The St. Louis CG-5 was a 1940s

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

prototype military transport glider designed and built by the

St. Louis Aircraft Corporation St. Louis Aircraft Corporation was an American aircraft manufacturer founded in September 1917. In 1915, the St. Louis Car Company had been approached by Thomas W. Benoist to build 1000 flying boats. A prototype was built, but the concept did n ...

Development

In 1941 the

United States Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

decided to use secondary sources to boost aircraft production and the St. Louis Aircraft Corporation was contracted to design and build a prototype of both an eight-seat and fifteen-seat troop carrying glider. In total with the St. Louis examples, eight prototypes were ordered from different aircraft manufacturers. The model SL-5 eight seat glider was given the military designation CG-5Andrade 1979, p. 97 and the prototype designated XCG-5. Howard C. Blosom test flew the XCG-5 from Lambert Field in 1942. It proved to have serious aerodynamic flaws and structural problems causing Dutch Roll at speed. The heavier fifteen-seat glider (designated the XCG-6) was not built. The USAAF ordered the

Waco CG-3 The Waco CG-3A was a US light troop military glider of World War II. Design and development The CG-3A was the United States Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service c ...

for the eight/nine seat requirement, although only 100 were built. The fifteen-seat requirement was met by the Waco CG-4 of which more than 13,000 were built.

Development

Specifications (CG-5)

See also

References

Notes

Further reading