G-4A Glider World War II glider

Model of the CG-4A Glider being restored.

World War II glider

This is what the CG-4A Glider look like in 2019 when it was found in Fort Drum, New York.

IMG 1846 World War II glider Dec 2020

CG-4A Glider

As of April 2023, the CG-4A Glider being restored on the museum floor is coming along nicely and is led by Larry Bayer, Director of Exhibits.

America's first military stealth aircraft – the Waco CG-4A combat glider – silently soared into World War II history 70 years ago, powered only by the prevailing winds and the guts of the men who flew them. Their moment in the spotlight of military aviation was fleeting. In the pre-helicopter age, combat gliders represented the state-of-the-art in stealth, landing precision, and hauling capacity.

CG 4A Glider

CG-4A Glider

Under the veil of darkness on D-Day and during other major Allied airborne assaults, the Waco glider carried troops and materiel behind enemy lines to take out key enemy defenses and transportation links. These humble gliders – engineless and unarmed – overcame perilous odds to make the first cracks in Hitler's Fortress Europe. Yet their story is an obscure chapter in the Allied victory saga.

Between 1942 and 1945, over 39,400 gliders were produced by ten manufacturing companies. Ford Motor Company produced the most. Today there are fewer than 15 complete gliders in existence.

IMG 1198 ID Plate

ID plate of the museum's CG-4A Glider.

General characteristics

Crew: two pilots
Length: 48 ft 8 in (14.8 m)
Wingspan: 83 ft 8 in (25.5 m)
Height: 15 ft 4 in (4.7 m)
Wing area: 900 ft² (83.6 m²)
Empty weight: 3,900 lb (1,769 kg)
Useful load:

"Troop Carrier (2 crew & 13 passengers): 4,197 pounds (1,904 kg)";

"Cargo Carrier: Jeep (2 crew, 4 passengers, 1 Jeep Car): 4,197 pounds (1,904 kg)

75 MM howitzer (2 crew, 3 passengers, 1 Howitzer, 18 rounds ammunition): 4,197 pounds

Loaded weight: 7,500 lb (3,402 kg)
takeoff weight: 7,500 lb (3,402 kg)
Max take off (Emergency Load): 9,000 lb (4,082 kg)

Performance

Never exceed speed: 150 mph IAS (241 km/h)
Maximum speed: 150 mph CAS (240 km/h CAS) at 7,500 pounds (3,400 kg) 128 mph (206 km/h) CAS/135 mph (217 km/h) IAS at 9,000 pounds (4,100 kg)
Cruise speed: IAS 72.6 mph (117 km/h)
Stall speed: 49 mph (79 km/h) with design load 7,500 lb (3,400 kg)
Glide ratio: 12:1
Rate of sink: About 400 ft/min (2 m/s) at tactical glide speed (IAS 60 mph, 96 km/h)
Landing run: 600-800 feet (180-244 m) for normal three-point landing; "Landing rolls of approximately 2,000 to 3,000 feet (610 to 910 m) are to be expected at the higher emergency gross weights..."
Wing loading: 33 lb/ft² (40.7 kg/m²)