Mosquito Pilot's Logbook: D-day

Mosquito Pilot's Logbook: D-day Sorties

Posted on a scale modeling Facebook page I follow today: Unassuming logbook showing a pilot's D-day sorties: From John W. Reid - His Father's Logbook

Hoping to contact him for more info

Paratroop Veteran jumps again in Normandy D-Day Celebrations

US D-Day Veteran Paratrooper jumps again, aged 93

AC 47 Hercules and C-130 practice run for D-Day Airborne comemmorations

I know it's a bit off topic, but my aircraft nut friends may also appreciate this story on my wargaming blog:

93 Year old Screaming Eagle jumps again

Douglas C-47 Dakotas (Skytrains) in action Part 2: The History

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota  (Part 2)

The Dakota (RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line service with various military operators through the 1950s, and into the 1980 and early 1990s in South Africa.

During World War II, the armed forces of many countries used the C-47 and modified DC-3s for the transport of troops, cargo, and the wounded. The U.S. Naval designation was R4D. More than 10,000 aircraft were produced in Long Beach and Santa Monica, California and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City plant produced 5,354 C-47s from March 1943 until August 1945.

Operational history

The C-47 was vital to the success of many Allied campaigns, in particular those of D-Day, Guadalcanal and in the jungles of New Guinea and Burma, where the C-47 (and its naval version, the R4D) made it possible for Allied troops to counter the mobility of the light-traveling Japanese army. Additionally, C-47s were used to airlift supplies to the embattled American forces during the Battle of Bastogne. Possibly its most influential role in military aviation, however, was flying "The Hump" from India into China. The expertise gained flying "The Hump" was later be used in the Berlin Airlift, in which the C-47 played a major role, until the aircraft were replaced by Douglas C-54 Skymasters.

In Europe, the C-47 and a specialized paratroop variant, the C-53 Skytrooper, were used in vast numbers in the later stages of the war, particularly to tow gliders and drop paratroops. In the Pacific, with careful use of the island landing strips of the Pacific Ocean, C-47s were even used for ferrying soldiers serving in the Pacific theater back to the United States.



C-47s (about 2,000 received under lend-lease) in British and Commonwealth service took the name Dakota, from the acronym "DACoTA" for Douglas Aircraft Company Transport Aircraft. The C-47 also earned the informal nickname 'Gooney Bird' in the European theater of operations.

Other sources (C-47/R4D Skytrain units of the Pacific and CBI, David Isby, Osprey Combat Aircraft #66, Osprey Publishing Limited, 2007) attribute this name to the first plane, a USMC R2D - the military version of the DC-2 - being the first plane to land on Midway Island, previously home to the native long-winged albatross known as the gooney bird, which was native to Midway.



The Luftwaffe  operated captured  DC2/3s and C47s. The one pictured above is variously described as a DC2 and 3 by various onloine sources. Apparently the personal aircraft of the German Heer  C-in-C in the Netherlands. Will research and do a separate posting! An interesting direction to explore. The Russians also License-built their own variant (more of that later too)

The United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command had Skytrains in service from 1946 through 1967.

With all of the aircraft and pilots having been part of the Indian Air Force prior to independence, both the Indian Air Force and Pakistan Air Force used C-47s to transport supplies to their soldiers fighting in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947.

Several C-47 variations were used in the Vietnam War by the United States Air Force, including three advanced electronic warfare variations, which sometimes were called "Electric Gooneys" designated EC-47N, EC-47P, or EC-47Qs depending on the engine used.[ EC-47s were also operated by the Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian Air Forces.  A gunship variation, using three 7.62 mm miniguns, designated AC-47 "Spooky" often nicknamed "Puff the Magic Dragon" also was deployed.

The Royal Canadian Air Force and later, the Canadian Armed Forces employed the C-47 for transportation, navigation, and radar training, as well as for search and rescue operations from the 1940s to the 1980s.

After World War II, thousands of surplus C-47s were converted to civil airline use, some remaining in operation in 2012, as well as being used as private aircraft.



See Part 3 of my blog for South African Air Force Dakota History (will post it tomorrow)

Large numbers of DC-3s and surplus C-47s were in commercial use in the United States in the 1940s. In response to proposed changes to the airworthiness requirements that would limit the continuing use of the large numbers of DC-3s and surplus C-47s in commercial use in the United States, Douglas offered a late 1940s DC-3 conversion. This was modified to improve takeoff and single-engined performance, to meet the new Civil Air Regulations. The new model, the DC-3S or "Super DC-3", was 39 in (0.99 m) longer. It allowed 30 passengers to be carried, with increased speed to compete with newer airliners. The rearward shift in the center of gravity led to larger tail surfaces and new outer, swept-back wings. More powerful engines were installed along with shorter, jet ejection-type exhaust stacks. These were either 1,475 hp (1,100 kW) Wright R-1820 Cyclones or 1,450 hp (1,081 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2000s in larger engine nacelles. Minor changes included wheel well doors, a partially retractable tailwheel, flush rivets, and low drag antenna. These all contributed to an increased top speed of 250 mph (400 km/h). With greater than 75% of the original DC-3/C-47 configuration changed, the modified design was virtually a new aircraft.The first DC-3S made its maiden flight on 23 June 1949.

The changes fully met the new FAR 4B airworthiness requirements, with significantly improved performance. However, little interest was expressed by commercial operators in the DC-3S. It was too expensive for the smaller operators which were its main target: only three were sold to Capital Airlines. The U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps had 100 of its R4D aircraft modified to Super DC-3 standards as the R4D-8, later redesignated C-117D.[10]

Variants:
C-47
Initial military version of the DC-3 with seats for 27 troops, 965 built
 including 12 to the United States Navy as R4D-1; C-47A; C-47 with a 24-volt electrical system, 5,254 built including USN aircraft designated R4D-5;
RC-47A: C-47A equipped for photographic reconnaissance and ELINT missions
SC-47A: C-47A equipped for Search Air Rescue; redesignated HC-47A in 1962
VC-47A: C-47A equipped for VIP transport role
C-47B:; Powered by R-1830-90 engines with superchargers and extra fuel capacity to cover the China-Burma-India routes, 3,364 built
VC-47B: C-47B equipped for VIP transport role

XC-47C: C-47 tested with Edo Model 78 floats for possible use as a seaplane

C-47D: C-47B with superchargers removed after the war
AC-47D: Gunship aircraft with three side-firing .30 in (7.62 mm) Mini-gun machine guns
EC-47D:  C-47D with equipment for the Electronics Calibration, of which 26 were so converted by Hayes in 1953; prior to 1962 was designated AC-47D
NC-47D:  C-47D modified for test roles
RC-47D:  C-47D equipped for photographic reconnaissance and ELINT missions
SC-47D:  C-47D equipped for Search Air Rescue; redesignated HC-47D in 1962
VC-47D:  C-47D equipped for VIP transport role
C-47E : Modified cargo variant with space for 27–28 passengers or 18–24 litters
C-47F:  YC-129 redesignated, Super DC-3 prototype for evaluation by USAF later passed to USN as XR4D-8
C-47L/M:  C-47H/Js equipped for the support of American Legation United States Naval Attache (ALUSNA) and Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) missions
EC-47N/P/: C-47A and D aircraft modified for ELINT/ARDF mission, N and P differ in radio bands covered, while Q replaces analog equipment found on the N and P with a digital suite, redesigned antenna equipment and uprated engines
C-47R: One C-47M modified for high altitude work, specifically for missions in Ecuador
C-47T:  Designation applied to aircraft modified to a Basler BT-67 standard

C-47TP: Turbo Dakota; Refit with modern turboprop engines and fuselage stretch for the South African Air Force

C-53 Skytrooper: Troop transport version of the C-47
XC-53A Skytrooper: One aircraft with full-span slotted flaps and hot-air leading edge deicing
C-53B Skytrooper: Winterised version of C-53 with extra fuel capacity and separate navigator's station, eight built
C-53C Skytrooper: C-53 with larger port-side door, 17 built
C-53D Skytrooper; C-53C with 24V DC electrical system, 159 built
C-117A Skytrooper: C-47B with 24-seat airline-type interior for staff transport use, 16 built
VC-117A: Three redesignated C-117s used in the VIP role
SC-117A: One C-117C converted for air-sea rescue
C-117B/VC-117B: High-altitude superchargers removed, one built and conversions from C-117As all later VC-117B
C-117D: USN/USMC R4D-8 redesignated
LC-117D: USN/USMC R4D-8L redesignated
TC-117D: USN/USMC R4D-8T redesignated
VC-117D: USN R4D-8Z redesignated
YC-129: Super DC-3 prototype for evaluation by USAF redesignated C-47F and later passed to USN as XR4D-8. Wright R-1820 engines uprated to 1425 hp.
CC-129: Canadian Forces designation for the C-47 (post-1970)
XCG-17: One C-47 tested as a 40-seat troop glider with engines removed and faired over
R4D-1 Skytrain: USN/USMC version of the C-47
R4D-3: Twenty C-53Cs transferred to USN
R4D-5: C-47A variant 24-volt electrical system replacing the 12-volt of the C-47; redesignated C-47H in 1962, 238 transferred from USAF
R4D-5L: R4D-5 for use in Antarctica. Redesignated LC-47H in 1962. Photos of this type show the removal of underslung engine oil coolers typical of the R-1830 engine installation; apparently not needed in the cold polar regions.
R4D-5Q: R4D-5 for use as special ECM trainer. Redesignated EC-47H in 1962
R4D-5R: R4D-5 for use as a personnel transport for 21 passengers and as a trainer aircraft; redesignated TC-47H in 1962
R4D-5S: R4D-5 for use as a special ASW trainer; redesignated SC-47H in 1962
R4D-5Z: R4D-5 for use as a VIP transport; redesignated VC-47H in 1962
R4D-6: 157 C-47Bs transferred to USN; redesignated C-47J in 1962

R4D-6L, Q, R, S, and Z: Variants as the R4D-5 series; redesignated LC-47J, EC-47J, TC-47J, SC-47J, and VC-47J respectively in 1962
R4D-7: 44 TC-47Bs transferred from USAF for use as a navigational trainer; redesignated TC-47K in 1962

United States Navy R4D-8
R4D-8: R4D-5 and R4D-6 remanufactured aircraft with stretched fuselage, Wright R-1820 engines, fitted with modified wings and redesigned tail surfaces; redesignated C-117D in 1962
R4D-8L: R4D-8 converted for Antarctic use, redesignated LC-117D in 1962
R4D-8T: R4D-8 converted as crew trainers, redesignated TC-117D in 1962
R4D-8Z: R4D-8 converted as a staff transport, redesignated VC-117D in 1962

RAF designation for the C-47 and R4D-1
Dakota II: RAF designation for nine C-53 Skytroopers received under the lend lease scheme. Unlike the majority of RAF Dakotas, these aircraft were therefore dedicated troop transports, lacking the wide cargo doors and reinforced floor of the C-47.
Dakota III: RAF designation for the C-47A.
Dakota IV:RAF designation for the C-47B.
Airspeed AS.61: British conversion of Dakota I aircraft
Airspeed AS.62: British conversion of Dakota II aircraft
Airspeed AS.63: British conversion of Dakota III aircraft

Stats:
Crew: four (Pilot, Co-Pilot, Navigator, Radio Operator)
Capacity: 28 troops
Payload: 6,000 lb (2,700 kg)
Length: 63 ft 9 in (19.43 m)
Wingspan: 95 ft 6 in (29.41 m)
Height: 17 ft 0 in (5.18 m)
Wing area: 987 ft² (91.70 m²)

Dakota wrecks turn up in unusual places:

Siberia

Under water

Empty weight: 18,135 lb (8,226 kg)
Loaded weight: 26,000 lb (11,793 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 31,000 lb (14,061 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90C Twin Wasp 14-cylinder radial engines, 1,200 hp (895 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 224 mph (195 kn, 360 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,050 m)
Cruise speed: 160 mph (139 kn, 257 km/h)
Range: 1,600 mi (1,391 nmi, 2,575 km)
Ferry range: 3,600 mi (3,130 nmi, 5,795 km)
Service ceiling: 26,400 ft (8,045 m)
Climb to 10,000 ft (3,050 m): 9.5 min

Dakotas to Remember D-Day: The C-47 Dakota Part 1

D-Day Remembrance: C-47 Dakotas to drop Parachutists once more

On 6 June 2014 it is exactly 70 years ago that the largest invasion in history took place. 

On D-Day the beach landings saw almost 7 000 ships transport over 160 000 young men to the beaches of Normandy in France, to liberate Europe. This invasion was preceded by the landing of 13 000 paratroopers behind the enemy lines. Most of them jumped from the famous Douglas C-47 Dakota; the workhorse of the Allied troops.

The 70th anniversary of the D-day Invasion in June 2014 sees a “Dakota Fest” to bring as many of these aircraft that are still airworthy to Normandy again, and allow sky diving enthusiasts with the WW 2 style round parachutes to drop down to Normandy again !

For the first time since 1944 the skies over Normandy will be filled with Dakotas to drop paratroopers. Throughout Europe about 15 of these aircraft are still flying, and several will be joining from the US and Canada.

The only Airworthy Dakota in New Zealand

This has galvanised me to do a series of posts on the grand old Lady of the skies: 

The DC3/AC47 Skytrain or Dakota...watch this blog!

Silent Wings: The AS 51 Horsa Glider

The Airspeed 51 Horsa Glider

As part of the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day Normandy Landings our Wargames club is re-fighting the Sword Beach Landings of 1944.

This led me to research the history of the British 6th Airbourne and the Horsa Glider:
(Mostly from Wiki)

The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a British World War II troop-carrying glider built by Airspeed Limited and subcontractors and used for air assault by British and Allied armed forces. It was named after Horsa, the legendary 5th century conqueror of southern Britain.

The German military was a pioneer in the use of airborne operations, conducting several successful operations during the Battle of France in 1940, including the use of glider-borne troops in the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael and Crete. Impressed by the success of Germans airborne operations, the Allied governments decided to form their own airborne formations.This would eventually lead to the creation of two British airborne divisions, as well as a number of smaller units.

Tarrant Rushton Airfield, with gliders lined up

When the equipment for the airborne forces was under development, it was decided  that gliders would be an integral component; used to transport troops and heavy equipment. The first glider to be designed and produced was the General Aircraft Hotspur. Several problems were found with the Hotspur's design, the primary one being that the glider did not carry sufficient troops.

Hotspur glider 

Tactically it was believed that airborne troops should be landed in groups far larger than the eight the Hotspur could transport, and also the number of aircraft required to tow the gliders needed to carry larger groups would be impractical. There were also concerns that the gliders would have to be towed in tandem if used operationally, which would be extremely difficult during nighttime and through cloud formations. So the Hotspur was relegated to training duties, leading to the development of several other types of glider, including a 25-seater assault glider which became the Airspeed Horsa.

Initially it was planned that the Horsa would be used to transport paratroopers who would jump from doors installed on either side of the fuselage, and that the actual landing would be a secondary role; however the idea was soon dropped, and it was decided to simply have the glider land airborne troops. An initial order was placed for 400 of the gliders in February 1941, and it was estimated that Airspeed should be able to complete the order by July 1942.  Enquiries were made into the possibility of a further 400 being produced in India for use by Indian airborne forces, but this was abandoned when it was discovered the required wood would have to be imported into India at a prohibitive cost. Five prototypes were ordered with Fairey Aircraft producing the first two prototypes for flight testing while Airspeed completed the remaining prototypes to be used in equipment and loading tests. The first prototype (DG597) towed by an Armstrong Whitworth Whitle,  took flight on 12 September 1941 with George Errington at the controls.

Inspirational diorama (Great North Roads, Carl Hruska)

Production of the Horsa commenced in early 1942, and by May some 2,345 had been ordered by the Army for use in future airborne operations. The glider was designed from the outset to be built in components with a series of 30 sub-assemblies required to complete the manufacturing process. Manufacturing was intended primarily to use wood-crafting facilities not needed for more urgent aviation production, and as a result production was spread across separate factories, which consequently limited the likely loss in case of German attack. he designer A. H. Tiltman said that the Horsa "went from the drawing board to the air in ten months, which was not too bad considering the drawings had to be made suitable for the furniture trade who were responsible for all production."

The initial 695 gliders were manufactured at Airspeed's factory in Christchurch, Hampshire, with subcontractors producing the remainder. These included Austin Motors and furniture manufacturers. The subcontractors did not have airfields to deliver the gliders from, and sent the sub-assemblies to RAF Maintenance Units for final assembly. 4000 to 5000 Horsas were built in all.

The Horsa Mark I had a wingspan of 88 feet (27 m) and a length of 67 feet (20 m), and when fully loaded weighed 15,250 pounds (6,920 kg).

The Horsa was considered sturdy and very manoeuvrable for a glider. Its design was based on a high-wing cantilever monoplane with wooden wings and a wooden semi mono-coque fuselage. The fuselage was built in three sections bolted together, the front section held the pilot's compartment and main freight loading door, the middle section was accommodation for troops or freight, the rear section supported the tail unit. It had a fixed tricycle landing gear and it was one of the first gliders equipped with a tricycle undercarriage for take off. On operational flights the main gear could be jettisoned and landing was then made on the castoring nose wheel and a sprung skid under the fuselage.

A radio-controlled model, probably as close we'll ever get to seeing a Horsa fly again

The wing carried large "barn door" flaps which, when lowered, made a steep, high rate-of-descent landing possible — allowing the pilots to land in constricted spaces. The pilot's compartment had two side-by-side seats and dual controls. Aft of the pilot's compartment was the freight loading door on the port side. The hinged door could also be used as a loading ramp. The main compartment could accommodate 15 troops on benches along the sides with another access door on the starboard side.

The fuselage joint at the rear end of the main section could be broken on landing to assist in rapid unloading of troops and equipment. Supply containers could also be fitted under the center section of the wing, three on each side.

The later AS 58 Horsa II had a hinged nose section, reinforced floor and double nose wheels to support the extra weight of vehicles. The tow cable was attached to the nose wheel strut, rather than the dual wing points of the Horsa I.

The Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment and 1st Airlanding Brigade began loading trials with the prototypes in March but immediately ran into problems. Staff attempted to fit a jeep into a prototype, only to be told by Airspeed personnel present that to do so would break the glider's loading ramp, as it had only been designed to hold a single motorbike. With this lesson learnt, 1st Airlanding Brigade subsequently began sending samples of all equipment required to go into Horsas to Airspeed, and a number of weeks were spent ascertaining the methods and modifications required to fit the equipment into a Horsa.

I also found this great video footage:  Last flight of the Assault Gliders

Operational history
With up to 30 troop seats, the Horsa was much bigger than the 13-troop American Waco CG-4A (known as the Hadrian by the British), and the 8-troop General Aircraft Hotspur glider which used for training duties only. Instead of troops, the AS 51 could carry a jeep or a 6 pounder anti tank gun.

The Horsa was first used operationally on the night of 19/20 November 1942 in the unsuccessful attack on the German Heavy Water Plant at Rjukan in Norway (Operation Freshman). The two Horsa gliders, each carrying 15 sappers, and one of the Halifax tug aircraft, crashed in Norway due to bad weather. All 23 survivors from the glider crashes were executed on the orders of Hitler, in a flagrant breach of the Geneva Convention which protects POWs from summary execution.

In preparation for further operational deployment, 30 Horsa gliders were air-towed by Halifax bombers from Great Britain to North Africa but three aircraft were lost in transit. On 10 July 1943, 27 surviving Horsas were used in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily.

Large numbers (estimated at over 250) were subsequently used in Battle of Normandy; in the British Operation Tonga and American operations. The first units to land in France, during the Battle of Normandy, was a coup de main force carried by 6 Horsas that captured Pegasus Bridge in Operation Deadstick, over the Caen canal, and a further bridge over the River Orne.

Ranville - note "Rommel's Asparagus" - anti glider posts

320 Horsas were used in the first lift and a further 296 Horsas were used in the second lift. Large numbers were also used for Operation Dragoon and Operation Market Garden, both in 1944, and Operation Varsity in March 1945; the final operation for the Horsa when 440 gliders carried soldiers of the 6th Airborne Division across the Rhine.

Horsas at Ranville

In operations, the Horsa was towed by various aircraft: four engined heavy bombers displaced from operational service such as the obsolete Short Stirling and Handley Page Halifax, the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle and Armstrong Whitworth Whitley twin-engined bombers, as well as the US Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota (not as often due to the weight of the glider, however in Operation Market Garden, a total of 1,336 C-47s along with 340 Stirlings were employed to tow 1,205 gliders,) and Curtiss C-46 Commando. They were towed with a harness that attached to points on both wings, and also carried an intercom between tug and glider. The glider pilots were usually from the Glider Pilot Regiment, part of the Army Air Corps, although Royal Air Force pilots were used on occasion.

British airborne troops guarding a road crossing, Horsas in background

The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) acquired approximately 400 Horsas in a form of "reverse" Lend-Lease. A small number of Horsa Mk IIs were obtained by the Royal Canadian Air Force for post-Second World War evaluation at CFB Gimli, Manitoba. Three of these survivors were purchased as surplus in the early 1950s and ended up in Matlock, Manitoba where they were eventually scrapped. A small number of Horsas were also evaluated postwar in India. Due to low surplus prices in the UK, many were bought and converted to travel trailers and vacation cottages.

Horsa fuselage being converted into a "lovely little flat"

On 5 June 2004, as part of the 60th anniversary commemoration of D-Day, Prince Charles unveiled a replica Horsa on the site of the first landing at Pegasus Bridge, and talked with Jim Wallwork, the first pilot to land the aircraft on French soil during D-Day.

Replica at Pegasus Bridge

Ten replicas were built for use in the 1977 film A Bridge Too Far, mainly for static display and set-dressing, although one Horsa was modified to make a brief "hop" towed behind a Dakota at Deelen, the Netherlands. During the production, seven of the replicas were damaged in a wind storm; the contingent were repaired in time for use in the film. Five of the Horsa "film models" were destroyed during filming with the survivors sold as a lot to John Hawke, aircraft collector in the UK. Another mock-up for close-up work came into the possession of the Ridgeway Military & Aviation Research Group and is stored at Welford, Berkshire.

Variants
AS.51 Horsa I
Production glider with cable attachment points at upper attachment points of main landing gear.
AS.52 Horsa
Bomb-carrying Horsa; project cancelled prior to design/production
AS.53 Horsa
further development of the Horsa not taken up.
AS.58 Horsa II
Development of the Horsa I with hinged nose, to allow direct loading and unloading of equipment, twin nose wheel and cable attachment on nose wheel strut.

Interior

Operators

 Belgium
Belgian Army - One aircraft only.
 Canada
Royal Canadian Air Force
 India
Indian Air Force
 Portugal
Portuguese Air Force
 Turkey
Turkish Air Force
 United Kingdom
Army Air Corps
Glider Pilot Regiment
Royal Air Force
No. 670 Squadron RAF
 United States
United States Army Air Forces

Survivors
An Airspeed Horsa Mark II (KJ351) is preserved at the Museum of Army Flying in Hampshire, England. The Assault Glider Trust is building a replica at RAF Shawbury using templates made from original components found scattered over various European battlefields and using plans supplied by BAE Systems (on the condition that the glider must not be flown).

The Assault Glider Trust  (Clicky for link) Horsa being transported from RAF Shawbury

More info and pics from Chalk Living History

Although there is some difference of opinion (now being researched), the replica at Pegasus Bridge is believed to incorporate a forward fuselage section retrieved from Cholsey, Oxfordshire, which had served as a dwelling for over 50 years. This relic was recovered from Cholsey around 2001 by the Mosquito Aircraft Museum, of London Colney, where it was stored until being transferred to Pegasus Bridge. The airframe is not believed to have seen active service.

Specifications (AS 51)
Data from British Warplanes of World War II

General characteristics
Crew: 2
Capacity: 25 troops (20-25 troops were the "standard" load)
Length: 67 ft 0 in (20.43 m)
Wingspan: 88 ft 0 in (26.83 m)
Height: 19 ft 6 in (5.95 m)
Wing area: 1,104 ft² (102.6 m²)
Empty weight: 8,370 lb (3,804 kg)
Loaded weight: 15,500 lb (7,045 kg)

Performance
Maximum speed: 150 mph on tow; 100 mph gliding (242 km/h / 160 km/h)
Wing loading: 14.0 lb/ft² (68.7 kg/m²)