Aircraft · United States · 1942-1945
Waco CG-4A
troop glider
The CG-4A was the primary US Army Air Forces troop and cargo glider of the war, towed into combat by C-47s and released to land silently near the objective. It carried thirteen fully equipped troops, a jeep, or a 75mm howitzer, and was built of steel tube and fabric by sixteen different contractors to meet wartime demand. It saw its combat debut in Sicily in 1943 and went on to deliver airborne forces at Normandy, Market Garden, and the Rhine crossing at Varsity, along with resupply missions in the China-Burma-India theatre. Landings were notoriously hazardous, with high casualty rates among glider pilots and troops due to obstacles and enemy fire on the ground.
| crew | 2 pilots |
|---|---|
| capacity | 13 troops or equivalent cargo (jeep, 75mm howitzer) |
| top speed | 150 mph |
| produced | 13,909 |
Western Europe, Mediterranean and North Africa, China, Burma and India
