Service History
- Delivered: April 28, 1945
- Served with the 4111th AAF Base Unit (Air Mat Com)
- Tobyhanna, PA
- Declared excess April 16, 1946
- Disposed as surplus August 15, 1946
The CG-4A, the workhorse of the American Glider Force, was used in every airborne invasion. The simple construction contained over 70,000 parts at a cost of $18,880.00. The CG-4A handled the best of any glider in WWII making it well suited to the inexperienced pilot.
The CG-4A was accepted by the AAF in less than two months and was produced by eleven companies. A few unlikely manufacturers helping in the war effort were Gibson Refrigerator and Ward Furniture, also Waco, Cessna, Northwestern, and the largest producer Ford Motor Company (4,190).
Designed to carry pilot and co-pilot plus a huge cargo of 75mm Howitzer, 15 fully-armed troops or a quarter ton jeep. An ingenious hinged design opened the nose for cargo. Upon landing, the jeep was used to raise the nose, extend the ramps, and seconds later the jeep was deployed.
Snatched and towed by C-46, C-47, C-54, A-25, B-25 and the P-38. Often under fire, the gliders heroically crash landed into battle. Pilot and co-pilot became part of the infantry until picked up.
