Airspeed Horsa series

and finally these are the final photos. My father (Raul Jose Hrubisko) was been working really hard on all of these.

All the Airspeed Horsa`s done.

All the ones with the P markings (Prototypes)

At the display cabinet

I hope you like this new sub collection.

cheers

Santiago

Hi Jed

You are right. 😀
Be ready for the Hotspur 😮

Here are the latest 3 Horsas and the final photos

7) Airspeed Horsa Mk I DP740, GPEU, May 1943.
This glider was photographed at the Glider Pilot Exercise Unit based at RAF Netheravon, Wiltshire in May1943.

8) Airspeed Horsa Mk II RN316, B Squadron, 1945.

This glider represents a Horsa used during Operation Varsity flow from RAF Earls Colne by B Squadron of the Glider Pilot Regiment.

10) Airspeed Horsa MkI PW773, Operation Mallard, 6th June 1944.
One of many gliders that landed at Ranville, France in the evening of 6th June 1944 as part of Operation Mallard. This particular glider
was carrying men of the 1st Royal Ulster Rifles and crashed into a wall on the western edge of the landing zone.

The Jet Age Museum has just been awarded a grant of £9000 to build a Horsa cockpit replica. I’ve started a separate http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=123164

I seemed like such a simple project when we started. 😀

What was it? 22 different colour and marking schemes I’d found by the time we said “enough!”? I think you’d exhausted the whole of Argentina’s plastic Horsa supply by that time. 🙂

I honestly think given another couple of months I’d of got it up to 30.

Thank God the Hadrian didn’t have as many variations. 🙂

Hi Alastair.

Many thanks and of course I will pass your congratulation with my father. Yes, I agree with you. There are 3 more Horsas to finish.
We were able to do it thanks you and Jed.
Your assistance is always incredible and exceptional in relation with the documentation / photos.

Cheers
Santiago

We are planning the Hadrian series.

Santiago, please pass on my congratulations to your father for these builds of what is a much under-modelled subject. You’ve managed to show that there is a range of colourful Horsa subjects out there.
I’ve been happy to supply you with some of the information used and I notice the brake parachute installation on the Barkway example. However, for me the best is the RATO trials aircraft.
Always happy to assist.
Alastair

Hi Diamant

Excellent effort in producing such a range. Thanks for sharing the reference picture you’ve used for the Comet nosed version – I still believe though that even that shot shows that the nose of the real item was pointed in both planes, vertical and horizontal.

Tim

11) Airspeed Horsa Mk I LF819 -This glider represents one of the Horsas of 1st Independant Glider Squadron who flew Operation Bluebird, part of Operation Dragoon to take the south of France after D-Day. Flying from Tarquinia, Italy to Le Muy, France the squadron was equipped with a handful of gliders painted to follow
the operational desert scheme.

5) Airspeed Horsa Mk II 19 – DP288 1 1943, H Glider Conversion Unit, Painted in pattern colour 1 but with all black tail and ruder.

The 10 models completed in our display cabinet

There are only 3 more to go.

cheers

Santiago

Hi

Many thanks for your comments. Yes, Jed, you are right. Finally we are finishing this incredible project.

Hi Consul, we use the following photo as a guide for our model.

Here are 6 more Horsas.

6) Airspeed Horsa Mk II TL145, 21 HGCU, 1946.
This glider was photographed at the 21 Heavy Glider Conversion Unit, posible at RAF Elsham Wolds in early 1946.

4) Airspeed Horsa Mk II TL472 1 Aquir Palestine 1946, Overall Silver as an experiment to reflect heat and keep the interior cool in the heat of Middle East.
This unique glider was photographed at Aquir, Palestine in 1946. It was painted all over in aluminum dope in an attempt to reflect heat and
reduce the internal temperature. It was lost in a landing accident 29th August 1946 casuse by a dive approach which exceeded the max speed
for the flaps. The caused one flap jack to fail, the glider to start to roll and eventually one wingtip hit the ground.

3) Airspeed Horsa Mk II LJ271
This glider was originally built as an AS.51 Horsa Mk.1 but was converted and used the prototype for the AS.58 Horsa Mk.2. This scheme is
based on how it looked while at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Fanborough during arrester parachute trials in August 1945.

9) Airspeed Horsa Mk I LH469 “93” – LZ/X – Operation Deadstick, Caen Canal Bridge. The third glider to land at the Caen canal bridge on the 5th/6th June 1944. Piloted by SSgt. Geoff Barkway and SSgt. Peter Boyle.

Fascinating variety. I was intrigued by the Comet nose – I thought the Horsa that was used for the trial had a nose that was pointed in both vertical and horizontal planes as per the eventual airliner, but maybe it’s an optical illusion in this link to a photo of the real thing (top picture only in link):

http://crimso.msk.ru/Images6/AI/AI55-12/29-1.jpg

Lovely to see the one used for the Comet testing represented. Thanks for the update.

Will

Wow. It’s really odd actually seeing all those drawings I did as models 😀

I know their models but it’s still feels weird seeing the gliders in colour too after spending so long staring at black and white pictures. Can’t wait to see the rest.

Hi

Here are two more Horsa done.

12) Airspeed Horsa Mk I TL349 specially modified and fitted with mock – up of the Comet airliner nose to determine the degree of visibility, particularly in conditions of rain.

13) Airspeed Horsa Mk I Prototype DK353, December 1942
The fourth of five early models built specifically for load and performance trials work. This scheme shows how it might of looked
during late 1942.

Cheers
Santiago