Glider tugs you don't see every day

I also take my hat off to the pilots who towed the Gigant with 3 Me 110’s prior to the Heinkel being available,tricky is that.

Imagine trying to get that sort of operation sanctioned under todays ‘elf ‘n safety/risk assessment rules!

Paul F

Very interesting photo !!
I always thought the most impressive tug was the Heinkel 111Z which was built to tow the large cargo gliders in germany.
I also take my hat off to the pilots who towed the Gigant with 3 Me 110’s prior to the Heinkel being available,tricky is that.

Stunning video!!

Here is some colour footage of more gliders and tugs from WW2
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=5sSAt6avwNs

That is a scary thought for the tug pilot. Let’s hope he some form of emergency guillotine.

…………..probably known as a co-pilot and a hacksaw!

To answer Merlin 70, the belly tow hook of the Hotspur had no back release capability and tye picture shows that the Hotspur I must have been quite slippery (and the Heyford draggy/underpowered).

That is a scary thought for the tug pilot. Let’s hope he some form of emergency guillotine.

Well G-ASEA was very close, the picture came from the Laurence Wright collection which is held at the Muuseum of Army Flying, Middle Wallop, and his book ‘The Woodern Sword’ is a facinating read and well overdue for a reprint.
To answer Merlin 70, the belly tow hook of the Hotspur had no back release capability and tye picture shows that the Hotspur I must have been quite slippery (and the Heyford draggy/underpowered).

This very picture is published in the Profile Publication 182 on the Heyford.
The caption is ‘ A HEYFORD 111 (probably K5184) TOWING AN EARLY HOTSPUR GLIDER OVER CAMBERLEY, SURREY, JANUARY 1941.’

Richard

My Dad recalls reading in one of the mags (in the past couple of years) that there is a Heyford (or, more correctly, the earthly remains of a Heyford) buried at the end of the runway at Cosford…

Be interesting to know if it’s really there… can anyone confirm this?

Surprising that the cable didn’t back release, or was release dependant entirely upon the glider pilot pulling the tit.

I think the last survivors were the frames of Heyford’s K4029 and K5184 at RAF Cardington around 1950. They were used by the RAE at Farnborough for catapult trials,glider towing trials with a BA Swallow and Hotspur towing trials. It is either one of these machines in the photo. K5184 was in pre-war night bomber colours and had an armed guard at Cardington in the war years. what a pity neither were saved.
Incidentally for modellers Revell are re releasing the HP Heyford plastic 1/72 kit this year(ex Matchbox moulds).

Well, proof one Heyford survived into the war!

There is a large sag in the tow rope, the Hotspur is flying too fast.

Or the glider pilot was trying to attack the tug:D

I have seen film of Catalina towing a glider. Their is a film called “All the Kings Horsa’s” made by Lawrence Wright, who also wrote the book “Wooden Sword”. In the film there is a Hotspur 1 being towed by a Hawker Hector. The Hotspur has only one under carriage leg on. Its intresting if you want to see the start of the start of British military gliders. The museum of Army flying has a copy.

Dave

There is a large sag in the tow rope, the Hotspur is flying too fast.

Well the tug is definitely a Handley Page Heyford, though i can’t figure out the towrope thing!