The Albatross and the helicopter alternative

The Grumman Albatross served as a small ferry and search-and-rescue aircraft, with a longer military service life than the Martin Mars. Its retractable undercarriage allowed operations from ordinary airfields as well as water. Operators included Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Republic of China, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Spain, Thailand, and the United States. Britain's absence from that list is tentatively explained by its use of aircraft of its own before turning to helicopters. Helicopters eventually absorbed much of the Albatross's mission set because they required less landing space and could use more confined sites. The Albatross retained a major range advantage, with a quoted reach of roughly 2,480 nautical miles. Its passenger capacity is estimated at ten, enough for a small team with equipment. For small-unit operations, it could land on a patch of water to insert a team and return to recover it.