A Horsa glider just after takeoff, under tow from a C47 Dakota. The glider would lift-off before the tow aircraft, and had to be flown close to the ground to avoid lifting the tail of the tow aircraft Horsa gliders on the ground to the west of Arnhem, after a tactical landing during operation Market Garden. Two of the gliders have the tail section removed for unloading. A simple operation requiring the simultaneous removal of 4 bolts - providing the airframe was not damaged on landing, Airborne troops load a Jeep and trailer they have unloaded from their Horsa glider which can be seen to the left with the tail removed. Damage to the wing of the glider in the background shows how crowded the landing zone has become Horsa Gliders on the ground at Arnhem, with parachute troops jumping from C47 Dakota aircraft The project Horsa fuselage and tail section seen early on in the build. The front of the aircraft is to the right, and the tail section is the section to the left with experimental plywood skinning in place. The use of the Assault Glider was pioneered by German Airborne forces during World War II. It provided a means of inserting lightly armed specialist troops, directly to the objective of the attack. Gliderborne troops do not need to be parachute trained, and arrive at the landing zone in groups, rather than being separated as in a parachute landing.

Flight Manuals on CD - On this site you can purchase CD's which contain scanned images of aircraft flight manuals. These flight manuals contain all the information required by the pilot, including a technical description of the aircraft, limitations, normal and emergency procedures and performance data.

Horsa Gliders were used in large numbers by United States Airborne Troops