13 Facts About Airspeed Horsa

Airspeed Horsa was used in large numbers by the British Army Air Corps and the Royal Air Force ; both services used it to conduct various air assault operations through the conflict.

Large numbers of Airspeed Horsa were subsequently used during the opening stages of the Battle of Normandy, being used in the British Operation Tonga and American operations.

Airspeed Horsa assembled a design team, headed by aircraft designer Hessell Tiltman.

In early 1942, production of the Airspeed Horsa commenced; by May 1942, some 2,345 had been ordered by the Army for use in future airborne operations.

The later AS 58 Airspeed Horsa II featured an increased fully loaded weight of 15,750 pounds along with a hinged nose section, reinforced floor and double nose wheels to support the extra weight of vehicles.

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The design of the Airspeed Horsa adopted a high-wing cantilever monoplane configuration, being equipped with wooden wings and a wooden semi-monocoque fuselage.

The Airspeed Horsa was equipped with a fixed tricycle landing gear and it was one of the first gliders equipped with a tricycle undercarriage for take off.

In preparation for further operational deployment, 30 Airspeed Horsa gliders were air-towed by Halifax bombers from bases in Great Britain to North Africa; three of these aircraft were lost in transit.

Airspeed Horsa was deployed in large numbers during Battle of Normandy; specifically in the British Operation Tonga and the American airborne landings in Normandy.

Capable of accommodating up to 30 troop seats, the Airspeed Horsa was much bigger than the 13-troop American Waco CG-4A, and thus offered greater carrying capacity.

In British service, the Airspeed Horsa was a major component during several major offensives that followed the successful Normandy landings, such as Operation Dragoon and Operation Market Garden, both in 1944, and Operation Varsity during March 1945.

The latter was the final operation for the Airspeed Horsa, and had involved a force of 440 gliders carrying soldiers of the 6th Airborne Division across the Rhine.

Ten replicas were built for the 1977 film A Bridge Too Far, mainly for static display and set-dressing, although one Airspeed Horsa was modified to make a brief "hop" towed behind a Dakota at Deelen, the Netherlands.