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5 June 2007

It’s all still happening even though I’ve not been posting too much information on the “Latest Updates” page. We’re giving a great deal of thought to the possible future home of the Trust and a lot is happening behind the scenes. Regardless of the decision, there is still a great deal of work to be done, both on the aircraft and on fund-raising to ensure the Trust has a secure future.

Work on the Horsa, Waco and Dakota is progressing well, but we are always in need of more volunteers to help with the work here at Shawbury. You do not need to have any particular skills, as there is work at all levels to be completed. Email the Webmaster or the Chairman for further details.

7 November 2006

The Guestbook has now been replaced by the Forum as the primary means of leaving comments. The guestbook has been unused (except by the spam posters!). The Blog has also been discontinued as it received few visits and no comments.

6 October 2006

Both the Forum and the Guestbook are available again following the hosting server failure. All the Guestbook entries and some of the Forum entries have been lost I’m afraid. I promise to back up the forum more often!

4 October 2006

The Demon Web hosting server suffered a catastrophic failure over the weekend which is why the site has been off the air. I have reloaded the website to the server but the Message Board and Forum are not working at present. I suspect that this is a problem at the Demon end and I will continue to investigate the cause.

10 September 2006

The Burma Commemoration special open weekend went very well and was attended by many veterans and their families as well as large numbers of the general public. Pictures of the event can be found here.

August 2006

A new section has been published about Sir Jack Hayward OBE, sponsor of the Assault Glider Trust and wartime Waco Pilot. To read Sir Jack’s recollections, click here.

5 July 2006

phpBB2 Forum replaces the Guestbook. Many more options with multiple topics available.

17 June 2006

New Guestbook added to the site. Hopefully this will be a little easier to use than the message board on the old site.

A Google search bar has been added to the front page to allow the whole Assault Glider Trust website to be searched. The seach bar can also be used to search the World Wide Web.

10 June 2006

Recovery archive added to the Horsa DP349 page to show the artifacts recovered from the crash site in Norway. Thumbnails with larger pictures with captions are available for viewing.

The link to the Recovery Archive is here.

4 June 2006

A 3D rotatable picture of the remains of the altimeter from Horsa DP349 recovered in Norway is available on the Kollsman Altimeter page.

27 May 2006

The Horsa 3D tour has been updated to include a link to the Waco cockpit - click on the Waco cockpit whilst in the Horsa cockpit. A tour of the Dakota is now also available from the main menu. Climb into the cockpit and take a look around the fuselage. This is still work in progress, but keep watching the website for a 360 degree Waco fuselage tour and an updated Waco cockpit.

14 May 2006

An experimental “virtual tour” of the Horsa and 5 hanger is now available from the main menu option Horsa 3D Tour. The free Apple Quicktime viewer is required in order to see the tour and there is no need to purchase the Pro version of Quicktime. See the link to the Apple website on the first tour page. Virtual tours of the Waco and Dakota are planned so keep watching the website.

Special Open Weekend 2-3 September 2006

The next public open weekend will be held at RAF Shawbury on 2nd and 3rd of September 2006. The event will run from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm and will include access to the Airspeed Horsa, Waco CG-4A Hadrian and Dakota C-47. Also there will be military re-enactors, military vehicles, large scale radio controlled flying models and a hot dog stall.

We would especially like to see members of the Burma Star Association and their families who wish to reunite and commemorate the end of hostilities in the Far East in 1945

Entrance is free but donations will be welcome

9 April 2006

A fairly major update to the website this weekend as production of the site has moved from the tried and tested (but somewhat ancient) Adobe Pagemill to NetObjects Fusion 8. Fusion has more “bells and whistles” and in the long run will make maintenance of the site much easier, but it has been a long weekend in front of the computer in order to get the site to a presentable standard for publication. Hopefully everything will be working, although some of the earlier photo galleries need sorting out so that they display like the more recent galleries. If in doubt, use the “back” button on the web browser to get the left hand page menu back. If there are any broken links or missing pictures, first “refresh” your browser to load the latest version of the page. If this does not work, then please let me know.

I’ve decided to discontinue the Message Board section as it was difficult to use and did not really add any value to the site. If there is a demand for its return then I will reconsider this decision.

20 March 2006

The RAF Shawbury open weekend and Op Varsity memorial service were a great success, although the weather on the Sunday was unbelievable - bitterly cold with drifting snow! Members of the public and veterans alike battled through the arctic conditions to shelter in the comparative warmth of the hangar and a good time was had by all. Richard Todd (Airborne veteran and renown film actor) was joined by Mme Arlette Gondre (Cafe Gondre, Pegasus Bridge) and dozens of veterans for the memorial service on the Sunday. Pictures of the 2 day event can be found in the photo gallery.

I've just about worked out what all the buttons do on my new camera - a Nikon D70s digital SLR - so hopefully the pictures will be of a high standard from now on. I'm certainly pleased with the results so hopefully you will be too.

Some minor cosmetic changes to the website. The fancy JavaScript menu on the left has now been replaced with plain and simple buttons as some browsers were not seeing the Java menu at all. I'm experimenting with Google's Picasa picture viewer for the creation of photo gallery pages, let me know if you have any problems with it. I intend to do a bit of housekeeping with the website in the near future to make the layout a bit more logical and to make navigation to some of the far reaches of the site easier.

The Webmaster

26 November 2005

It's probably a good time to remind ourselves just how much progress has been made since the Trust was formed. The Horsa wing centre-section is being constructed and soon it the aircraft will be standing on its own undercarriage. The Waco has made significant progress since its arrival in February 2005, with the cockpit being fitted out and with the wing ribs being constructed. The Dakota's cockpit is almost complete and work within the fuselage continues. The down-side of all this good news is that the project is consuming funds at an alarming rate so it's not a time to sit back and relax. The support that the Trust has received from sponsors and the hundreds of hours the volunteers have put into the work have made the dream come true. There is still a lot of work to be done, but with the continued support of all our friends, a permanent memorial to all airborne forces will be a reality.

25 October 2005

My first chance to see the progress of the work on the Trust aircraft today, with a new gallery publishedhere. Also, my first outing on Trust business with my new camera, so hopefully normal service will be resumed with immediate effect! A new hard drive installation on the Webmaster's computer has also delayed this update slightly, but after lots of burning of midnight oil, everything should run like clockwork - please let me know if there are any problems with the website; broken links, missing pictures etc.

There is a lot going on with regard to funding and fund raising and much thought is being given to the construction of a permanent display hanger at a suitable location in the West Midlands. More of this in a later update, but please continue to support the project in any way that you can as there is still a great deal to be done. The Assault Glider Trust is a registered charity and we are totally dependent on grants and donations to see the aims of the Trust carried out and a permanent memorial to airborne forces created in the West Midlands.

October 2005

The Webmaster returns from a 4-month detachment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom

17 April 2005

Public Open Weekend 2-3 April 05

Just a short update until I can find the time to do a decent one. The open weekend on 2-3 April was very successful, with a constant flow of visitors over the 2 days. The weather was good and meeting all those who came to see us was very interesting. Amongst those attending there were many veterans including glider pilots, tug pilots, airborne troops and those who supported them in some way. Relatives of airborne troops, their children and grandchildren were also there in great numbers as were those who had a general interest in aviation and wanted to wish us well. The next public open weekend is on 3-4 September 2005, so put the date in your diary and come along and see the project.

The will be an ex-servicemans open weekend over 2-3 July 2005, more details to follow soon.

Watch you back - or should that read 'watch you bag'

On a personal note, if you happen to be traveling on the RER train from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport to the Gare du Nord Paris, keep a close eye on your bags. I was caught by a classic distraction ploy only to be relieved of a rucksack containing camera, phone, cheque book, car keys etc. The moral of the story is that if you put a bag on the seat opposite and somebody behind you taps you on the shoulder, don't turn around to look at them - especially when the train is about to leave a stop. The French Police were very good, but not hopeful. The majority of the pictures on this site were taken with my trusty Sony DSC-S75 digital camera, a few years old but it did exactly what I wanted it to do. Expect a lower standard of pictures until the insurance claim is sorted out.

As the old saying goes, you never see the one that gets you!

Website Updates

A temporary change of work location over the next couple of months will result in the webmaster not having regular access to the software required for the update of the website. Contact via email and through the guestbook/discussion forum will still be possible, but in the first instance please email the Chairman of the Trust.

22 March 2005

The Horsa, Waco and Dakota all moved to 4 Hangar for the official RAF Commemoration of Operation Varsity. The commemoration, held on Sunday 20th March 2005 was attended by over 600 people and included a flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Dakota. This was the first public appearance of the newly refurbished Waco airframe. Pictures of the event are here.

Don't forget that all 3 aircraft will be available for inspection during the Trust open weekend being held on 2-3 April 2005.

26 February 2005

Rosie and Mark of the British Forces Broadcasting Service visited Shawbury in November to shoot the third film in a series covering the use of Assault Gliders, the recovery of DP349 from Norway, and the work on the Trust Horsa.

The Trust Website has been expanded and given a 'fresher' menu and navigation scheme. There are now direct links to the Horsa, Waco and Dakota sections from the front page, although all galleries can still be found via the Gallery Menu page. A new Guestbook has been set up, and a Discussion Forum is available for use by visitors to the site. The Waco section is slowly being populated, and once the aircraft assembly begins, will contain pictures of the progress of the work.

We are on the lookout for any historical photographs and movie film (preferably on CD or Video) to build up our history of Assault Gliders. Most of the photographs and film seen on TV is owned by various archives, and is too expensive to be licenced by the Trust. Please email the Webmaster if you can help. All pictures and original film will be returned once they have been copied.

29 January 2005

New Gallery 18 has been posted showing the incredible progress made with the main body of the Horsa. Work is also progressing well on the wing centre-section with the main spar refurbishment almost being complete, and the leading edge spar and associated ribs being prepared for assembly.

The CG-4A Waco has left the Silent Wings Museum and is due to arrive at Shawbury in the near future. It is hoped that it will appear at the RAF Operation Varsity Commemoration on 20 March 2005 (invitation only). Heritage Lottery Grant funds have already been awarded for the restoration of this aircraft, and progress is expected to be swift.

3 January 2005

The planned slowdown for Christmas just didn't seem to happen, with work continuing right up to the holiday. Jason delivered the next batch of cockpit parts, and work started straight away to give the Horsa its classic nose profile. The tailplane was fitted to allow correct fitting of the supporting struts, and to finalise the elevator and rudder control runs. The original unused centre-section main spar has been refurbished and work has started on the centre-section itself, and the spars for the outer wing sections. The exterior fuselage paintwork is mostly complete (do you know just how much paint and dope is required to cover a Horsa fuselage - answers on the back of a cheque please!), and the identity LH291 has been added. More details of the original LH291 to follow soon.

The Dakota has gone into storage in a hangar on the far side of the airfield, it's next appearance will be at the Operation Varsity commemoration (see below).

The Public Open Weekend on 6-7 November 2004 was a great success and was well attended. Two more open weekends are planned for 2-3 April and 3-4 September 2005.

The Assault Glider Trust will be taking part in the Royal Air Force commemoration of Operation Varsity on Sunday 20 March 2005. This is the deadline for the roll-out of the Horsa and Waco, so the pressure is on! This will be the first time that the Horsa, Waco, and Dakota have appeared together. The Op Varsity commemoration is an RAF event which will be by invitation only.

The Horsa parts for the Silent Wings Museum at Lubbock TX finally left by sea on 30 December 2004. This is part of the Trans-Atlantic exchange with the Silent Wings Museum, who are providing the Waco fuselage and many other components on long term loan. Horsa parts being delivered to Lubbock include:

Fuselage main skid
2 x undercarriage oleos
2 x undercarriage assemblies
2 x wheels complete with tyres
8 x fuselage bulkheads/frames
1 x nosewheel assembly
1 x box of various brackets and associated parts

The accelerated work on the Horsa has consumed much of the donated funds. The work on the Dakota and Waco is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund grant, but none of this money can be spent on the Horsa. Support for the Assault Glider Trust has been wonderful, with donations of time, money and components keeping the Horsa build on target. However, if we are to make our 20 March 2005 Op Varsity deadline, we are dependent on your continued support. Please see the donations page for further details of how to help the Trust.

May you all have a Happy and Peaceful New Year

Norway Expedition Recovers Wreckage of Operation Freshman Horsa DP349

A 5 man team consisting of 4 serving RAF personnel and a Norwegian military historian, have returned from Norway following a successful expedition to recover the wreckage of Horsa DP349. DP349 which crashed near to Fyljesdalen to the north-east of Stavanger in the early hours of 20th November 1942. This aircraft was one of 2 Horsa aircraft and Halifax tug combinations involved in a daring attack on the heavy water plant at Rjukan. Heavy water was an essential part of the German nuclear programme, and was required for the production of an atomic bomb. Operation Freshman did not succeed, as both gliders and one Halifax tug crashed. The survivors from the glider crash landings were executed on the direct orders of Hitler. The crew of the Halifax died when it crashed near Helleland. Fyljesdalen, beautiful in the September sun - deadly at night in bad weather.

Click here for full story

The Association renamed The Assault Glider Trust

Following the Association Annual General Meeting, and with agreement of the Charities Commission, the Assault Glider Association has been renamed The Assault Glider Trust. The name 'Trust' more accurately describes the project, as it is run by the Trustees and supported by the volunteer membership. 'Association' suggests a large organisation with a formal membership, which has caused confusion in the past with supporters asking to join the association as an official member.

June 2004

A great deal has happened this month, the Dakota has left the paint shop looking incredible. FB Heliservices Ltd have completed the work to a very high standard, and are justifiably proud of their work. Air Atlantique have fitted the engines and propellers, and having fitted the engine cowlings, Rob is in the process of restoring the cockpit to original condition. The Dakota formed part of the display at the RAF Shawbury Annual Reception, and attracted a great deal of attention. The Dakota is a significant display aircraft in its own right, when combined with the assault gliders, it forms part of a unique collection. The volunteer workforce continues to make good progress with the Horsa. The fuselage has been mounted on trestles at a realistic height, and the fin and rudder were fitted for filming by BBC TV. The arrival of the cockpit allowed a bit of 'hangar flying' to take place, with 2 veterans who landing at Pegasus Bridge on D-Day trying the aircraft on for size. Work on the components for the Silent Wings Museum Horsa is almost complete, and will be shipped to the USA soon. Work has started on the tailplane of the Waco CG-4A glider, with new parts being made from originals lent to the Trust. Our Chairman and the Webmaster visited the Boulton Paul Association heritage centre in Wolverhampton to discuss closer co-operation between the two Trusts. The Boulton Paul team have already built two aircraft, and are restoring others. They are a registered charity, supported by a highly motivated volunteer workforce. Their D-Day event on Sunday the 6th June 2004 was a great success, and was attended by the Assault Glider Trust Webmaster who ran a display stand during the day. The work of the Boulton Paul Association reinforces the strong links between aviation and the West Midlands.

April 2004

It's getting difficult to keep the website up to date as so much is happening at the moment. The work on the Dakota is progressing well, with the fuselage now taking its place in the paint shop, the wings and tailplane having been moved out. The problem of a lack of towing arm to move the aircraft was resolved by the restoration contractor FB Heliservices Ltd, constructing an adaptor to allow a universal towing arm to be used. Air Atlantique have sourced a pair of engines and propellers which will be installed once the aircraft leaves the paint bay. The first of 2 Horsa cockpit sections (one for the project and one for the Silent Wings Horsa) is nearing completion in the south of England, and delivery is expected towards the end of May 2004. The volunteer that is building these also built the fuselage bench seats for the Horsa and the quality of work just has to be seen to be believed. The arrival of this landmark assembly is eagerly awaited and will completely transform the somewhat tubular fuselage Another exciting development has been the donation of 3 large scale radio controlled flying models. Two Horsa, a Waco, and a Dakota were presented to the Trust by the Battle of Arnhem Memorial Flight. The Flight specialised in the recreation of the Arnhem landings, towing the gliders with radio controlled Dakota aircraft. Two of the aircraft belonged to an Arnhem veteran who died recently, and they have been donated with the kind permission of his son. The "Flying Wing" of the Association will operate these and other aircraft that will be built with the assistance of the Memorial Flight. Click on the picture for more details

March 2004

The work on the Horsa fuselage continues to progress well, with the plywood skinning being completed on the majority of the fuselage. The tail section has been removed so that the fuselage can be rolled on its side to allow the underfloor area to be finished and skinned. Work on the cockpit section is progressing well at a location in London. A second cockpit is being built at the same location for the Silent Wings Museum Horsa. A large work table is about to be constructed, to allow work to begin on the wing spars. The parts constructed for the American Horsa will soon be shipped by air to Lubbock, these include fuselage bulkheads, undercarriage parts, and the landing skid. Work has started on 'reverse engineering' Waco GC-4A parts, initially the rudder and tailplane. Air Atlantique have come to the rescue with engines and propellers for the Dakota, identifying items which hopefully will be delivered in the near future.

December 2003

Heritage Lottery Grant Awarded

The Assault Glider Association has been awarded a grant of £50,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the restoration of the Dakota and the rebuild of the Waco assault glider. This is very good news, and is the result of a great deal of work by the Chairman and the Trustees. The grant allows the work on the Dakota and the Waco to be put out to industry, ensuring that the specialised work will be completed to a high standard. Our band of volunteers continues to work hard on the Horsa construction, and although funds allow the work to continue, more money will be needed to complete the project. The Heritage Lottery Grant for the Dakota and Waco was possible as both aircraft are original wartime aircraft. As the Horsa is effectively 'new build' (although it does contain a number of original parts), it is not possible to obtain a Lottery grant for this work.

We are looking for a pair of engines, engine mountings, and props for the Dakota. As the aircraft will be for static display only, the condition is not too important as restoration will be completed as part of the work. If you can help, please contact the Chairman or the Webmaster.

The Dakota Arrives

On Thursday 4th December Dakota G-AMHJ (KG651) arrived at Shawbury from Coventry on 4 low-loader trucks. The aircraft was delivered by an RAF team from St Athan and escorted by civil police. The aircraft was handed over to FB Heliservices Ltd who will be carrying out restoration work including the respray to wartime lend-lease colours. Full details of the Dakota are here.

Pictures of the arrival of the Dakota are here

Horsa Main Spars Found

A pair of large wooden box sections were found in a hangar at Coventry Airport, and these were delivered with the Dakota. They were thought to be the main wing spar for a Hamilcar glider, however, initial examination suggests that these are a pair of Horsa centre-section main spars. This is fantastic news, as it will allow the undercarriage to be fitted sooner rather than later (the main gear shock absorbers mount on the bottom of this spar). The second spar will be delivered to the Silent Wings Museum for use in their Horsa build.

The centre-section spar forms the rear of the wing leading edge 'D' section and has the outer-plane attachment brackets and undercarriage shock absorber mountings.

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October 2003

VIP Day

A VIP Day was held on 14 August 2003, with guests being invited to view the project and discuss progress with members of the volunteer team. The aim of the day was to raise funds for the project, and to promote its visibility across a broad spectrum of the local community. The day was well attended, with over 100 guests including the Major of Shrewsbury and Atcham. The association remains eternally grateful for the continuing support provided by RAF Shawbury in general, and by the Station Commander in particular.

DC3 Progress

The DC3 should arrive at Shawbury by road later this year. Restoration of the aircraft to static display condition is beyond the capabilities of the current volunteer team, so it is hoped that a successful application for a grant from the Lottery will allow the work to be contracted out to an appropriate aircraft engineering company.

Photo Gallery 6 Posted

Sixteen new pictures have been posted in the Photo Gallery Section. A new Photo Gallery Menu page has been created to make it easier to navigate between the various galleries.

Horsa Card Model

Fiddlers Green Paper Models have released a model of the Horsa Glider.Click on the picture for more details.