The+Waco+Glider

The Waco Glider

The waco glider (also known as the Waco-CG 4) was the United States' first stealth plane. It was used in WWII to carry troops and supplies into enemy territory and spy on enemies. It was also famously used on D-Day.

This aircraft was built to glide without an engine. This was to create minimal sound when spying on enemies and attacking. Without an engine, it can’t take off, so the glider was towed into the air by an airplane. At this time the aircraft is going about 150 mph. Once the tow plane releases the glider, it’s speed can get to about 72 mph. Even though the waco glider needed assistance getting into the air, it can land by itself.

The waco glider could carry about 4,000 pounds. This means it could carry large troops or many supplies such as vehicles or ammunition. The nose of the plane also could swing open to allow jeeps to get into the aircraft easily. The glider itself had a 83.5-foot wingspan and was 48 feet long. The total number of parts used to construct a waco glider was 70,000.

In the end, the waco glider was a key element to have in WWII. It helped the success of D-Day and allowed for Allied forces to pull off sneak attacks on the enemies.