The British "Horsa" glider

[Pat Carry]

Any of them survive today?

[JohnB]

One survives in the UK Army museum...as do a few airframe sections.

There are some replicas out there, several were made for the film A Bridge too Far.

[Aeronut]

The Assault Glider Project (www.assaultgliderproject.co.uk) is a group at RAF Shawbury getting near to finishing a (non flying) replica and providing the parts for another one to be shipped to an American museum.
The UKs Museum of Army Flying at Middle Wallop has a restored Horsa Mk II fuselage and another unrestored one, along with the only remaining original Mk I cockpit. The museum also has a large collection of Horsa metalwork recovered from an airfield burial pit, all of which I'm familiar with, having identified and catalogued the parts for the museum.

[JDK]

One survives in the UK Army museum...as do a few airframe sections.

Just to be clear, there are several British army (and regimental) museums, as Aeronut has referred to, it's in the Museum of Army Flying, which is at the delightfully named Middle Wallop, Hampshire, off the A303.

There are some replicas out there, several were made for the film A Bridge too Far.

Got me thinking, I'm not aware that any of the Bridge too Far replicas survive, but I may be wrong. Likewise most of what survives is either original or based on original parts, rather than ground up replica with some fittings type of thing. There are other surviving cockpit sections - one at Duxford, and (IIRC) another at Middle Wallop with the complete example.

The aircraft was designed by Airspeed, and widely built by cabinet and furniture manufactures. Because of the close relationship between Airspeed and de Havilland, there is (I believe, still) a fuselage on show at the de Havilland Heritage Museum, at London Colney, north of London.

The Horsa (named after an ancient English hero, as were the other gliders - Hotspur, Hengist, Hadrian for the Waco CG-4 and Hamilcar*) was significantly larger and in many ways more versatile / capable than the excellent but smaller, simpler and less robust Waco CG-4. It's not often realised how much the evolution of the military glider changed in concept and utilisation in a few short years, all really kicked off by the German success in May 1940 with the small DFS 230. The Horsa was initially expected to have paratroops jump from doors on both sides, and was also equipped with bomb-bays!

After the war, Horsas were sold as temporary houses, not that odd, given the acute shortage of houses in bombed Britain.

The last time they were used, and the last time gliders were used in such a form (I believe) was in a major 1948(?) exercise.

According to the Wiki page, there's a replica at Pegasus Bridge, in France, as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airspeed_Horsa

HTH!

*Ancient British heroes with names beginning with 'A - G' and 'I - Z' were just unlucky.

[JDK]

The Horsa as a home (or caravan) video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCkzxOcwg_Q

[Bomberboy]

According to the Wiki page, there's a replica at Pegasus Bridge, in France, as well.

They also have a substantial section of an original Horsa there too.

[JohnB]

One survives in the UK Army museum...as do a few airframe sections.

Just to be clear, there are several British army (and regimental) museums, as Aeronut has referred to, it's in the Museum of Army Flying, which is at the delightfully named Middle Wallop, Hampshire, off the A303.

I've been a few of the museums.
Given the very general nature of the question, I gave a very general answer....I saw no need to get "into the weeds" in the land of anoraks.

[Bomberboy]

I've been a few of the museums.
Given the very general nature of the question, I gave a very general answer....I saw no need to get "into the weeds" in the land of anoraks.

But it still didn't curb your feeling for the need to post something!

[CDF]

viewtopic.php?p=126187

[JDK]

Notably CDF's ref points to another thread (round we go) with a reply to an original reply to our original question on survivors from the Bridge film, here - 'none' from a chap whose info I know to be good. Here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=6005&start=15

Just to be clear, no criticism implied in my comments following any other poster's remarks. However I'll stick by the idea that specifying which army museum is worthwhile. Each may stick to their own preferences in posting, and I'll stick to mine.

Regards,

[Andy Bivens]

I hope that I successfully posted these pictures I took last year at The Silent Wings Museum in Lubbock, TX. From what I read on the placard the plan is to continue on and eventually have a full-size Horsa replica here which will be the only representative in America. I know very, very little about gliders but the museum is a very informative one and I found the displays extremely impressive. I have more pictures I took if you would like to see....provided I posted these right!

[JDK]

Hi Andy,
That's great, pictures posted successfully, and welcome to WIX, too. Nice to see.

It's interesting that the images make the Horsa look like a large model - in fact it's a pretty hefty thing in wing section and fuselage size and is something in the order of a medium twin bomber; so think a wooden, unpowered B-25 expecting to be landed in a European farmer's field...

Regards,

[Bradleygolding]

One survives in the UK Army museum...as do a few airframe sections.

There are some replicas out there, several were made for the film A Bridge too Far.

Hi Folks,

I seem to remember from friends that worked at British Aerospace at the time of the film, that BS was approached to make some airworthy replicas for the film and that they quoted about ten thousand pounds for two but the film company decided to pass. Pity really as that seems quite a good price.

All the best,

Steve.

[Andy Bivens]

Thank you James..the Horsa definitely looks to be a big glider! The CG-4A dwarfs the L-3 and I understand the Horsa is quite a bit bigger. One of the neatest things I saw while there was the original fabric from glider #2 into Normandy 2 A.M. on June 6, 1944. I've always loved the crude invasion stripes and this is no doubt a prime example. Hope these aren't too many pictures.

[yellowkid]

hi -- first let me introduce myself -- i'm a constant reader here but not a poster as my knowledge is far far behind the folks here! but my interest comes from a life-long passion fostered by my dad who served in the USN in '45 and flew TBM's (he was adamant that it was not a TBF'!) in an ASW role. anyway I think i actually have something to add on this horsa post. my older brother now deceased served in the Special Forces in the early '70's (Co A, 1st BN, 10th SFG (ABN)) then went on to work as a bit of a jack of all trades on the production of A Bridge Too Far. I knew he saved some stuff form the production and so i took a look -- I found blueprints of the color schemes for the c-47's horsa's and Harvards as well as some detail on the horsa construction -- i'd love to post but not sure how -- did not see a way to attach. he told some great stories from the production -- he worked in the props dept which is where I think the blueprints came from; he was an extra in many scenes and what he most enjoyed was the jumps given his airborne experience. i looked at his "Parachutist Log" and sure enough after all the jumps from C130/C-141/CH47/UH1D/C123 there's two jumps from "C47" in Deventer Holland in oct/76 from 900 ft using a British T-10 as the main chute. he noted "mass jump/16 aircraft" and noted a mid-air entanglement on the second. I remember him telling me at the time that the troopers were mostly SAS if I'm correct and he really enjoyed bonding with them -- they gave him a pair of their wings which he was very proud of. anyway if someone can help I'd be happy to try and post some pics.