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Waco CG-4

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CG-4A
CG-4A
Role Military glider
Manufacturer Waco Aircraft Company
First flight 1942
Primary users United States Army Air Forces
Royal Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
United States Navy
Number built >13,903

The Waco CG-4A was the most widely used United States troop/cargo military glider of World War II. It was designated the CG-4A by the United States Army Air Forces[1], and named Hadrian in British military service.

Designed by the Waco Aircraft Company, CG-4A flight testing began in May 1942, and eventually more than 13,900 CG-4As were delivered. Sixteen companies were prime contractors for manufacturing CG-4A's. Wicks Aircraft Company of Kansas City, Missouri was a sub-contractor while Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation of Kansas City, Kansas, Robertson Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri and the WACO Company of Troy, Ohio were three of the 16 prime contractors.

Design and development

The CG-4A was constructed of fabric-covered wood and metal and was crewed by a pilot and copilot. The factories ran 24-hour shifts to build the gliders. One night-shift worker in the Wicks Aircraft Company factory in Kansas City wrote,

On one side of the huge bricked-in room is a fan running, on the other a cascade of water to keep the air from becoming too saturated with paint. The men man the paint sprayers covering the huge wings of the glider with the Khaki or Blue and finishing it off with that thrilling white star enclosed in a blue circle that is winging its way around the world for victory.... The wings are first covered with a canvas fabric stretched on like wall paper over plywood then every seam, hold, open place, closed place, and edge is taped down with the all adhesive dope that not only makes the wings air tight, but covers my hands, my slacks, my eyebrows, my hair, and my tools with a fast drying coat that peels off like nail polish or rubs off with a thinner that burns like Hell.[2]

The CG-4A could carry 13 troopers and their equipment. Cargo loads could be a quarter ton truck (Jeep), a 75 mm howitzer, or a ¼ ton trailer, all loaded through the upward-hinged nose section. C-47s were usually used as tow aircraft. A few C-46 tugs were used during and after Operation Plunder.

The USAAF CG-4A tow line was 11⁄16-inch-diameter (17 mm) nylon, 350 feet (107 m) long. The CG-4A pickup line was 15/16 inch- (24 mm)-diameter nylon, but only 225 ft (69 m) long including the doubled loop.

Operational history

During Operation Market-Garden, the 101st Airborne Division was reinforced with twelve glider serials on September 18, 1944. Here, Waco gliders are lined up on an English airfield in preparation for the next lift to Holland.

Whiteman Air Force Base was originally activated on 6 August 1942 as Sedalia Glider Base. In November 1942, the installation became Sedalia Army Air Field and was assigned to the 12th Troop Carrier Command of the United States Army Air Forces. The field served as a training site for glider pilots and paratroopers. Assigned aircraft included the CG-4A glider, Curtiss C-46, and Douglas C-47 . However, the C-46 was not used as a glider tug in combat until Operation Plunder in March 1945.

CG-4As went into operation in July 1943 during the Allied invasion of Sicily. They participated in the American airborne landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944, and in other important airborne operations in Europe and in the China-Burma-India Theater. Although not the intention of the Army Air Forces, gliders were generally considered expendable by high-ranking European theater officers and combat personnel and were abandoned or destroyed after landing. While equipment and methods for extracting flyable gliders were developed and delivered to Europe, half of that equipment was rendered unavailable by certain higher-ranked officers.[citation needed] Despite this lack of support for the recovery system, several gliders were recovered from Normandy and even more from the Operation Market-Garden in the Netherlands and Wesel, Germany.

The CG-4A found favor where its small size was a benefit. The larger British Airspeed Horsa could carry more troopers (seating for 28 or a jeep or an anti-tank gun), and the British General Aircraft Hamilcar could carry a light tank, but the CG-4A could land in smaller spaces. In addition, by using a fairly simple net system, an in-flight C-47 equipped with a tail hook could "pick up" a CG-4A waiting on the ground.[3]

The CG-4A was also used to send supplies to partisans in Yugoslavia.

After World War Two ended almost all CG-4s were declared surplus and almost all were sold. Many were bought for the wood in the large shipping boxes. Others were bought for conversion to towed camping homes with the wing and tail end cut off and being towed by the rear section and others sold for hunting cabins and lake side vacation cabins.

Variants

XCG-4
Prototypes, two built, plus one stress test article.
CG-4A
Main Production variant, survivors became G-4A in 1948, 13,903 built by 16 various contractors.
XCG-4B
One CG-4A built with a plywood structure.
XPG-1
One CG-4A converted with two Franklin 6AC-298-N3 engines by Northwestern.
XPG-2
One CG-4A converted with two 175 hp (130 kW) L-440-1 engines by Ridgefield.
XPG-2A
Two articles: XPG-2 engines changed to 200 hp (150 kW). plus one CG-4A converted also with 200 hp (150 kW) engines..
PG-2A
production PG-2A with two 200 hp (150 kW) L-440-7s, redesignated G-2A in 1948, ten built by Northwestern.
XPG-2B
Cancelled variant with two R-775-9 engines.
LRW-1
13 CG-4A transferred to the United States Navy.
G-2A
PG-2A re-designated in 1948.
G-4A
CG-4A re-designated in 1948.
G-4C
G-4A with different tow-bar, 35 conversions.
Hadrian Mk.I
Royal Air Force designation for the CG-4A, 25 delivered.
Hadrian Mk.II
Royal Air Force designation for the CG-4A with equipment changes.

Operators

A British Hadrian
 Canada
 Czechoslovakia
 United Kingdom
 United States

Surviving aircraft

Below is a list of known surviving CG-4A aircraft:

.[4][5][6]

Specifications (CG-4A)

Data from Tribute to the American Combat Glider Pilots of World War II and Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions for Army Model CG4A Glider (TO No. 09-40CA-1)[7]

General characteristics

  • Crew: two (pilot and co-pilot)
  • Capacity: 13 troopers, or quarter-ton truck (Jeep) and 4 troopers, or 6 litters
  • Max take off (Emergency Load): 9,000 lb (4,091 kg)

Performance

  • Rate of sink: About 400 ft/min (122 m/min) at tactical glide speed (IAS 60 mph/96 km/h)
  • Landing run: 600-800 feet (180-244 m) for normal three-point landing; "Landing rolls of approximately 2,000 to 3,000 feet are to be expected at the higher emergency gross weights..."

Armament
none Avionics
none

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

  1. ^ Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare (London: Phoebus, 1978), Volume 11, p.1199, "Waco CG-4A".
  2. ^ Jane Beasley Raph. "My Aunt the Doper: "Gliding Gladys" in the War Factory". Retrieved 2008-11-08.
  3. ^ Silent Partner of the Plane page 98, February 1944, Popular Science
  4. ^ Munson, J. (undated). "Sailplanes in Our Collection". Retrieved 2008-04-15. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  5. ^ Air Mobility Command Museum (undated). "CG-4A". Retrieved 2008-11-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  6. ^ "The Airborne Museum". Retrieved 2009-08-02.
  7. ^ Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions for Army Model CG4A Glider (TO No. 09-40CA-1)
  8. ^ Erection and Maintenance Instructions CG-4A Glider, Feb 15, 1943 (TO No. 09-40CA-2)
  9. ^ IAS about 158 mph
  10. ^ ; IAS about 254 km/h
  11. ^ IAS about 85 mph
  12. ^ IAS about 137 km/h
  13. ^ about 60 mph IAS
  14. ^ about 96 km/h IAS
  15. ^ "...due to the possibility that windshield panels may blow in and other failures may occur."
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