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Hotspur Mk.II training glider


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I’m calling this finished! The yellow was difficult to work with, but the kit itself was a decent fit, especially considering it’s resin. 
 

I was surprised to read that over 1,000 of these were built between 1940 and 1943, mostly for use in the paratroop training role. Towed to a height of 6,000 metres, the glider had a range of around 140 miles.

 

This example was based at RAF Weston on the Green in Oxfordshire in the early 1940s.

 

47-F8-E11-E-92-CA-4080-9-A9-E-AA3805-B2-
 

3-CA0-D215-1-E0-F-4397-8440-7065-EF26108
 

2-BC2-FE65-3955-42-C5-A65-A-8-B5-D88636-
 

6-C2159-A3-6-C91-4-DB9-B86-B-06624-B3-EB
 

088-B6266-F322-480-C-8518-D4-ADA043-AA37

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Nicely done,...... it was used more as a trainer for glider pilots and some glider troops flew in them too,....... paratroopers tended to stay well away from gliders if they could help it. ... dangerous contraptions!! 

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It would be nice if you built a towplane for it too 

Options would be Lysander, Audax, Hector, Master II and Spitfire (Mks I, V and IX).

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paratroopers tended to stay well away from gliders if they could help it.

Tony you did know that the Hotspur, Horsa and Hengist were all originally designed to be able to drop paratroops didn't you?

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20 hours ago, Lord Riot said:

Towed to a height of 6,000 metres, the glider had a range of around 140 miles.

 

That would be approximately 40:1 glide ratio, which would be quite respectable for a modern sailplane.  I suspect your source was being rather generous!

 

Congratulations for "throwing it together"- looks rather nice.  Definitely another thing for my wish list.

 

bob

 

p.s. I knew a gent who flew these on his way to Hamilcars(!)

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8 hours ago, Aeronut said:

Options would be Lysander, Audax, Hector, Master II and Spitfire (Mks I, V and IX).

Tony you did know that the Hotspur, Horsa and Hengist were all originally designed to be able to drop paratroops didn't you?

Yes,... I`m well aware that the Horsa at least was designed to be towed behind a bomber and used to drop partroopers,.... but they didn`t in practice.  Exit from the Hotspur with a parachute on would be very difficult indeed but it would have made a decent coup de main assault aircraft like the DFS glider upon which it was loosely based.  

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There were plans to use the Hotspur on D day, not as a coup de main but as a transport for Canadian Spitfire Sqns. The gliders would have carried spares, ammunition, fuel and ground crew, towed by the Spitfires they would service on the Advanced Landing Grounds set up behind the Beachheads. Fortunately/unfortunately the idea got no further than squadron trials early in 1944. 

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