CG4A Glider

The CG4A glider, (Cfor cargo, Gfor glider) was the mainstay of the U.S. Army Air Forces glider arsenal. 

The Waco CG4A was designed by the Waco Aircraft Company of Troy, Ohio whose personnel followed specifications given to them by the U.S. Army Air Corps. Francis Arcier, a Waco vicepresident and chief designer, is usually referred to as the "father" of the CG4A. A total of 13,903 CG4A gliders were constructed during the period 19421945. The Ford Motor Company, one of the 16 prime contractors building gliders, turned out 4,190 units, far beyond the second best producer with 1,509 units. Some of the other contractors included such names as Gibson, Northwestern Aeronautical, PrattReed, LaisterKauffmann, Cessna Aircraft, and many others. 
The outside appearance of the CG4A gave an illusion of simple construction. The final production models actually contained just over 70,000 parts. 

The entire nose section (including the pilot's compartment) of the CG4A swung upward creating a 70 x 60 inch opening into its cargo compartment. This made it possible to quickly load and unload the glider. Types of cargo were fighting men, a jeep with radio equipment and driver, radio and operator plus one other soldier; two soldiers and a jeep trailer loaded with combat supplies; a 75mm pack howitzer with 25 rounds of ammunition and two artillerymen; a small bulldozer and its operator. 

Unlike powered airplanes that could either be flown directly overseas or shipped to distant ports fully assembled on the decks of aircraft carriers, gliders had to be shipped unassembled in wooden crates. Just one CG4A glider, for example, required five enormous wooden crates to be shipped overseas. And again, unlike powered aircraft, which were ready for combat almost immediately upon reaching their destinations, the relatively delicate gliders required several days to be gently unloaded from cargo ships, uncrated, and painstakingly reassembled before they were ready for their test flights. This timeconsuming shipping procedure was to be a source of considerable grief for the Allies throughout the war. 

By February of 1944, a total of 2,100 crated Waco CG4A gliders had been shipped to England from American factories. The only people left to assemble them were untrained British Civilians. The results were disastrous and in October, the IX Air Force Service took over and managed to put together 910 Wacos by the middle of April. With only five weeks remaining until DDay, the glider shortage had barely been conquered in time. 

The CG4A glider came into its own on DDay with the invasion of Normandy. Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Germanoccupied France started on June 6, 1944. Operation Overlord was launched from the sea against one of the strongest armies in the world, inside the most elaborately equipped defensive network ever created. Almost all the gliders used in Normandy in June, 1944 were lost.

Engine:None
Weight: 3750lbs. EmptyUp to 7,500 Loaded  
Dimensions:Wingspan: 83 feet 8 inchesLength: 48 feet 3.75 inchesHeight: 12 feet 7.5 inch 

Armament: None
Cargo (One item per glider):13 troops in battle gearJeep Jeep Trailer75mm Howitzer37mm antitank gunSmall bulldozer and operator

Fagen Fighters WWII Museum
2450 540th St.
Site I
P.O. Box 195
Granite Falls, MN 56241
(320)5646644

Hours: 10AM 4PM Tuesday through Saturday. Closed on Sundays, Mondays, and National Holidays

Admission: Children, ages 9 and under – free
Children, ages 10 17 $5
Adults $10
Family $20
Active Military $5

Annual Membership (2021)
Single Membership $25
Family Membership $50

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL: https://youtube.com/c/TwoGuysandaRide...

SEE all of our HOW TO videos here: CarTechHowTo.com http://bit.ly/2ZvDrbE

GEAR USED TO FILM OUR VIDEOS
GoPro Hero 7 Black https://amzn.to/2Ufai1LGoPro
Dual Battery Charger https://amzn.to/2IntJmEGoPro
Protective Housing https://amzn.to/2UlWbaRGoPro
Wireless Go https://amzn.to/3loTmSsRode
Reporter Omnidirectional Mic https://amzn.to/3pkgNhYRode
VideoMico Pro+ https://amzn.to/3ncHRhARode
VideoMicro On Camera Mic https://amzn.to/3nfc53AESDDI
Tascam DR40X https://amzn.to/3pl7i2h
Canon EOS Rebel 7ti: https://amzn.to/3mIi8Oe

SOCIAL
Facebook: http://bit.ly/2Tghetr
Twitter: http://bit.ly/2Tjv9yX
Instagram: http://bit.ly/2SjJ4YI
TikTok:   / twoguysandaride  

Music licensed from http://www.purpleplanet.com and YouTube free music

AttributionNoDerivs CC by Two Guys and a RideND Copyrighted material ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

DISCLAIMER: This video and description contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, we'll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

*All Specs are preliminary data from MFG available at time of filming this video. Subject to change*

#CG4A #WACOGlider #TwoGuysandARide #WACOCG4AGlider