WW2 Gliders.

GTX · Apr 19, 2025

General Aircraft GAL.49 Hamilcar Mk.I:

Greg Boeser · Apr 19, 2025

Geoffrey Sinclair said:
Gliders were built for the USAAF and USN. The following excludes the USN glider bombs, XBG-1, LBT-1, LBD-1.

Maker Location Model
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
Total
Total Total Total
8
1,619
6,306
4,411
3,440
5
15,789
Waco Troy XCG-3
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
Commonwealth Kansas City CG-3A
0
1
99
0
0
0
100
Babcock Deland CG-4A
0
0
60
0
0
0
60
Cessna Wichita CG-4A
0
739
1
0
0
0
740
Cessna Wichita LRW-1
0
10
0
0
0
0
10
Commonwealth Kansas City CG-4A
0
0
527
423
520
0
1,470
Ford Iron Mountain CG-4A
0
5
1,295
1,398
1,492
0
4,190
G & A Willow Grove CG-4A
0
1
224
246
155
0
626
G & A Willow Grove LRW-1
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
General Astoria CG-4A
0
16
661
336
99
0
1,112
Gibson Greenville CG-4A
0
2
641
412
23
0
1,078
Laister-Kauffman St. Louis CG-4A
0
0
110
100
100
0
310
National Elwood CG-4A
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
Northwestern Minneapolis CG-4A
0
6
602
339
562
0
1,509
Pratt Read Deep River CG-4A
0
3
581
339
31
0
954
Pratt Read Deep River LRW-1
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
Ridgefield Ridgefield CG-4A
0
2
81
72
0
0
155
Robertson St. Louis CG-4A
0
0
77
87
6
0
170
Timm Alameda CG-4A
0
4
429
0
0
0
433
Timm Alameda XCG-4B
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
Waco Troy XCG-4
0
2
0
0
0
0
2
Waco Troy CG-4A
0
13
533
528
0
0
1,074
Ward Fort Smith CG-4A
0
0
7
0
0
0
7
St. Louis St. Louis XCG-5
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
Bowlus San Fernando XCG-7
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
Bowlus San Fernando XCG-8
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
Laister-Kauffman St. Louis XCG-10
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
Laister-Kauffman St. Louis XCG-10A
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
Laister-Kauffman St. Louis YCG-10A
0
0
0
0
1
2
3
Waco Troy XCG-13
0
0
2
0
0
0
2
Ford Iron Mountain YCG-13
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
Ford Iron Mountain YCG-13A
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
Ford Iron Mountain CG-13A
0
0
0
85
0
0
85
Northwestern Minneapolis YCG-13
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
Northwestern Minneapolis YCG-13A
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
Northwestern Minneapolis CG-13A
0
0
0
31
16
0
47
Chase New York XCG-14
0
0
0
0
2
0
2
Waco Troy XCG-15
0
0
0
1
2
0
3
Waco Troy CG-15A
0
0
0
9
418
0
427
General Astoria XCG-16
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
Cornelius Tulsa XFG-1
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
Northwestern Minneapolis XPG-1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
Northwestern Minneapolis PG-2A
0
0
0
0
10
0
10
Ridgefield Ridgefield XPG-2
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
Waco Troy XPG-3
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
Frankfort Joliet XTG-1
1
2
0
0
0
0
3
Frankfort Joliet TG-1A
0
40
0
0
0
0
40
Schweizer Elmira XTG-2
3
0
0
0
0
0
3
Schweizer Elmira TG-2
0
26
0
0
0
0
26
Schweizer Elmira XTG-3
0
3
0
0
0
0
3
Schweizer Elmira TG-3A
0
15
95
0
0
0
110
Airgliders Acron TG-3A
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
Laister-Kauffman St. Louis XTG-4
0
3
0
0
0
0
3
Laister-Kauffman St. Louis TG-4A
0
36
114
0
0
0
150
Aeronica Middletown TG-5
0
250
0
0
0
0
250
Aeronica Middletown LNR-1
0
3
0
0
0
0
3
Taylorcraft Alliance TG-6
0
250
0
0
0
0
250
Taylorcraft Alliance LNT-1
0
3
0
0
0
0
3
Piper Lock Haven TG-8
0
159
91
0
0
0
250
Piper Lock Haven LNP-1
0
3
0
0
0
0
3
Briegleb n/a XTG-13
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
Pratt Read Deep River XLNE-1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
Pratt Read Deep River LNE-1
0
10
63
0
0
0
73
Schweizer Elmira LNS-1
4
8
0
0
0
0
12
Allied Dundalk XLRA-1
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
Bristol West Haven XLRQ-1
0
0
1
0
1
0
2

XCG-1 Frankfort 1 cancelled
XCG-2 Frankfort 1 cancelled
XCG-6 St. Louis 1 cancelled
XCG-9 AGA Aviation 2 cancelled
XCG-11 Snead 2 cancelled
XCG-12 Read-York 2 cancelled
CG-17 1 C-47 converted
CG-18 on well post war,
XCG-18A Chase Aircraft 3, 46-067, 46-506, 46-507, the latter cancelled
YG-18 Chase Aircraft 5, 47-640/4, contracts say 641 became YC-122, rest accepted as gliders.
CG-19 Douglas cancelled
CG-20 Chase Aircraft 2, 47-786/7, contracts say 1 as CG-20, 1 as XC-122. 47-787 reported reserialled 53-8068 as YC-123D, accepted 2 March 55

CG-18 became C-122 when fitted with engines. Apart from glider conversions 1 YC-122A, 1 YC-122B, 9 YC-122C were ordered
CG-20 became C-123 when fitted with engines, seems 1 accepted as such, not glider. 165 C-123B ordered in 1952 fiscal year, production from 1953.

Fagan 's Fighters air museum in Granite Falls, MN, has a CG-4A produced by Villaume Industries of St Paul, a subcontractor for Northwestern Aeronautical.

GregP · Apr 19, 2025

Here's one I did ...

hw97karbine · Apr 20, 2025

It's worth remembering that Japan used gliders too, here is a Kokusai Ku-8-II glider wreck on Peleliu in late 1944

Your browser is not able to display this video.

Design of the Ku-8-II began in December 1941, and the glider was essentially a Kokusai Ki-59 with the engines and fuel tanks removed and a modified undercarriage. It was given the Allied code name Goose and later Gander. The prototype was completed on May 20, 1943 and took to the air two days later, on May 22, 1943.

A Ku-8-II version that was produced in 1944 used a tubular steel frame structure and had a hinged nose that could be opened to the side to allow loading. Also, its capacity was increased slightly to carry twenty troops. In total, approximately 700 were built. They were used operationally in the Philippines, primarily to carry supplies.

bf109xxl · Apr 20, 2025

The USSR developed a pretty large number of transport gliders. I can recommend a good book, despite the rather silly title: "Stalin's Airborne Gliders 1930-1955" by Konstantin Kuznetsov, 2013.

bf109xxl · Apr 20, 2025

Photo of the Antonov'A-7 from the book by Kuznetsov:

special ed · Apr 20, 2025

hw97karbine said:
It's worth remembering that Japan used gliders too, here is a Kokusai Ku-8-II glider wreck on Peleliu in late 1944

View attachment 827789

Design of the Ku-8-II began in December 1941, and the glider was essentially a Kokusai Ki-59 with the engines and fuel tanks removed and a modified undercarriage. It was given the Allied code name Goose and later Gander. The prototype was completed on May 20, 1943 and took to the air two days later, on May 22, 1943.

A Ku-8-II version that was produced in 1944 used a tubular steel frame structure and had a hinged nose that could be opened to the side to allow loading. Also, its capacity was increased slightly to carry twenty troops. In total, approximately 700 were built. They were used operationally in the Philippines, primarily to carry supplies.

Note the troops with M-1 carbines and a Thompson. Not a Garand among them.

SaparotRob · Apr 20, 2025

special ed said:
Note the troops with M-1 carbines and a Thompson. Not a Garand among them.

I was led to believe that my father spent the entire war trying to ditch his Garand for the carbine.

Thumpalumpacus · Apr 20, 2025

Paul at WW2TV put this out a few years back:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJyHu8bgHfc&t=1s

special ed · Apr 20, 2025

special ed said:
Note the troops with M-1 carbines and a Thompson. Not a Garand among them.

A model club member, now gone, told because of his small stature, bout 5 ft 4 inches tall, when he got to France, the soonest he could, was find a carbine and credits that with his survival

Dimlee · Apr 23, 2025

My favourite Soviet glider.

Antonov A-40 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

GTX · Apr 23, 2025

WW2 Gliders.

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Greg Boeser

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GregP

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bf109xxl

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bf109xxl

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special ed

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SaparotRob

Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII

Thumpalumpacus

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special ed

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Dimlee

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Antonov A-40 - Wikipedia

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Maker	Location	Model	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	Total
Total	Total	Total	8	1,619	6,306	4,411	3,440	5	15,789
Waco	Troy	XCG-3	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Commonwealth	Kansas City	CG-3A	0	1	99	0	0	0	100
Babcock	Deland	CG-4A	0	0	60	0	0	0	60
Cessna	Wichita	CG-4A	0	739	1	0	0	0	740
Cessna	Wichita	LRW-1	0	10	0	0	0	0	10
Commonwealth	Kansas City	CG-4A	0	0	527	423	520	0	1,470
Ford	Iron Mountain	CG-4A	0	5	1,295	1,398	1,492	0	4,190
G & A	Willow Grove	CG-4A	0	1	224	246	155	0	626
G & A	Willow Grove	LRW-1	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
General	Astoria	CG-4A	0	16	661	336	99	0	1,112
Gibson	Greenville	CG-4A	0	2	641	412	23	0	1,078
Laister-Kauffman	St. Louis	CG-4A	0	0	110	100	100	0	310
National	Elwood	CG-4A	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Northwestern	Minneapolis	CG-4A	0	6	602	339	562	0	1,509
Pratt Read	Deep River	CG-4A	0	3	581	339	31	0	954
Pratt Read	Deep River	LRW-1	0	0	2	0	0	0	2
Ridgefield	Ridgefield	CG-4A	0	2	81	72	0	0	155
Robertson	St. Louis	CG-4A	0	0	77	87	6	0	170
Timm	Alameda	CG-4A	0	4	429	0	0	0	433
Timm	Alameda	XCG-4B	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Waco	Troy	XCG-4	0	2	0	0	0	0	2
Waco	Troy	CG-4A	0	13	533	528	0	0	1,074
Ward	Fort Smith	CG-4A	0	0	7	0	0	0	7
St. Louis	St. Louis	XCG-5	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Bowlus	San Fernando	XCG-7	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Bowlus	San Fernando	XCG-8	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Laister-Kauffman	St. Louis	XCG-10	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Laister-Kauffman	St. Louis	XCG-10A	0	0	0	0	1	0	1
Laister-Kauffman	St. Louis	YCG-10A	0	0	0	0	1	2	3
Waco	Troy	XCG-13	0	0	2	0	0	0	2
Ford	Iron Mountain	YCG-13	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
Ford	Iron Mountain	YCG-13A	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
Ford	Iron Mountain	CG-13A	0	0	0	85	0	0	85
Northwestern	Minneapolis	YCG-13	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Northwestern	Minneapolis	YCG-13A	0	0	0	2	0	0	2
Northwestern	Minneapolis	CG-13A	0	0	0	31	16	0	47
Chase	New York	XCG-14	0	0	0	0	2	0	2
Waco	Troy	XCG-15	0	0	0	1	2	0	3
Waco	Troy	CG-15A	0	0	0	9	418	0	427
General	Astoria	XCG-16	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
Cornelius	Tulsa	XFG-1	0	0	0	0	0	2	2
Northwestern	Minneapolis	XPG-1	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Northwestern	Minneapolis	PG-2A	0	0	0	0	10	0	10
Ridgefield	Ridgefield	XPG-2	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Waco	Troy	XPG-3	0	0	0	0	1	0	1
Frankfort	Joliet	XTG-1	1	2	0	0	0	0	3
Frankfort	Joliet	TG-1A	0	40	0	0	0	0	40
Schweizer	Elmira	XTG-2	3	0	0	0	0	0	3
Schweizer	Elmira	TG-2	0	26	0	0	0	0	26
Schweizer	Elmira	XTG-3	0	3	0	0	0	0	3
Schweizer	Elmira	TG-3A	0	15	95	0	0	0	110
Airgliders	Acron	TG-3A	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Laister-Kauffman	St. Louis	XTG-4	0	3	0	0	0	0	3
Laister-Kauffman	St. Louis	TG-4A	0	36	114	0	0	0	150
Aeronica	Middletown	TG-5	0	250	0	0	0	0	250
Aeronica	Middletown	LNR-1	0	3	0	0	0	0	3
Taylorcraft	Alliance	TG-6	0	250	0	0	0	0	250
Taylorcraft	Alliance	LNT-1	0	3	0	0	0	0	3
Piper	Lock Haven	TG-8	0	159	91	0	0	0	250
Piper	Lock Haven	LNP-1	0	3	0	0	0	0	3
Briegleb	n/a	XTG-13	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Pratt Read	Deep River	XLNE-1	0	0	1	0	0	0	1
Pratt Read	Deep River	LNE-1	0	10	63	0	0	0	73
Schweizer	Elmira	LNS-1	4	8	0	0	0	0	12
Allied	Dundalk	XLRA-1	0	0	0	1	0	0	1
Bristol	West Haven	XLRQ-1	0	0	1	0	1	0	2