TRIBUTE TO THE AMERICAN COMBAT GLIDER PILOTS OF WORLD WAR II

Annual Reunion of the National WWII Glider Pilots Association - Click here for information

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Pages without hyperlinks are under construction.

AMERICAN COMBAT GLIDER DESIGNS

        The U.S. Army Air Force, and later the U.S. Air Force, came up with designs intended to improve on the CG-4A.  The CG-13A, a larger version of the CG-4A, saw action in the Philippines in "Operation Appari."  Following World War II, gliders continued in active service for a short period.  The C-123 transport aircraft was originally designed with the possibility of using it as a glider.  Below are some of the glider designs that were briefly either put into active service or were tested for service.

Click on the thumbnails for larger pictures.

 The CG-13A

The CG-15A 

Fairchild C-123K "Provider"

"The first prototype XC-123 made its initial flight on October 14, 1949, powered by two piston engines. A second prototype was built as the XG-20 glider. It was later test-flown, powered by four jet engines." (Wright Patterson AFB Museum Collection)

        Some insight into the glider program from a site visitor who was an engineer with the Glider Branch and part of the design team that developed the C-123:  Lew Stowe, a civilian engineer with the Glider Branch, was part of the design team that developed the glider version of the C-123.  He is the originator of the rear door design that has been so successful on the C-123, C-130, and C-141 cargo planes.  According to this account, Mr. Stowe battled the aerodynamics people at Wright Field who thought the lift/drag coefficient of the aircraft with this rear door design would be too low.  "Every time I see cargo being snatched out of the rear of a 130, and now the 17, I give thanks to Lew that he stuck to his guns."

Below table from "The Aviation Enthusiast Corner."

Aircraft Finder
U.S. Air Force Transport Glider 1941-1947 (CG)

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