Profiles and Logos
The Waco CG-4A was the most widely used American military glider of World War II with more than 13,900 being built between 1942 and 1945. Constructed of fabric covered wood and metal, the aircraft was designed by the Waco Aircraft Company with flight testing beginning in May 1942. The CG-4A could carry 13 troops and their equipment or cargo including Jeeps, 75mm howitzer or a ¼ ton trailer which were loaded through the upward hinging nose. The CG-4A was unique among the Allied military gliders in that it could be “picked up” from the ground using an airborne C-47 equipped with a tail hook and rope braking drum. The system was to recover gliders from Normandy and during operation Market Garden and was used to rescue survivors of the 1945 “Gremlin Special” crash in a high-elevation valley in New Guinea. The aircraft was known as the Hadrian in British service.