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)

Регистрационный номерRegistry number: DP206

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

Регистрационный номерRegistry number: DR853   [3]

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

Регистрационный номерRegistry number: DR853   [3]

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

Регистрационный номерRegistry number: DR853   [3]

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.

Air-Britain Aeromilitaria 1986-04 / Hamilcar

A Halifax II Series I(Special) prepares to tow off a Hamilcar at No.33 MU, Lyneham, January 1944

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

Air-Britain Aeromilitaria 1994-04 / Twin Tugs

The Hamilcar being towed follows up.

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 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)

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

Air-Britain Aeromilitaria 1986-04 / Hamilcar

A Hamilcar I being towed by a Halifax V over Dorset

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

Air-Britain Aeromilitaria 1994-04 / Twin Tugs

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.

Air-Britain Aeromilitaria 1986-04 / Hamilcar

Hamilcar's collapsing undercarriage and large nose door

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

Регистрационный номерRegistry number: RR942   [2]

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

Air-Britain Aeromilitaria 1986-04 / Hamilcar

Регистрационный номерRegistry number: RR942   [2]

Hamilcar I RR942 in 1950

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 2001-11 / D.Black - Blackburn Beverley /Database/ (13)

A seven-ton Tetrarch light tank being reversed very carefully into the all-wood Hamilcar.
General Aircraft Ltd, which merged with Blackburn in January 1949, had a wealth of specialist expertise in designing large, load-carrying aircraft, having built the GAL.49 Hamilcar which entered service in 1942. The 110ft-span glider saw service in the Normandy landings, and in the Rhine assault crossings at Arnhem and Wesel in September 1944.

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

A T-9 light tank secured inside a Hamilcar.

Air-Britain Aeromilitaria 1986-04 / Hamilcar

A Hamilcar disgorges a gun carrier

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

Air-Britain Aeromilitaria 1986-04 / Hamilcar

Ranks of Hamilcars with 'invasion markings' ready for D-Day

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-Britain Aeromilitaria 2001-02 / Picture Pages

Hamilcar heavy gliders line up on the peritrack at Earls Colne in March 1945, probably just before Operation Varsity, the air component of the crossing of the Rhine. The neatly-painted letter 'G' on the nose suggests that this Hamilcar came from a Heavy Glider Conversion Unit rather than being one stored at a Heavy Glider Servicing Unit between operations. In addition to jeeps, artillery, small bulldozers and other equipment, Hamilcars could also deliver Scorpion and Locust light tanks.

Air-Britain Aeromilitaria 1980-02 / Two GAL Gliders

Air-Britain Aeromilitaria 1980-02 / Two GAL Gliders

Air-Britain Aeromilitaria 1980-02 / Two GAL Gliders

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

Регистрационный номерRegistry number: T0227   [3], DP226   [3]

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

Air-Britain Aeromilitaria 2003-03 / Picture Pages

Регистрационный номерRegistry number: T0227   [3], DP226   [3]

Concerned citizens anxiously inspect a Hamilcar that has been left out in the rain and has shrunk. Or, just possibly, they are looking at the GAL.50 half-scale Hamilcar first flown from Heathrow on 15 November 1941 under Class B markings T-0227. After trials from Hanworth, it became DP226 and finished up in the Air Historical Branch collection at Stanmore Park where it still was in 1955. In 1958 it was advertised for sale in the Personal column of The Times!

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

Регистрационный номерRegistry number: T0227   [3], DP226   [3]

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.

Air-Britain Aeromilitaria 1986-04 / 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