General Aircraft Hamilcar
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| General Aircraft G.A.L.49 Hamilcar | |
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| An aerial view of a Hamilcar on the ground at Arnhem during Operation Market Garden - the glider has landed a vehicle, the tracks of which can be seen leaving the aircraft in front of the open nose door | |
| Type | tank-carrying and cargo glider |
| Manufacturer | General Aircraft Ltd |
| Maiden flight | 27 March 1942 |
| Primary users | British Army Royal Air Force |
| Number built | 412 |
The General Aircraft G.A.L. 49 Hamilcar or Hamilcar Mk I was a large British military glider of World War II, which was capable of carrying seven tons of cargo, a light tank such as the Tetrarch or Locust, or two Universal Carriers.
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[edit] History
The G.A.L.49 was designed to Air Ministry Specification X.27/40 and it entered service in 1942 and was used with success in Operation Overlord. 412 were built in total. Construction was almost entirely of wood, and was performed by various woodworking shops in Britain under the supervision of General Aircraft Ltd.
The Mark X Hamilcar was an experimental powered version of the Mark I designed for Pacific operations. Tow was still necessary for take-off at full load, but it could return under the power of its own two 965 hp Bristol Mercury radial piston engines. Production was ordered, as conversions from Hamilcar I gliders, and 20 of this variant were built before the end of the war. It saw no action.
[edit] Specifications
Data from [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Capacity: 7 tons
- Length: 68 ft (20.73 m)
- Wingspan: 110 ft (33.53 m)
- Height: 20 ft 3 in (6.17 m)
- Wing area: 1,657.5 ft² (153.98 m²)
- Airfoil: RAF.34 modified
- Empty weight: 18,400 lb (8,346 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 36,000 lb (16,329 kg)
Performance
- Never exceed speed: 187 mph (300 km/h)
- Maximum speed: 150 mph (240 km/h)
- Stall speed: 65 mph (105 km/h)
- Wing loading: 22.37 lb/ft² (109.2 kg/m²)
[edit] External links
- British Aircraft of WWII
- Hamilcar Glider page on d-daytanks.org.uk - includes pictures of the Hamilcar Glider parked and being towed
[edit] References
- ^ {{ref Jane's|||1945
- Bridgman, Leonard, ed. Jane’s All The World’s Aircraft 1945-1946. London: Samson Low, Marston & Company, Ltd 1946.
[edit] Related content
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Designation sequence
G.A.L.49 - G.A.L.55 - G.A.L.60
Related lists
- List of glider aircraft
Timeline of aviation
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