Service History of C/N 136 (N54567)
1943: Delivered
2019: Acquired by Yanks
The successful use of combat gliders early in the Second World War led the US to eventually develop its own glider born forces. With the need to rapidly train large numbers of qualified glider pilots, the US Army Air Corps (USAAC) placed an order with Jack Laister for a light training glider based on an earlier design of his, Yankee Doodle, which he had produced in 1938 for Lawrence Technical University.
The new design, the TG-4, included redesigned wings, military radios, and a tandem two seat configuration. After partnering with John Kauffman and forming Laister-Kauffman Corporation in St. Louis, Missouri, production began with the company ultimately producing more than 150 TG-4s. Ironically, the excellent flight characteristics of the TG-4 handicapped its use as an effective trainer since its nimbleness and ease at the controls did not reflect the true nature of flying big, heavy, and unresponsive combat gliders such as the Waco CG-4. Postwar, the TG-4 gained popularity as a recreational sport glider.
