The Waco CG-4A was the most widely used United States troop/cargo military glider of World War II. It was designated the CG-4A by the United States Army Air Forces, and named Hadrian in British military service.

Designed by the Waco Aircraft Company, CG-4A flight testing began in May 1942, and eventually more than 13,900 CG-4As were delivered. Sixteen companies were prime contractors for manufacturing CG-4A's. Wicks Aircraft Company of Kansas City, Missouri was a sub-contractor while Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation of Kansas City, Kansas and the WACO Company of Troy, Ohio were two of the 16 prime contractors.

The CG-4A was constructed of fabric-covered wood and metal and was crewed by a pilot and copilot. The factories ran 24-hour shifts to build the gliders.

The CG-4A could carry 13 troopers and their equipment. Cargo loads could be a quarter ton truck (Jeep), a 75 mm howitzer, or a ¼ ton trailer, all loaded through the upward-hinged nose section. C-47s were usually used as tow aircraft. A few C-46 tugs were used during and after Operation Plunder.

The USAAF CG-4A tow line was 11/16 inch diameter nylon, 350 ft (107 m) long. The CG-4A pickup line was ¹⁵/₁₆ inch- (24 mm)-diameter nylon, but only 225 ft (69 m) long including the doubled loop.

Variants

XCG-4

Prototypes, two built, plus one stress test article.

CG-4A

Main Production variant, survivors became G-4A in 1948, 13,903 built by 16 various contractors.

XCG-4B

One CG-4A built with a plywood structure.

XPG-1

One CG-4A converted with two Franklin 6AC-298-N3 engines by Northwestern.

XPG-2

One CG-4A converted with two 175 hp (130 kW) L-440-1 engines by Ridgefield.

XPG-2A

Two articles: XPG-2 engines changed to 200 hp (150 kW). plus one CG-4A converted also with 200 hp (150 kW) engines..

PG-2A

production PG-2A with two 200 hp (150 kW) L-440-7s, redesignated G-2A in 1948, ten built by Northwestern.

XPG-2B

Cancelled variant with two R-775-9 engines.

LRW-1

13 CG-4A transferred to the United States Navy.

G-2A

PG-2A re-designated in 1948.

G-4A

CG-4A re-designated in 1948.

G-4C

G-4A with different tow-bar, 35 conversions.

Hadrian Mk.I

Royal Air Force designation for the CG-4A, 25 delivered.

Hadrian Mk.II

Royal Air Force designation for the CG-4A with equipment changes.

General characteristics

• Crew: two (pilot and co-pilot)
• Capacity: 13 troopers, or quarter-ton truck (Jeep) and 4 troopers, or 6 litters
• Length: 48 ft 8 in (14.8 m)
• Wingspan: 83 ft 8 in (25.5 m)
• Height: 15 ft 4 in (4.7 m)
• Wing area: 900 ft² (83.6 m²)
• Empty weight: 3,900 lb (1,719 kg)
• Loaded weight: 7,500 lb ()
• Useful load: "Troop Carrier (2 crew & 13 passengers): 4197 lb"; "Cargo Carrier - Jeep (2 crew, 4 passengers, 1 Jeep Car): 4197 lb"; "Cargo Carrier - 75 MM howitzer (2 crew, 3 passengers, 1 Howitzer, 18 rounds ammunition): 4197 lb"
• Max takeoff weight: 7,500 lb (3,400 kg)
• *Max take off (Emergency Load): 9,000 lb (4,091 kg)

Performance

• Never exceed speed: 150 mph IAS "...due to the possibility that windshield panels may blow in and other failures may occur."
• Maximum speed: 150 mph at 7,500 lb (3,400 kg) (240 km/h) 128 mph CAS/135 mph IAS at 9000 lb
• Cruise speed: IAS 72.6 mph (117 km/h)
• Stall speed: IAS 49 mph (79 km/h) with design load 7,500 lb (3,400 kg)
• Wing loading: 8.81 lb/ft² ()
• Rate of sink: About 400 ft/min (122 m/min) at tactical glide speed (IAS 60 mph/96 km/h)
• Landing run: 600-800 feet (180-244 m) for normal three-point landing; "Landing rolls of approximately 2,000 to 3,000 feet are to be expected at the higher emergency gross weights..."

Armament
none

Avionics
none

Aérospatiale Alouette III (SA-319) is a light multipurpose, single-engine helicopter. It was developped by Sud Aviation and than manufactured by Aérospatiale of France.

Role: Light utility helicopter
Manufacturer: Sud Aviation, Aérospatiale

First flight: February 28, 1959
Commissioning: 1960
Number built: 2000+
Crew: 1 pilot, 6 passengers

Motors: Turbomeca Artouste IIIB
Motor Number: 1
Type: Turbo
Power Unit: 850 hp flat-rated to 550 hp hp
Number of blades: 3

Dimensions
Rotor diameter 11.00 m
Length 10.03 m
Height 3.09 m

Masses
Empty 1 230 kg
Payload 750 kg kg
Maximum 2 200 kg

Performance
Cruising speed 185 km / h
Maximum speed 210 km / h
Limit 3 200 m
Maximum ground effect 2 880 m
Ceiling without ground effect 1 520 m
Rate of climb 258 m / min
Maximum range 200/540 km

The Mitsubishi A6M Zero is a long range fighter aircraft . It was operated by the IJNAS (Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service) from 1940 to 1945. The A6M was named Zero by the Allies.

When it was introduced early in July 1940 , the Zero was the best carrier-based fighter in the world, combining excellent maneuverability and very long range.

In early combat operations, the Mitsubishi A6M gained a legendary reputation as a "dogfighter", gaining the outstanding kill ratio of 12 to 1, but by 1942, a combination of new tactics and the introduction of better equipment enabled the Allied pilots to engage the Zero on more equal terms. The Imperial Japanese Naval Air Service (IJNAS) also frequently used the type as a land-based fighter. By 1943, inherent design weaknesses and the increasing lack of more powerful aircraft engines meant that the Zero became less effective against newer enemy fighters that possessed greater firepower, armor, and speed, and approached the Zero's maneuverability. Although the Mitsubishi A6M was outdated by 1944, it was never totally supplanted by the newer Japanese aircraft types. During the final years of the War in the Pacific, the Zero was used in kamikaze operations.

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 9.06 m (29 ft 9 in)
• Wing area: 22.44 m² (241.5 ft²)
• Wingspan: 12.0 m (39 ft 4 in)
• Height: 3.05 m (10 ft 0 in)
• Empty weight: 1,680 kg (3,704 lb)
• Loaded weight: 2,410 kg (5,313 lb)
• Aspect ratio: 6.4
• Powerplant: 1× Nakajima Sakae 12 radial engine, 709 kW (950 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 533 km/h (287 kn, 331 mph) at 4,550 m (14,930 ft)
• Never exceed speed: 660 km/h (356 kn, 410 mph)
• Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
• Range: 3,105 km (1,675 nmi, 1,929 mi)
• Wing loading: 107.4 kg/m² (22.0 lb/ft²)
• Rate of climb: 15.7 m/s (3,100 ft/min)
• Power/mass: 294 W/kg (0.18 hp/lb)

Armament

• Bombs:
  
  • 2× 60 kg (132 lb) bombs or
  • 1× fixed 250 kg (551 lb) bombs for kamikaze attacks
• Guns:
  
  • 2× 7.7 mm (0.303 in) Type 97 machine guns in the engine cowling, with 500 rounds per gun.
  • 2× 20 mm Type 99 cannons in the wings, with 60 rounds per gun.

The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a heavy bomber aircrft developped by the Boeing Company. It is the most famous bombers of the U.S. Air Force during the Second World War and was known for, despite heavy losses from the operations return. The full crew of a Flying Fortress consisted of ten people, four of which were exclusively machine-gunner.

The B-17 got this nickname ( Flying Fortress) because of their robustness and their strong defensive armament of up to thirteen heavy machine guns.

Type: Bomber
Draft Country: United States United States
Manufacturer: Boeing
First flight: 28 June 1935
Commissioned: April 1938
Production time: 1936 to 1945
Quantity: 12,731

Characteristic data of the B-17G

Length 22.80 m
Height 5.85 m
Wingspan 31.63 m
Wing area 141.90 m²
Empty weight 14,855 kg
Start Weight (max) 29,700 kg
Drive four Curtiss-Wright R-1820-97 Cyclone nine-cylinder radial engines, each with 1,200 hp at 2,300 rpm
Top speed 485 km / h
Cruising speed 296 km / h
Maximum range 6034 km with no bombs
Range 2897 km with normal load, 1760 km with maximum payload
Service ceiling 11,920 m
Crew min. 6, usually 10

The Turkish Stars is the national aerobatics team of Turkey. Turkish Stars is the only aerobatics team which has demonstrated over than 1,000,000 people.
Turkish Stars fly with eight Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighters, which makes them one of the national aerobatics teams to fly some of supersonic aircraft, and only with groups of eight supersonic jets. Twelve F-5 are available to the team .

The team uses also C-130 Hercules and Transall C-160 aircraft in Turkish Stars colors.