The glider that help win D-Day: The Airspeed Horsa

[@davidpeters6536]

My dad flew Halifax's from 1942 to '47 and I still have photo's he took when they were towing Horsa gliders.

[@jsfbr]

Would you mind sending me those photos? I'd love to see them.

[@Oligodendrocyte139]

Which squadron(s) was he with?

[@bigblue6917]

The actor Richard Todd played the commanding officer of the glider troops who captured Pegasus Bridge in the film 'The Longest Day.' Another actor played Richard Todd who happened to have taken part in the actual capture of Pegasus Bridge. Talk about preparing for a role.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That is quite remarkable.

[@stevenhoman2253]

So many of the suave sophisticates of stage and screen from all countries had remarkable lives in WWII. Jimmy Stewart was on the Air National Guard active list, and flew quite a few bombing runs as commander of a B-52 over Vietnam in the late 60s. Mr Vampire of Elstree studios was in the SAS. What a world we live in, hey?

[@ashleyphotog]

@@stevenhoman2253 During the Vietnam War, he flew as a non-duty observer in a B-52 on an Arc Light bombing mission in February, 1966. however he flew many missions as a B-24 pilot during WW2

[@1515327E]

The role was of Major John Howard. Todd was first offered his own role, but insisted on being given the role of Howard. Having been at Pegasus gave Todd clear leverage.

[@donfink7063]

Well done, and what a pleasant surprise. I've seen several KZbin videos that talked about the Horsa and in almost every one of them they were slagged it for breaking apart when landing. It was a long time ago, but I remember an uncle of mine (who flew in Horsa's during WW2) telling me how they could "Blow the arse of the bloody thing to unload heavy equipment quickly!" I'm afraid that too many people post videos on KZbin without doing the research they should do.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you 👍✈️ It was a function the glider needed to. By what I gather it helped quite a bit to deliver larger supplies. I always try my best to research far and wide, use reliable sources and fact check. Through my work on this channel, I've really come to understand how important it is to undertake good quality research 👍

[@anthonysheffield5717]

In addition to the Glider Pilot Regiment (trained by the RAF) the casualties due to Overlord and Market Garden required more pilots. In late 1944, the RAF then transferred 1 500 pilots (my father being one of them) to the three Heavy Glider Conversion Units to be trained. Training was carried out on three different types - Hotspur, Hadrian, and Horsa. The first two were used as initial trainers before going on to the MUCH bigger Horsa. Gliders used in the Rhine Crossing had one GPR and one RAF pilot. The RAF also created six squadrons of gliders in India. These were to be used in action during the reconquest of the Malayan peninsular, but the army advanced so quickly that training for the drops were overtaken by events. They were then to be used for the invasion of Japan. These six squadrons flew the Hadrian glider (the British name for the American WACO glider). Fantastic collection of photos, by the way! Very useful as I'm building a model of a training Horsa that my Dad trained in.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That is very fascinating and interesting to read. Much of it I was unfamiliar with. Thanks, glad they are of use. Most photos came from the Imperial War Museum or Australian War Memorial. Just got to look and dig through the internet as you never know what you sometimes find. Good luck with the build

[@Oligodendrocyte139]

Hi. Very interested to see your comments about gliders in India. Where did you find your information?

[@letsseeif]

Thanks for your Airspeed Horsa video. Keep them coming.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

👍✈️

[@AntiqueAirshow]

👍✈️

[@JohnBath-f8p]

Cockpit and middle section of a AS51 Horsa military glider at the De Havilland Museum at Salisbury Hall Hertfordshire UK. Great respect for my military counterparts in gliding. John. FAI/BGA 51417. 56 years flying and gliding experience in 2023.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

One of those tug aircraft, the Albermarle, was designed to meet an Air Ministry specification of 1938 for a medium bomber that did not rely on strategic materials (ie aluminium and aluminium alloys. De Havilland was asked to take part in the competition for this specification. De Havilland was unsuccessful, but later had the last laugh as the Albermarle suffered from lacklustre performance in it's intended role compared to the de Havilland Mosquito.

[@jsfbr]

Such a beautiful, well planned and built flying machine.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

I agree. Was also a very important tool for the Allies

[@whytebearconcepts]

On August 1, 1943 a glider demonstration when horribly wrong, when it crashed killing St. Louis mayor William Becker, Major William Robertson (whose company built the gliders) and 8 others. As a result, 200 of the gliders produced by Robertsons factory were grounded and it was discovered they used inferior wing mounts that resulted in the failure of the wing after release from the C-47 tow aircraft. The retrofitted gliders were used in the Normandy Invasion, it's not clear if those boarding them were aware of the crash that killed the company's CEO less than a year before.

[@MrRugbylane]

Just to be clear, the crashed aircraft was a Robertson Glider and not a Horsa.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That is quite interesting. I don't know much about the Robertson Glider, so good to learn a little about it 👍✈️

[@jimomaha7809]

@@MrRugbylane The glider built by Robertson factory, was a CG4 Waco glider.

[@anthonysheffield5717]

That was the Hadrian (WACO) glider prototype.

[@StickandGlider]

Well put together! Thanks for keeping the history of gliders alive!

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you 👍✈️

[@VincentComet-l8e]

Interesting that De Havilland bought an interest in the Airspeed company in 1940, as they had extensive background and capabilities in making wooden aircraft. And, also, that design of the Horsa was transferred to Salisbury Hall near Hatfield. This, of course, is where the legendary all-wood Mosquito was designed and built, so it makes a lot of sense. And it is interesting to speculate how much cross-fertilisation there might have been between the design teams.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

You do have to wonder. Quite interesting really 👍✈️

[@m.streicher8286]

I'm a simple man, I see a new aviation channel, I subscribe.

[@letsseeif]

I'd reckon. A really Good Man too!

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you 👍✈️

[@mikepowell2776]

A replica of the nose section is under construction at the Jet Age museum, Staverton Airport, Gloucester. One use you missed was that after the war a Horsa airframe was used to aerodynamically test the nose shape of the Comet, the first jet airliner.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Nice, that's interesting and I wasn't aware of the replica. It will make a good display piece. Ah yes, that is quite fascinating. I wish it had come up in my sources as it would have been good to include

[@jsfbr]

There is a partial replica of the Horsa in the basement of the Airborne Museum at Oosterbeek, Netherlands - a must for Operation Market Garden aficionados.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

I was not aware of that. I haven't been to the museum, but do hope to get there one day 👍✈️

[@jsfbr]

@@AntiqueAirshow You should go. It's fantastic!

[@jsfbr]

@@AntiqueAirshow when you go, make sure to have plenty of time to spend almost an entire day at the museum and another day touring Oosterbeek and Arnhem. Choose a Spring or Summer and try to match the visit with weather forecast for sunny days so you can take great pictures there.

[@michaelegan6092]

Excellent research, as allways. Thank you for that!.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Thank you 👍✈️

[@andyisabeast7782]

My grandad flew one of these, he was in the army and they offered a extra tot of whiskey and a pound a week more pay or something like that. He jumped at it lol

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That is very interesting. Brave and courageous men. Lest we forget

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

Haha. It reminds me of my grandad, who volunteered to become a sniper in WWI because snipers were paid a shilling per day more. Considering that the life expectancy of snipers was just two weeks, you have to wonder whether he was either incredibly confident or totally mad ! Then again, he was a Scotsman, and in 1918 you could buy a lot of whisky with fourteen shillings ! (He survived. Hence I'm here now) 😄

[@anthonysheffield5717]

@@Kevin-mx1vi compared to the life-expectancy of a subaltern, two weeks was good!

[@billlansdell7225]

When my grandfather joined, they didn't tell him what he was volunteering for, just "Special Duties". He jumped at the chance because he thought the WO was going to punish him for being late back from leave.

[@leifvejby8023]

One of the Horsas flew tests with a DH Comet cockpit section.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That is quite interesting. I wonder if it helped at all 👍✈️

[@leifvejby8023]

@@AntiqueAirshow It was to test it the Comet cockpit was flyable - and it was. It was not to improve aerodynamics on the glider.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

@@leifvejby8023 Ahh yes that makes a lot of sense. Still very interesting. Thanks for sharing 👍✈

[@johnjephcote7636]

@@leifvejby8023 The diameter of the Horsa front fuselage just happened to be that of the Comet so a cockpit replica was mated to a Horsa for John Cunningham of DH to test visibilty under various weather coditions. The Horsa/Comet nose combination was towed aloft by a Halifax (PP389) during the very harsh winter of 1946/47 from Hatfield.

[@leifvejby8023]

@@johnjephcote7636 That is correct, I read about it many years ago. Could it have been in Aeroplane Monthly?

[@anthonysheffield5717]

Your description of the towing cables is incorrect: the MkI had the Y-shaped cable going to the main undercarriage, while the MkII had the single cable to the nose wheel,

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Yes that is correct. Thank you for the pickup. I'm not sure how that slipped through.

[@Chiller01]

Horsa was more elegant than the Waco. I’d have tried to stay far away from either of them if I were a WW2 combat soldier.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Agree, the Horsa is quite a sleek aircraft. They were brave men that flew in these. Lest we forget.

[@ianbell5611]

Thank You

[@AntiqueAirshow]

👍✈️

[@stevenhoman2253]

Quite an attractive looking craft, and I wonder if its form was ever developed with an engine at any time? Even as an explosive laden missile.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

There were two developments of the Horsa, but they never went past drawings on the drawing board. One was designed to carry bombs dubbed the Airspeed AS.52 Horsa and another one to have two engines installed designated Airspeed AS.53.

[@stevenhoman2253]

@@AntiqueAirshow Thanks mate. Well done. You do a great job keeping history current.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

@@stevenhoman2253 Thank you 👍✈

[@Skybolter]

I wish that a new bulided Airspeed Horsa glider could be created with a try-cycle fixed landing gear with double tire nose gear and be towed up again to the sky this time with the LOCKHEED C-130 HERCULES

[@AntiqueAirshow]

That would be a very interesting experiment to see happen. I'm sure it could be done, the biggest object being money.

[@jimomaha7809]

Love it that you also mention the history after the war. Although I have seen 2 photos of the postwar built and delivered Horsa to Belgium, it is the first time it is mentioned outside a Belgium website! Also like to mention that there apart from the complete horsa in the British army air corp museum also a MKII fuselage with cockpit in the museum. Other museum have partial fuselages and or cockpits. Also a cockpit / fuselage and tail of a Horsa replica used in the movie A bridge too far survives in a British museum Combatton Combat museum. There is a full size Horsa replica made in 2019 for the Dutch movie. The forgotten battle/ De slag om de Schelde (2020) kzbin.info/www/bejne/haOVinewhLBjo8U It now resides in a Dutch museum Wings of liberation, that also owns a Waco CG-4 glider made for the movie Saving private Ryan.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

It is an interesting part of the Horsa's history. There were few websites explaining this part of the story, and thus like yourself could only find Belgium websites. Ahh nice perfect, thanks for the additional information. I was unaware of these. I find sometimes the hardest thing to find out is where replicas and survivors survive 👍✈️

[@anthonysheffield5717]

The bridge was not called "Pegasus Bridge"! It was renamed after the war in honour of the attackers who wore the flying Pegasus as their airborne formation's badge.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Ah yes that is correct. Thanks for the pick up. A lot of sources refer to it as Pegasus Bridge so that's where I would have picked it up from

[@VincentComet-l8e]

The bridge was completely obscure and unknown, until it gained great fame as Pegasus Bridge. So that’s a rather pedantic point…

[@Eric-kn4yn]

How many if any where recovered and reused seems they were disposable 1use

[@jimomaha7809]

Although told several times Horsa gliders were not disposable aircraft. If possible they were going to be reused. Several horsa gliders and parts of some were ferried back to Britain after the Normandy landing. The same goes for the other types Waco and Hamilcar glider. After Market- Garden only Waco gliders have been recovered, as most of the Horsas had landed in the Arnhem area. I know that after Operation Varsity in Germany the RAF recovered Hamilcar gliders. These were partially taken apart and loaded on tralers built for aircraft recovery and transported by road / ship back to Britain. A video of Waco CG4a recovery near Eindhoven 101st airborne landingzones. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oJe8hKB9oZ2cpZo

[@Eric-kn4yn]

@@jimomaha7809 cheers from australia. We're in a scramble to get nuke subs x6.sans nuke weapons atm. Panic over imperial China knocking on our front door.

[@anthonysheffield5717]

@@jimomaha7809 There was also the American system where the towing aircraft would not land, but pick up the tow rope held up on a frame. Must have felt a bit like taking off from a modern aircraft carrier!!

[@jimomaha7809]

@@anthonysheffield5717 It was actually done by the Americans to pick up secret agents in Asia. Then somebody came up to try this with waco gliders. And the Brits tested the same idea on their Horsa gliders. The setup was identical.

[@anthonysheffield5717]

@@jimomaha7809 The precise way of doing it is laid out in the Pilot's Notes for the Horsa glider. The most famous use was the pick-up of survivors of an aircraft crash in New Guinea after the war.

[@SimonAmazingClarke]

DC3s were also used as gliders

[@AntiqueAirshow]

Yes they were, but I believe only one was used as such

[@SimonAmazingClarke]

@AntiqueAirshow I read a book years ago about gliders in the war. Absolutely fascinating. Apparently a lot of DC3s were used this way. Had fuel, equipment, and personal to set up a forwards fighter base.

[@davidbean7727]

Thanks.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

👍✈️

[@bobbates7343]

Did anyone ever consider installing engines and propellors on them ?

[@ike1660]

Airframe is probably not strong enough for that.

[@AntiqueAirshow]

The Airspeed AS.53 Horsa was designed to have two engines installed, but this version of the Horsa didn't get off the drawing board.

[@Oligodendrocyte139]

They did for the Hamilcar but I haven't seen a Horsa with engines.

[@garyowen9044]

Maybe it’s just me, but “Horsa Glider” just sounds like an Axis device.

[@jeaningram292]

Gene Ingram... PARATROOPER

[@mycroft1905]

TFP.