The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a British troop-carrying glider used during the Second World War. It was developed and manufactured by Airspeed Limited, alongside various subcontractors; the type was named after Horsa, the legendary 5th-century conqueror of southern Britain.

The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was primarily a wooden troop-carrying assault glider, designed and built by Airspeed (1934) Limited, specifically for use during World War II.

The Airspeed AS.51 Mk I and AS.58 Mk II Horsa gliders were British World War II troop-carrying gliders built by Airspeed Limited and subcontractors and used for air assault by British and Allied armed forces.

Apr 24, 2019 · By 1943 Britain and the United States had developed gliders of their own. Foremost were the Airspeed Horsa and Waco CG-4A, respectively. The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was originally designed to transport paratroopers, a role the Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota assumed as it became increasingly available.

On D-Day, Normandy, Darlyle and his pilots flew six Horsa gliders. Darlyle was the only one who landed his glider in one piece. He liked the steep glider angle when landing the Horsa. (Watters) One day, two P-51 fighter pilots came to CCAAF from Wright and asked if …

Horsa, the main British-built assault glider of World War II. Designed by Airspeed Ltd., the Horsa first flew in September 1941 and went into production shortly thereafter. A high-winged monoplane with a fabric-covered wooden structure and fixed tricycle landing gear, it had a wingspan of 88 feet

The Airspeed Horsa carried two pilots, and 25 or more troops or loads like a jeep and anti-tank gun. It had a cylindrical plywood fuselage, a high wing with very large flaps, and jettisonable main undercarriage, the glider then landing on a central skid and the nosewheel.

Horsa glider history It is within the framework of preparations of airborne invasions that the gliders are imagined: they must be able to transport about thirty equiped soldiers or light equipment like Jeep or short cannons. At the beginning of the Second World War, the British developed a glider capable of transporting 25 armed soldiers in addition to the pilot and copilot. The prototype of ...

The most widely used glider was the British Airspeed Horsa. Thousands of examples of this highly versatile aircraft were built by the Allies and were used in North Africa, Italy Normandy, Holland and Germany.

Nov 13, 2024 · The Airspeed Horsa, an iconic British troop-carrying glider, played a pivotal role during World War II. Named after the legendary Anglo-Saxon warrior Horsa, it was designed to transport troops, equipment, and supplies into battle zones without the need for an airfield.