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WWII Aircraft Manufacturing
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WWII US Glider Manufacturing
Sites
Below are statistics on the number and
location of what was almost entirely CG-4A production in WWII.
However, there is more to the story of than just statistics. That is
the story of the Glidermen that rode these un-powered aircraft into combat.
The book, "Glidermen of Neptune: The American D-Day Glider Attack"
by Charles J. Masters, gives an excellent overview of what is really
an untold and unique story from WWII. Also put on your list of
important places to visit the Silent Wings Museum in Lubbock, TX.
Lubbock, TX is in the middle of nowhere but it is well worth the trip to
see the Silent Wings Museum located there. Actually, once one gets
to Lubbock it is a very nice place with many good hotels and
restaurants. If you can not get to Lubbock, there is a DVD
available called "Silent Wings", which does an excellent job of telling
the story of the Gliders in
WWII and the pilots and troops that flew in them.
Total CG-4A glider production for WWII was either 13,903 or 13,909
depending on the the which production number one accepts for Ridgewood
Manufacturing. |
| Company |
Location |
Glider Types |
USAAF Code |
History |
|
Babcock Aircraft Corporation |
Deland, FL |
(60) CG-4A |
BB |
Was out of production by 1945. Unit cost
of these CG-4A was $51,000. They manufacturing facility was a circus
tent. |
|
Cessna Aircraft Company
(Boeing Wichita Plant 2) |
Wichita, KS |
(750) CG-4A |
CE |
Cessna Aircraft subcontracted all of the work
to Boeing which built all 750 CG-4As in the new Wichita Plant 2, best
known for the production of B-29s. |
|
Commonwealth Aircraft Company (Formerly
Rearwin Aircraft) |
Kansas City, KS |
(100) CG-3A
(1,470) CG-4A |
CM |
CG-3A was used for training only and had nine
seats. |
|
Ford Motor Company |
Kingsford, MI (Ford History refers to
this as the Iron Mountain Plant) |
(4,190) CG-4A; (85) CG-13A |
FO |
Largest producer. This was a former wood
station wagon (Woody) plant that ran 24 hours a day with 4,500 employees which at
peak production was producing 8 gliders a day. This was at a unit
cost of $14,891, which was $4,500 lower than WACO, the next most efficient
producer. After WWII the plant was
converted to the manufacture of Kingsford Charcoal. |
G&A
Aircraft Corporation
(Firestone Tire and Rubber Company) |
Willow Grove, PA |
(627) CG-4A |
G&A |
In
early 1943 G&A was purchased by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company.
|
|
General Aviation Corporation |
Astoria, NY |
(1,112) CG-4A |
GE |
|
|
Gibson Refrigeration Company |
Greenville, MI |
(1078) CG-4A |
GN |
|
|
Laister-Kauffman |
St.
Louis , Missouri |
(310) CG-4A |
LK |
|
|
National Aircraft Corporation |
Elwood, IN |
(1)
CG-4A |
NA |
Was
out of production by 1943 and was a company organized by several persons
with no previous aircraft manufacturing experience, which received a
contract for 30 units. .When the contract was terminated by the Army a
year later, the cost of the one unit stood at $1,741,808.88. |
|
Northwestern Aeronautical Corporation |
Minneapolis, MN |
(1,509) CG-4A; (47) CG-13A |
NW |
|
|
Pratt-Read and Company |
Deep
River, CT |
(956) CG-4A |
PR |
|
|
Porterfield Aircraft Company (former Ward Furniture Manufacturing Company) |
Fort
Smith, AR |
(7)
CG-4A |
WA |
Was
out of production by 1945. |
|
Ridgefield Corporation (former Jentner Manufacturing Corporation) |
Ridgefield, NJ |
(156 or 162) CG-4A |
RI |
162 is the historical number that is commonly
given for the Ridgefield production of CG-4A gliders. However,
according to research by Charles Day of the National WWII Glider Pilots
Association based on serial numbers accepted by the US Army only 156
were built. |
|
Robertson Aircraft Corporation |
St.
Louis, MO |
(170) CG-4A |
RO |
In
the most infamous glider accident during WWII a GG-4A fell from the sky
after a wing broke off during an open house in front of 10,000 spectators
on August 1, 1943.. Killed in the crash were three US Army
personnel, the president and founder of Robertson Aircraft, the Mayor of
St. Louis and other company officials and local dignitaries. The
incident was traced to a faulty part from an outside supplier. The
good thing about this is that the problem was corrected in other Robertson
built gliders saving the lives of innocent glider pilots and glider
infantry using the aircraft in service. Not the best way to find
problems in one's product but it did get everyone's attention and the
problem was corrected. This accident along with the disastrous
Airborne Glider Invasion in Sicily almost ended the Glider program for the
US Army. |
| Timm
Aircraft Company |
Los
Angeles, California |
(433) CG-4A |
TI |
Was
out of production by 1945. |
| Waco |
Troy,
OH |
(1)
XCG-3
(2) XCG-4
(1,074) CG-4A |
WO |
|
|
WWII Aircraft Manufacturing
Sites-Home Canada Aircraft
US
Aircraft
US
Cross Reference
US Airships
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Engines
USA
Gliders
Propellers Plant Photos
US WWII Aircraft Costs
WWII Aircraft Manufacturers'
Literature
US Aircraft Assembly Plant Numbers
US Aircraft Modification Centers
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