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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 2061.PDF
OCTOBER 5TH, 1944 FLIGHT Studies in Recognition 379 Aircraft in Flying Attitudes HAMILCAR (Transport Glider) 'THE Hamilcar heavy transport glider, produced by •*- General Aircraft, first went into action when it carried tanks to reinforce the British Sixth Airborne Division in Normandy. The airborne arrival of these light tanks, which weigh round about 7 tons, is reported to have taken the Germans completely by surprise, for the existence of the Hamilcar had been a well-kept secret, which is a very good answer to those correspondents who have written to Flight accusing the A.T.C. of careless talk; thousands of A.T.C. ca"dets had known about the Hamilcar for months before D-Day. The element of surprise was, moreover, fully exploited by the speed with which the tanks went into action, for the method was to start up the engine while the Hamilcar was making its final approach to the landing ground. When the big glider touched down the tank's crew were "all set," so that the moment their carrier came to rest, "VBK p «•• M The Hamilcar (left)has very tall, tapered fin and rudder with low- set cantilever tail- plane. The Horsa (right) fin and rudder is more conventional. the nose was swung open and the tank was driven straight out. In general appearance the Hamilcar bears a family resemblance to its much smaller brother, the G.A. Hotspur training glider, particularly in its very tall, high aspect- ratio fin and rudder, but these two are so vastly different in size that there could be no possibility of confusing them. For purposes of comparison, therefore, the Hamilcar is here pictured with the Airspeed Horsa transport glider, and the superimposed silhouettes in the adjoining column show that although the Harnilcar has the greater wing-span its overall length is slightly less than that of the Horsa. Major differences between these two British heavy transport gliders will readily be seen in these drawings and photographs. The Hamilcar's wings taper on both edges from a rectangular centre-section, whereas those of the Horsa have a backswept leading edge and straight trailing edge, their tips being square and raked respectively. The fuselage of the Hamilcar is almost rectangular in cross-section as against the circular sectioned fuselage of the Horsa. The Hamilcar also has a raised cabm- top beneath which the pilot and one other of its crew are seated in tandem. Dimensions of the Hamilcar are: Span 110ft., length 08ft., height 26ft. 3m General Aircraft Hamilcar heavy transport glider. This head-on view, as seen from its tug, shows the almost square- sectioned fuselage and raised "office." The undercarriage can be dropped after take-off. These superimposed silhouettes serve to contrast the wing plan of the Hamilcar (greater span) with that of the Horsa. Note the latter's greater, overall length and longer nose. Airspeed Horsa.
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