Frankfort Cinema
Frankfort Sailplane Company · United States · first flew 1935 · glider
The Frankfort Cinema was an American two-seat primary training sailplane notable for its enclosed cabin at a time when most gliders had open cockpits. It was produced in small numbers in the 1930s and saw limited military use as a powered tug target and training glider.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.1 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Unpowered sailplane — no engine
- Enclosed cabin with side-by-side seating — unusual for a 1930s training glider
- Strut-braced high wing with generous span
Enclosed cabin sailplane with a high, straight, strut-braced wing; the absence of any engine installation and the cabin enclosure are the key identifiers.
Specifications
- The Frankfort Cinema has a length of 7.1 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.1 m (46 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 130 km/h (81 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The Cinema attracted the attention of the US military as a wartime training glider; civilian examples were impressed as the TG-23 and a developed variant was accepted as the TG-1. The enclosed cabin offered an unusual degree of comfort for student glider pilots of the pre-war era.
Variants
The Cinema II was a developed two-seat variant; military-impressed examples were designated TG-23, and a dedicated military derivative became the TG-1.
Where you'll see it
Around ten civilian Cinemas were impressed into US Army Air Forces service as the TG-23 during World War Two for glider pilot initial training.
Related aircraft
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