Aeroplane Monthly 1993-07
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C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 1 (4)
Десантные планеры Airspeed Horsa и General Aircraft Hamilcar перед вторжением на континент были сосредоточены на британской авиабазе Тарант-Раштон, графство Дорсет. Также видны самолеты Halifax Mk V из 298-й и 644-й эскадрилий - буксировщики данных планеров.
A well-used but memorable aerial view of Tarrant Rushton on the evening of June 6, 1944. More than 30 Halifaxes are positioned to tow out a similar number of Hamilcars, plus a couple of Horsas, for the D-Day landings. The Germans expected the Hamilcars to be carrying troops until they saw the first arrivals land and unload!
In its day the Hamilcar was the largest production wooden aircraft in the world. The unlaiden eight-ton glider weighed 16 tons fully loaded and had a towing speed of 150 m.p.h.
A seven-ton Tetrarch light tank being reversed very carefully into the all-wood Hamilcar.
A T-9 light tank secured inside a Hamilcar.
A Hamilcar disgorges a T-19 Locust tank. Note the way the glider’s undercarriage “crouches” to bring the nose down almost to ground level.
The prototype Hamilcar undertow. The towline was bifurcated to pick up on quick-release hooks on the centre-section spar.
Built to Specification 27/40, the GAL 50 was a half-scale prototype of the Hamilcar. This photograph, dated September 1941, shows it bearing Class B markings T-0227.
Two views of the half-scale Hamilcar test model. The GAL 50 T-0227 is pictured in September 1941. Later it became DP226. The lower photograph gives a better indication of the glider’s small size.
Just like the M25 motorway: Hamilcars nose-to-tail awaiting take-off.
Prototype GAL Hamilcar DP206 photographed in March 1942. The first production batch of ten Hamilcar Is was delivered during November and December 1942.
R. E. Poulton's cutaway drawing of the Hamilcar was originally published in Flight on December 14, 1944.