Aeroplane Monthly 1993-08
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C.Prower - From Brisfit to Beverley: Gliding into battle 2 (5)
General Aircraft Hamilcar X carrying a self-propelled Bofors gun on a Morris vehicle, with undercarriage collapsed to facilitate loading and unloading. A B-24 Liberator may be seen landing in the distance.
A Halifax tows a Hamilcar out over Blandford Camp heading west out of Tarrant Rushton, with Duncliffe Hill in the distance.
Hamilcars and Halifaxes lined up on March 24, 1945, about to take part in the Rhine crossings.
A Hamilcar and its Halifax tug.
This photograph of a Hamilcar being towed by a Halifax was taken from General Aircraft’s ST-25 Monospar G-AGDN in June 1944.
A Hamilcar with typical load, in this case a T-19 Locust tank.
The first prototype Hamilcar X, LA704. Its first flight was carried out by H. “Tim” Wood in February 1945.
Known to all at the AFEE as “Jumbo,” the Hamilcar X powered glider could take-off and fly free when lightly loaded, but could not maintain height unassisted at its all-up weight.
Another view of the first prototype Hamilcar X. The 110ft-span aircraft was powered by two 965 h.p. Bristol Mercury 31 radial engines and had a maximum speed of 145 m.p.h.
A Hamilcar X pictured in July 1946, showing the lower nose transparencies.