Airspeed Horsa

Airspeed · United Kingdom · first flew 1941 · glider

The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a British troop-carrying glider of the Second World War, built largely of wood.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × none, embedded-mounted
F — Fuselage	20.42 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

High-wing cantilever monoplane glider of wooden construction
Large Plexiglas nose section over a two-seat pilot compartment
Fixed tricycle undercarriage, one of the first on a glider

A large, boxy wooden glider with a high wing, a glazed nose and a fixed tricycle undercarriage. The main wheels could be jettisoned for landing on a skid, and the tail could be detached to unload cargo.

Specifications

The Airspeed Horsa has a length of 20.42 m (67 ft).
It has a wingspan of 26.82 m (88 ft).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

It was designed to Specification X.26/40 after the General Aircraft Hotspur proved too small. The first prototype flew on 12 September 1941, towed by an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley. Subcontractors built most of the 3,799 produced.

Variants

The Horsa Mk I carried 20 to 25 troops as a standard load. The Mk II (AS.58) had a hinged nose, reinforced floor and twin nosewheels so that it could carry vehicles, and a tow attachment on the nose strut.

Where you'll see it

The Army Air Corps and RAF used it in the Rjukan raid, Operation Husky, the Normandy landings, Operation Dragoon, Market Garden and Varsity. It was towed by aircraft including the Stirling, Halifax, Albemarle, Whitley, Dakota and C-46.

Related aircraft

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