it's the only one we have! I MAY get the Khamsin one for XP10 because a bunch of people are saying it DOES work on XP11 though water dynamics are all off... There is just something very special about the Grumman Seaplanes. I now have all of them - Mallard and Albatross in P3D and Goose and Widgeon in MSFS! I love them. 

[coastaldriver 915]

Yes I have seen the Khamsin one for X Planes, nice job all round but as I do not use X Plane not good for me. Yes this an older model and not as sophisticated as one would expect but overall quite functional. The graphics and general modelling is very good like most Virtavia models just a little basic. I have all the Grummans in P3D, the Goose is the most complete same with the Schupe Mallards excellent models, the Widgeon is pretty good too but the Albatross is my favourite.I did a paint for one in the colours of the Pan Am offshoot that operated them in Guam for quite a long time, welcome to it if your interested. 

 

[jymp 168]

I have the HU-16 as well for FSX Steam, It's a good model, no issues, would like to see repaints for it updated, especially the USAF Ashiya paint.

[DonMuskopf 32]

Vintage Albatross training video. FYI

 

[coastaldriver 915]

Good find there Don - those were the days pretty casual on some levels. Good to see the Albatross doing its stuff my only criticism the opening landing scene - I sat waiting,waiting, the instructor in me thinking ' come on guys - get it on the centreline' but they did'nt hmmmm, hard to believe they put that bit of sloppy flying into a training film! I noted also it was a fairly steep nose down approach - maybe they were practising short field approaches.

Edited September 28, 2021 by coastaldriver

[Whenmaker 23]

Centerlines are highly overrated 🤭

Edited September 28, 2021 by Whenmaker

[DonMuskopf 32]

The real Albatross had reverse propeller thrust (reverse prop pitch) which is great for stopping quickly on water. However, this is not implemented on the Virtavia Albatross. I searched out a way to mod the Albatross so reverse thrust is available. This is based on a discussion by Manfred Jahn on FSDeveloper.com. Follow the steps below.

For propeller reverse thrust first set the following values in the aircraft.cfg file:

[propeller]
prop_reverse_available =   1       // This value must be >= 1
minimum_on_ground_beta =   1       // Do not change this value
minimum_reverse_beta   = -14       // Do not change this value
min_rpm_for_feather    =   0       // Do not change this value
power_absorbed_cf      =   0.10    // Do not change this value
beta_feather           = -44.00    // This value is unique to the Albatross

Then to use reverse thrust in the simulator do the following:

1. With the Albatross on the ground, feather the props:
    ● push the feather switches in the VC, or
    ● press Ctrl+F1, or
    ● move the prop pitch axis on your controller all the way back

2. To reverse the prop pitch (press Ctrl+F2). You will see on the rpm gauge that the rpm will drop. As soon as you see that, advance the throttle.

3. To return props to normal forward pitch:
    ● press Ctrl+F4, or
    ● move the prop pitch axis forward on your controller (full forward will return to maximum pitch)

It works great!