Check out this article at RetroMechanix.com on the General Airborne Transport XCG-16, an American flying wing type combat glider with twin booms and a single rudder dating from 1944:
The article reproduces an Army Air Force preliminary evaluation report on the type, which features 21 high resolution photos of this innovative but ultimately unsuccessful aircraft.
-Jared
By: jzichek - 13th October 2011 at 04:29
A second post on the XCG-16 has been added to RetroMechanix.com featuring an additional 17 photos of this unusual lifting fuselage military transport/assault glider:
The high resolution photos include some interesting shots of the glider being towed by a B-17; worth a look if you are interested in unusual vintage aircraft.
-Jared
By: Arabella-Cox - 6th October 2011 at 22:13
What a facinating report, just my sort of thing.
If they’d stripped (no rear seat / spare wheel etc) the Jeep as the UK airborne forces did it would have come out in the wheels up case. Also I’m interested to see that a slow rate of descent was considered desireable, in an assault glider it isn’t, just watch film of a Horsa in its steep approach.
Finally, give me a Hamilcar any day.
By: Flying_Pencil - 6th October 2011 at 19:48
very interesting! Thanks!
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October 6, 2011 at 4:26 am