Waco CG-4

The Waco CG‑4, commonly called the Waco Glider, was a light troop and cargo glider produced by the Waco Aircraft Company for the United States Army Air Forces during World II. First flown in 1942, the CG‑4 entered service in 1943 and became the primary American assault glider, with more than 13,000 units built before production ended in 1945. The aircraft featured a high‑wing, fabric‑covered wooden frame with a steel tube fuselage, a 12‑foot‑wide wing that could be folded for transport, and a removable rear cargo door that allowed rapid loading of up to 13 fully equipped soldiers, a jeep, or a 75 mm howitzer. Its simple design, low cost, and ability to be towed by a variety of powered aircraft, such as the C‑47 Skytrain, made it ideal for airborne operations. The CG‑4 saw its most famous action during the D‑Day Normandy landings, Operation Market Garden, and the crossing of the Rhine, proving the strategic value of silent, low‑altitude insertions. Although glider use declined after the war, the Waco CG‑4’s successful deployment demonstrated the effectiveness of mass‑produced, expendable lift platforms and influenced post‑war air‑mobility concepts.

Waco

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