Airspeed Horsa

Airspeed Horsa
Name	Airspeed Horsa
Caption	A Horsa in flight, c. 1943
Type	Military glider
Manufacturer	Airspeed Limited
Designer	Hessell Tiltman
First flight	12 September 1941
Introduced	1942
Retired	1945
Primary user	Royal Air Force
Number built	3,799

Airspeed Horsa. The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a British troop-carrying military glider used extensively during the Second World War. Developed and manufactured by Airspeed Limited, it became the primary glider of the British Army and the Royal Air Force for airborne operations. Its robust construction and large capacity made it instrumental in delivering infantry and light vehicles directly onto the battlefield.

Development and design

The Horsa was designed by Hessell Tiltman in response to a 1940 specification from the British Air Ministry for a large troop and cargo glider. The design utilized a high-wing monoplane configuration with a fixed tricycle undercarriage and was constructed primarily from wood to conserve strategic materials like aluminium. Key features included a hinged nose section for direct loading of vehicles like the Jeep or a 6-pounder anti-tank gun, and a large cargo door on the port side. Its development was heavily influenced by the success of the German DFS 230 glider used during the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael. The prototype, built at the Portsmouth factory, first flew on 12 September 1941, towed by an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber.

Operational history

The Horsa entered service in 1942 and saw its first major action during the invasion of Sicily in July 1943. It played a pivotal role in the Normandy landings, with hundreds deployed during Operation Tonga and the American airborne landings in Normandy. Its most famous operation was during Operation Market Garden, where it delivered troops of the British 1st Airborne Division near Arnhem. The glider also saw action in the Battle of the Bulge and during the Rhine crossing in 1945. Pilots from the Glider Pilot Regiment flew the Horsa, often releasing under heavy fire to land in confined fields or on rough terrain. While many were destroyed in action, their ability to deliver concentrated force was highly valued by commanders like General Bernard Montgomery.

Variants

The primary variants were the Horsa I (AS.51) and the Horsa II (AS.58). The Horsa I featured a cable attachment point on the fuselage for towing and the standard hinged nose. The Horsa II incorporated a strengthened floor, a nose-towing lug, and a twin-tow capability, allowing two gliders to be towed by a single aircraft such as the Handley Page Halifax. A small number of Horsas were converted for special duties, including trials for the British Special Air Service. The similar but smaller General Aircraft Hamilcar was developed to carry heavier loads like the Tetrarch light tank.

Operators

The primary operator was the Royal Air Force, with gliders assigned to the Army Air Corps and flown by the Glider Pilot Regiment. The United States Army Air Forces also used the Horsa extensively in the European Theatre of World War II, particularly during operations in Normandy and the Netherlands. After the war, a small number were used for evaluation and training by other nations, including Canada and Czechoslovakia.

Specifications (Horsa I)

* **Crew:** 2 pilots * **Capacity:** 25 troops or equivalent cargo (e.g., a Jeep with trailer) * **Length:** 67 ft 0 in (20.4 m) * **Wingspan:** 88 ft 0 in (26.8 m) * **Empty weight:** 8,370 lb (3,800 kg) * **Gross weight:** 15,500 lb (7,045 kg) * **Towing aircraft:** Typically the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle, Handley Page Halifax, or Short Stirling * **Performance:** No engine; glide ratio approximately 1:8

Surviving aircraft

Very few complete Horsas survive today. A significant restoration project is underway on a Horsa Mk II airframe at the Museum of Army Flying in Middle Wallop. Major components, including fuselage sections and wings, are held in the collections of the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford and the Airborne Forces Museum in Oosterbeek. A replica Horsa nose section is displayed at the Pegasus Bridge museum in Normandy, commemorating its role in the D-Day landings. Wreckage from crash sites is occasionally recovered in regions like the Sainte-Mère-Église area.

Category:British military gliders Category:World War II transport aircraft of the United Kingdom Category:Airspeed aircraft