Мировая Авиация 19

При высадке в Нормандии бомбардировщики Halifax и Stiring буксировали более 70 планеров Hamilcar Mk I, еще 28 планеров использовались в десанте на Арнхем в сентябре 7 944 года. Hamilcar - самый большой планер, использовавшийся союзниками во время войны, мог нести легкий танк.

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-07 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 1 (4)

Prototype GAL Hamilcar DP206 photographed in March 1942. The first production batch of ten Hamilcar Is was delivered during November and December 1942.

Aeroplane Monthly 1977-12 / B.Gunston - Hamilcar Tank Carrying Glider

View of GAL 49 Hamilcar DR853/G taken in March 1943. This aircraft was one of a batch of ten experimental prototypes.

Jane's All the World Aircraft 1946 / 03 - All the world's aeroplanes

The General Aircraft Hamilcar Tank or Vehicle-carrying Glider.

Jane's All the World Aircraft 1980 / Encyclopedia of Aviation - Aircraft A-Z - v3

Britain'a largest transport glider, the GAL Hamilcar could carry a tank or two Bren-gun carriers. A powered version was developed too late for operational use during the war.

Aeroplane Monthly 1977-12 / B.Gunston - Hamilcar Tank Carrying Glider

View of GAL 49 Hamilcar DR853/G taken in March 1943. This aircraft was one of a batch of ten experimental prototypes. The nose transparencies are well portrayed in the picture.

Мировая Авиация 139

Масса с полезной нагрузкой самого большого планера Второй мировой войны Hamilcar Mk I была на 3175 кг меньше в сравнении с Me 321.

Aeroplane Monthly 1977-12 / B.Gunston - Hamilcar Tank Carrying Glider

One of the first pictures to be released for publication in December 1944, when the wraps came off the Hamilcar.

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-07 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 1 (4)

The prototype Hamilcar undertow. The towline was bifurcated to pick up on quick-release hooks on the centre-section spar.

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-08 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 2 (5)

A Halifax tows a Hamilcar out over Blandford Camp heading west out of Tarrant Rushton, with Duncliffe Hill in the distance.

Другие самолёты на фотографии: Another planes on the photo: Handley Page Halifax A/C / Halton - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

Aeroplane Monthly 1977-12 / B.Gunston - Hamilcar Tank Carrying Glider

Другие самолёты на фотографии: Another planes on the photo: Handley Page Halifax A/C / Halton - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-08 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 2 (5)

This photograph of a Hamilcar being towed by a Halifax was taken from General Aircraft’s ST-25 Monospar G-AGDN in June 1944.

Другие самолёты на фотографии: Another planes on the photo: General Aircraft Monospar ST-25 Universal - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1935Handley Page Halifax A/C / Halton - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-08 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 2 (5)

A Hamilcar and its Halifax tug.

Другие самолёты на фотографии: Another planes on the photo: Handley Page Halifax A/C / Halton - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-07 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 1 (4)

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.

Aeroplane Monthly 1987-08 / M.Hardy - 1950 RAF display (2)

An unexpected visitor in the static park was General Aircraft Hamilcar C.1 RR942.

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-07 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 1 (4)

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.

Air Enthusiast 1972-03 / ??? - The Rise and Demise of a Weapon (1)

A General Aircraft Hamilcar disgorging a Locust tank through the side-hinging nose section.

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-08 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 2 (5)

A Hamilcar with typical load, in this case a T-19 Locust tank.

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-07 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 1 (4)

A seven-ton Tetrarch light tank being reversed very carefully into the all-wood Hamilcar.

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-07 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 1 (4)

A T-9 light tank secured inside a Hamilcar.

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-07 / 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!

Другие самолёты на фотографии: Another planes on the photo: Handley Page Halifax A/C / Halton - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-08 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 2 (5)

Hamilcars and Halifaxes lined up on March 24, 1945, about to take part in the Rhine crossings.

Другие самолёты на фотографии: Another planes on the photo: Handley Page Halifax A/C / Halton - ВеликобританияUnited Kingdom - 1942

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-07 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 1 (4)

Just like the M25 motorway: Hamilcars nose-to-tail awaiting take-off.

Air Enthusiast 1972-03 / ??? - The Rise and Demise of a Weapon (1)

The General Aircraft X.27/40 half-scale model of the Hamilcar.

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-07 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 1 (4)

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.

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-07 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 1 (4)

Aeroplane Monthly 1993-07 / C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 1 (4)

R. E. Poulton's cutaway drawing of the Hamilcar was originally published in Flight on December 14, 1944.

Air Enthusiast 1972-03 / ??? - The Rise and Demise of a Weapon (1)

A typical wooden structure of a large transport glider is illustrated by this drawing of the fuselage of the Hamilcar.

Jane's All the World Aircraft 1946 / 03 - All the world's aeroplanes

The G.A.L. Hamilcar Heavy Transport Glider.

Aeroplane Monthly 1977-12 / B.Gunston - Hamilcar Tank Carrying Glider

General Aircraft G.A.L.49 Hamilcar I