General Aircraft Hamilcar
Encyclopedia : G : GE : GEN : General Aircraft Hamilcar
The General Aircraft G.A.L. 49 Hamilcar or Hamilcar Mk I was a large British military glider of World War II, which was capable of carrying 7 tons of cargo or a light tank such as the Tetrarch or Locust. It entered service in 1942 and was used with success in Operation Overlord. 412 were built in total. Construction was almost entirely of wood, and was performed by various woodworking shops in Britain under the supervision of General Aircraft Ltd.
The Mark X Hamilcar was an experimental powered version of the Mark I designed for Pacific operations. Tow was still necessary for take-off at full load, but it could return under its own power. 20 of this variant were built before the end of the war. It saw no action.
External links
- [Hamilcar Glider page on d-daytanks.org.uk] - includes pictures of the Hamilcar Glider parked and being towed
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