Army Air Corps United States Army Air Forces, Royal Canadian Air Force, Indian Air Force
Number built
3,799
The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a British troop-carrying glider used during the Second World War. It was developed and manufactured by Airspeed Limited, alongside various subcontractors; the type was named after Horsa, the legendary 5th-century conqueror of southern Britain.
Having been greatly impressed by the effective use of airborne operations by Germany during the early stages of the Second World War, such as during the Battle of France, the Allied powers sought to establish capable counterpart forces of their own. The British War Office, determining that the role of gliders would be an essential component of such airborne forces, proceeded to examine available options. An evaluation of the General Aircraft Hotspur found it to lack the necessary size, thus Specification X.26/40 was issued. It was from this specification that Airspeed Limited designed the Horsa, a large glider capable of accommodating up to 30 fully equipped troops, which was designated as the AS 51.
The Horsa was used in large numbers by the British Army Air Corps and the Royal Air Force (RAF); both services used it to conduct various air assault operations through the conflict. The type was used to perform an unsuccessful attack on the German Heavy Water Plant at Rjukan in Norway, known as Operation Freshman, and during the invasion of Sicily, known as Operation Husky. Large numbers of Horsa were subsequently used during the opening stages of the Battle of Normandy, being used in the British Operation Tonga and American operations. It was also deployed in quantity during Operation Dragoon, Operation Market Garden, and Operation Varsity. Further use of the Horsa was made by various other armed forces, including the United States Army Air Forces.
The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a British troop-carrying glider used during the Second World War. It was developed and manufactured by Airspeed Limited, alongside...
Major John Howard, D Company was to land close by the bridges in six AirspeedHorsa gliders and, in a coup-de-main operation, take both intact and hold...
Hengist and Horsa are Germanic brothers said to have led the Angles, Saxons and Jutes in their supposed invasion of Britain in the 5th century. Tradition[clarification...
Normandy was arranged in six AirspeedHorsa gliders, piloted by 12 NCOs from 'C' Squadron, Glider Pilot Regiment. The Horsa had a wingspan of 88 feet (27 m)...
Vultee Vengeance (RAF) dive bomber rejected for service after trials AirspeedHorsa (RAF, Army Air Corps) General Aircraft Hamilcar (RAF, Army Air Corps)...
replica of the first AirspeedHorsa glider to land close to the Bénouville Bridge was officially inaugurated. At the inauguration, the Horsa glider was shown...
Waco CG-4A, which could carry 13 passengers, and the British-designed AirspeedHorsa, which could carry 25 passengers. Both of these aircraft used plywood...
Glider Conversion Unit (HGCU), equipped with Whitley glider tugs and AirspeedHorsa gliders. No. 296 Squadron and No. 297 Squadron both moved in on 14 March...
proposed by Airspeed Limited a British aircraft manufacturer from 1931 to 1951. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Airspeed aircraft. "Airspeed Type Designations"...
on the operation to establish his field HQ using the much-needed 32 AirspeedHorsa gliders for administrative personnel, and six Waco CG-4A gliders for...
assault on Eben Emael. Among the types developed were the 28 trooper AirspeedHorsa and the 7-ton capacity General Aircraft Hamilcar cargo glider. The Hamilcar...
AirspeedHorsa gliders was depicted in the 1962 war epic The Longest Day. Only one Horsa replica was actually constructed. Ten non-flyable Airspeed Horsa...
Handley Page Halifax bombers towing AirspeedHorsa gliders 3,200 miles (5,100 km) from England to Tunisia. The British Horsas were needed to complement the...
Henk Sneijder crash-land in a flooded estuary in Zeeland after their AirspeedHorsa glider is hit by anti-aircraft fire during Operation Market Garden....
RAF airman attaches the tow rope of an AirspeedHorsa glider to the tow hook of a Halifax glider tug, of 295 Squadron, in preparation for Operation Fustian...
heavy transport gliders, such as the General Aircraft Hamilcar and AirspeedHorsa, it was found that the Stirling would fit this role admirably. During...
configuration, and era DFS 230 DFS 331 Waco CG-4A General Aircraft Hamilcar AirspeedHorsa Slingsby Hengist Related lists List of aircraft of World War II List...
glider-borne landing on the frozen lake Møsvatn near the plant. Two AirspeedHorsa gliders, towed by Handley Page Halifax bombers (each glider carrying...
13th/18th Royal Hussars in action against German troops using crashed AirspeedHorsa gliders as cover near Ranville, Operation Overlord Normandy, 10 June...
during World War II. It was the first British airborne operation using AirspeedHorsa gliders, and its target was the Vemork Norsk Hydro hydrogen electrolysis...
Operation Tonga; 296 Squadron used 19 aircraft to tow AirspeedHorsas; 295 Squadron towed 21 Horsas, although it lost six in transit; 570 Squadron sent...
Aircraft and helicopters Aérospatiale Alouette II AgustaWestland AW109 AirspeedHorsa Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander Dornier Do 27 Piper PA-18 Super Cub See...
parachute and glider tug function, along with restoring or building an AirspeedHorsa, an American CG-4A Waco and a De Havilland Tiger Moth. In 2001, RAF...
General Aircraft Hotspur gliders, while Douglas Dakotas pulled the larger AirspeedHorsa gliders. With this new mission came a far stricter training regime and...
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