general aircraft large british military produced second world war designed carry heavy cargo light tank british airborne establishment formed order prime minister winston_churchill decided develop large able transport heavy equipment support airborne troops general aircraft limited chosen january develop designated gal designed transport single light tank number problems included number wanted poor management gal led delays production production assembled problems partially solved production continued slow hampered difficulties finding suitable locations store construct parts produced total built production ended occasions support british airborne forces saw action june approximately thirty carry pounder anti tank guns transport vehicles light tanks normandy support british airborne forces september similar number transport anti tank guns transport vehicles supplies airborne troops operation market garden final time march transported light tanks supplies proved successful operations slow speed large size easy targets anti aircraft fire resulted number damaged destroyed powered variant produced mark attempt extend range serve pacific war conflict pacific ended design combat development background british airborne establishment formed june orders prime minister winston_churchill response german use airborne forces equipment airborne forces developed decided officials integral component force transport troops heavy equipment expanded include artillery form tank beginning issued specifications military airborne forces specification called similar german eventually second specification seat specification carry light tank heavy loads number firms able design produce limited especially committed producing prop driven aircraft government contracts allocated firms government saw fit competitive process chosen develop believed small build larger eventually build developed flew november considered sufficiently developed production capacity capable producing larger chosen develop selected company process developing designs carry single vii light tank design low wing aircraft designed tank driver functioned pilot flew seat tank series internal modifications tank idea design save specially trained pilots allow tank brought action soon landed surviving illustrations design tank fuselage turret outside airframe possibly engage targets landed design considered impractical company conventional design finally arrived joint meeting january called constructed primarily wood capable carrying light tank universal carriers combined maximum weight approximately surviving form gal confirms cost early february basic design completed company chief designer designated gal came general large constructed british military order test design half scale prototype model designed designated gal required armstrong medium bomber act airborne flown september flew test pilot approached landing area low attempted raise flaps extra instead crashed prototype wrecked trial considered success scale prototype model finished gal works middlesex march transported yorkshire gal airfield short moving secure military airfield ensure remained secret flight conducted march towed bomber second prototype completed june testing development took place number different airfields including flight trials appear successful differences prototypes production models production problems number required frequently fluctuated asked gal major airborne operations found unrealistic production rate far slow accommodate large number number needed tow found november issued report increased number required unrealistic number time production ended total built gal produced initial run included prototype models pre production aircraft required evaluation trials subsequent production parts assigned series sub contractors called included birmingham railway carriage operative cars production targeted begin late approximately completed end year reality planned completed june slow rate production appears result combination factors great demand specific types wood required build difficulty finding suitably large airfields skilled personnel constructed stored appears lack official priority poor management gal production march august gal promised eighteen built delivered september actually appeared slow rate production concerned appointed industrial panel senior industrial experts visit gal detail causes problems panel visited gal early september issued report september stated root problems gal appeared taken bigger workload handle exacerbated poor organization management skills conflicts gal hurt production group formed ministry july attempt speed production senior gal managers resented failed cooperate fully group panel identified method ordering cause delays ultimately senior managers staff gal replaced recommendation panel attempt decrease internal conflicts speed production pre production eventually delivered end production march april production parts building complete continued production schedules continued fall particularly interested requiring significant number completed operation overlord airborne landings normandy number far_east placed pressure gal demands require production new flight trials operate effectively tropical climate late required transport construction equipment airfield building november agreed supplied june continued slow production concerned cancelled requirement february meant american personnel helping production withdrawn production times delayed meant british airborne forces utilize january erected ready use total produced rest storage awaiting parts complete erected finding personnel erect airfields store continued problem june eighty manufactured erected ready use airborne operations time small number british airborne landings normandy production continued conflict finally ended total produced design constructed primarily wood mainly birch spruce fabric covered forming skin high grade steel reinforcement beams critical areas wingspan feet length feet height feet fin tail weighed pounds transport military load pounds total weight pounds aircraft broken smaller sections transport large heavy required largest powerful aircraft pull airfield subsequently tow engined bombers frequently wing cockpit set fuselage provide greatest room cargo compartment ensure interfere loading vehicles compartment measured approximately feet inches feet inches inches wide feet feet inches inches height nose opened ease loading vehicles cargo crew pilots seated tandem cockpit fuselage accessed internal ladder feet ground eventually protected bullet proof plate armour second pilot added provide communication pilots personnel initial design feature eventually removed prior scale production installation fuselage hatch allow prone firing light machine gun approached landing zone ratio length wingspan practically lancaster bomber wingspan feet length feet inches contrast modern sport possess particularly large wingspan enhance performance result decision taken early military idea released low altitude close landing zone conduct steep descent reduce time air exposure enemy fire possessed large flaps assisted steep rapid descent adjustments angle landing precise control descent rate point landing achieved allowed slower touchdown speed attained operated small bottle compressed air large single landing small bottle saved weight gave smaller chance hit enemy fire exploding damaging standard approach speed miles hour shorter landings slowed miles hour speeds miles hour flaps miles hour flaps deployed fitted landing gear shock bring fuselage nose loading unloading purposes initially designed discovered travelled shorter distance landed eventually replaced fixed designed operations pilots found preferred land wheels extra control gave ability avoid potential collisions landing area wheeled fitted loaded ton lift aircraft fitting carrying tanks vehicles common practice engines started air usually prior casting special exhaust fitted expel exhaust light tanks large barely fit inside crews stayed inside tank duration flight landed keeping vehicle stationary released driver pulling reach driver drive tank forward automatically pulled line operated swing door release vehicles relied pilots operating door line manually achieved pilot sliding fuselage dropping ground leg release expel hydraulic fluid allow shock enter operate door release line swing door jammed landed possible tanks break forward fuselage drive straight occurred airborne operations transported tanks operational history parts completed erected flown specific cargo placed board flown selected training operational base november possible tow usually carried concrete blocks ballast training appears taken place primarily began end months training began dual instruction instructor accompanied pilots hours moved flying solo flights training consisted circuits pilots practiced controlling took airfield tow landing tow rope detached cross country navigation practiced common practice members units inside cargo training took place evidence tank crews acted cargo flights probably risk accidents cost lives specialized troops equipment flights tank crews experience usually consisted landing carefully marked airfields instead open countryside order minimize risks involved recovery easier accidents common occurrence training squadron specialized flying lifts average lifts crew incidents resulted fatalities injuries seven pilots killed training operation originated planning operation overlord plan eventual invasion france opening second planning invasion europe allies begun president united_states british prime minister winston_churchill met allied leaders decided available allied forces theatre concentrated great_britain planning invasion begin provisional target date set code overlord decided joint anglo american planning staff created lieutenant general given title chief staff commander plan eventually agreed called american land landing areas secure flanks protect landing troops counterattack british airborne forces land east american airborne forces land west support infantry armoured units advancing operation began night june deployment eastern normandy tasked protecting eastern flank allied landings securing strategically important areas east capturing important bridges canal river destroying coastal artillery battery division use approximately operation majority transport 6th number included thirty land landing zone support operations carry pounder anti tank guns transport vehicles crews thirty land approximately landing zone reinforcement lift carry light tanks crews belonged 6th airborne armoured reconnaissance regiment carried trailers crews carried universal carriers crews carried converted accommodate inch mortar carried slave battery sixteen land support 3rd 5th parachute brigades took june land approximately landed successfully suffered broken tow rope shortly took able land safely airfield england reached normandy coast tow rope disconnected early landed considerable distance away landing zone dawn broke discovered german forces attacked crew passengers killed captured rest managed escape remaining took rest transport 6th began journey landing zone transporting light tank lost english channel tank broke loose crashed nose carrying causing fall sea mid flight rest arrived safely landing zone approximately flying astern closely possible accounts mention sight landed great morale allied troops saw landings incident collided landing zone destroying carried hit flipped tank upside rendering crew escaped injury rammed wooden poles driven ground germans damage resulted wings completely torn landed casualties actual german opposition landed minimal survived journey successful landing later suffered heavy damage german artillery mortar fire movement allied armour landing zones approximately later repaired flown britain size attempt recover operation market garden major defeats normandy july august remnants german forces withdrew low countries eastern france german border north week september field marshal advancing line running antwerp northern border belgium lieutenant general sir lieutenant general commenced task ports sur south lieutenant general nearing german border ordered orient gap lieutenant general support montgomery advance lieutenant general moved eastward general advancing germany landings southern france field marshal devised ambitious plan called operation market garden place mid september intended bypass line northern end allow allies cross rhine large scale forces trap shores market airborne element plan employ divisions major general drop locations north bridges northwest son brigadier general drop northeast bridges grave major general polish 1st drop extreme north end route road bridge rail bridge lack sufficient transport aircraft meant dropped separate lifts successive days land september rest land september september polish 1st land supplies entire division division utilize approximately operation appears utilized subsequently abandoned june replaced records state available september thirteen flown september land landing zone carry pounder anti tank guns vehicles crews carry apiece carriers act transports airborne troops september land landing zone carry pounder anti tank gun vehicles crews carry act transport airborne troops flown final packed ammunition stores number experimental loads believed efficient way transporting supplies larger size september transport american engineers belonged equipment included cranes construct forward airfield landing zone cleared away participated lift september arrived landing zones safely problems experienced came land landed soft ground caused rapidly combined majority equipment resulted backs pilots killed fourth badly wounded later taken prisoner passengers wounded pounder anti tank guns board damaged repair rest landed successfully overran landing zone hit railway embankment damaged carried later salvaged lift september delayed hours poor weather conditions force approximately route landing zones forced cast land airfield england tow aircraft developed engine trouble english channel developed engine troubles carrying pounder anti tank guns rest encountered heavy anti aircraft fire landed hit result landed short landing zone hit wing forced emergency landing far landing zone hit stores pilots passengers captured german forces shortly landed rest landed successfully lift september place weather problems landing zones overrun finally september weather cleared deteriorating situation decided delivered single accompanied 1st set drop near town forced land england september experienced engine trouble tow rope snapped belgium forced land near march allied armies advanced germany reached rhine formidable natural obstacle allied advance breached allow allies access ultimately advance berlin major cities following laid general supreme allied commander decided attempt breach rhine areas field marshal commanding devised plan allow forces command breach rhine entitled subsequently authorized envisioned lieutenant general sir lieutenant general crossing rhine fronts area south canal ensure operation success montgomery insisted amphibious assaults supported airborne landing code named operation varsity varsity initially planned airborne divisions mind dropped german lines support conducted amphibious assaults breach rhine earliest stages planning apparent planners 13th unable participate operation combat transport aircraft area effectively transport divisions plan operation altered accommodate remaining airborne divisions 17th airborne divisions dropped german lines objective land disrupt enemy defences order aid advance dropped single lift unlike operation market garden seize high ground north town bergen capture town bridges river hold northern portion operational area relieved allied ground forces division utilize operation included large number new loads assigned similar operation market garden sixteen transporting pounder anti tank guns vehicles crews assigned loaded trailers stores ammunition equipment company use universal carriers trailers transport provided collect control issue supplies dropped aerial resupply drops airborne troops fought transport light tanks belonged 6th airborne armoured reconnaissance regiment carry supplies carry single finally assigned carry universal carrier use transport headquarters staff brigades successfully took march seven lost route landing zones majority forced cast land allied territory suffering engine failures carried broke mid air approached rhine possibly structural failure aboard killed destroyed german anti aircraft fire approached landing zones slow speed easy targets thirty remained landed successfully number suffered damage anti aircraft fire particularly hard hit carried personnel supplies landed successfully sufficiently undamaged allow stores carried recovered transported 6th airborne armoured reconnaissance regiment seven reached landing zones intact problems landed anti aircraft fire smoke area landed safely came heavy german anti aircraft fire crashed landed tank survived damaged machine gun crashed house wireless radio set main armament action broke loose landed flipped turret rendered useless operation come end undamaged dismantled parts shipped england aid construction post war time combat model remain service number years end second world war particularly useful transporting large heavy loads december recorded present routine training exercises january process begun dispose surplus moved disposal facilities remaining remainder continued routine flying exercises july disposed deterioration february left operation appear remained service public displays raf ultimately phased mid-1950s variants variants mark planned actually produced mark known gal designed specification attempt allow tropical climate pacific high temperatures high altitudes airfields reduced efficiency engined aircraft meant halifax bombers tow drastically reduced fuel load turn narrowed range initial solutions proposed correct problem convert rocket assisted aircraft cylindrical steel cylinders filled inch rockets attached provide mean thrust took airborne initial trials conducted january proved successful pursued unknown reasons second solution double halifax aircraft stripped unnecessary equipment attached tow ropes took airfield airborne normal halifax land modified halifax tow destination idea went initial trials england considered high risk operation high probability accident occurring powered version mark decided offered possibility long range airborne operations ability retrieve decision taken start developing mark november potential airborne operations japan began considered allies reason relaxed view taken development production models available early months prototype converted radial engines capable producing added wings wings fuselage strengthened weight engines extra controls added cockpit pilot positions space restrictions meant started rear seat fuel tanks added wings possibility carried fuselage additions increased weight pounds dimensions remained unchanged including carrying capacity fuselage flight power took place february initial flight trials showed operated expected engines installed mark towed fully loaded halifax achieve operational radius approximately miles fully loaded took power discovered maintain height power resulted decision decrease cargo carry power turn decreased weight pounds converted initial trials proved satisfactory mark converted built scratch orders cancelled conflict ended august tests conducted united_states variant proposed went production appeared design stage proposal mate lockheed lightning fighter fighter provide power aircraft flight relieve pilots task controlling cast land needed ballast flown sensitive centre gravity issues performance power performance tow notwithstanding low load yards maximum speed miles hour cruise miles hour gallons fuel manage miles air miles gallons onboard replacing cargo capacity operators united_kingdom british army royal air force survivors significant proportion fuselage preserved hampshire england badly preserved section fuselage collection displayed tank specifications data jane world aircraft general characteristics crew capacity tons length wingspan height wing area modified weight max takeoff weight performance exceed speed mph maximum speed mph stall speed mph wing loading
General Aircraft Hamilcar