Waco CG-13
Waco Aircraft Company · United States · first flew 1943 · glider
The Waco CG-13 was an American military transport glider developed during the Second World War. It was developed to meet a requirement of the US Army Air Forces for a larger glider than the CG-4A, capable of carrying up to 42 troops or equivalent cargo.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × none, embedded-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 16.56 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing transport glider with no engines
- Tricycle landing gear, added after flight testing of the first prototype
- Top-hinged nose that opens for loading
It is a large high-wing glider with a tricycle landing gear and a top-hinged nose opening. Its wingspan is about 26 m and its length about 16.6 m.
Specifications
- The Waco CG-13 has a length of 16.56 m (54 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 26.11 m (86 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 314 km/h (195 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The XCG-13 was Waco's response to a Wright Field request for gliders larger than the CG-4A. The prototype was approved on 10 March 1943, and flight testing showed that a tricycle landing gear and a hydraulic system to open the top-hinged nose were needed; both were fitted to the second XCG-13.
Variants
Ford at Kingsford, Michigan and Northwestern Aeronautical at St Paul, Minnesota built YCG-13 models and the production CG-13A. Ford built 48 as 30-place gliders and 37 as 42-place by adding a bench down the centre of the cargo section.
Where you'll see it
Northwestern Aeronautical built 49 production gliders, and 268 contracted articles were cancelled in favour of more CG-4A gliders. One CG-13A was flown in combat in the Aparri Mission in the Philippines, and others were used as transports in England and France. The Royal Air Force used two for trials in 1945.
Related aircraft
- Waco CG-4 Hadrian
- Waco Aristocraft
- Waco E series
- Waco N series
- Aeronautica Lombarda AL-12P
- Allied Aviation XLRA
- Avro Lancastrian
- Boeing C-108 Flying Fortress
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