Airspeed AS.51 and AS.58 Horsa

For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.

Contents

Type Description

• AS.51 Horsa Mk.I
• High-wing cantilever monoplane troop carrying Glider to Specification X.26/40 to meet the requirements of OR.99, capable of transporting a maximum of 30 seated fully equipped troops. The wooden semi-monocoque 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. The fuselage joint at the rear end of the main section could be broken on landing to facilitate the rapid unloading of troops and equipment. Initially the tail was severed by detonating a ring of Cordtex around the rear fuselage, but this was thought to be hazardous, especially if detonated prematurely by enemy fire, so was repplaced by eight quick-release bolts, and wire-cutters to sever the control cables.The wing carried large "barn door" flaps to allow high rate-of-descent landing and was equipped with a fixed tricycle landing gearf. On operational flights, the main gear could be jettisoned and landing was then made on the castoring nose wheel and a sprung skid set on the underside of the fuselage.

• AS.58 Horsa Mk.II
• Vehicle carrying glider - as Mk.I with 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 Mk.I

Projected Variants

• AS.52
• Proposed bomb carrying version of Mk.I to Specification X.3/41 to meet the requirements of OR.104.

• AS.53
• Proposed vehicle carrying version of Mk.I.

• (none)
• Powered version of Mk.I fitted with 375 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah X powerplants.

Production Details

Notes

1. Harris Lebus - a consortium managed by furniture manufacturers Harris Lebus, Tottenham, London, including Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Works, The Co-operative Society, AC Cars, Slazenger, Peerless Furniture and others.
2. It has long been recorded that there were only 3 Horsa prototypes, but Mike Phipp [4] corrects this to 4, based on Airspeeds Chief Test Pilots' logs.
3. The contract record card states 'These Gliders are complete Gliders but sometimes delivered as complete sets of components and assembled under contract A/C 1577. The PF series are definitely delivered as complete Gliders'.
4. 538 Horsa Mk.I are indicated in Air Britain Registers [3] and/or Serial Ledger [5] as being transferred to the USAAF, many of which were later returned to RAF charge. In addition, a further 21 Mk.I aircraft were sent to the USA.

Production References

1. Airspeed Aircraft Since 1931, H.A. Taylor (Putnam, 1970)
2. Wingspan (Incorporating Planes) Magazine #39
3. RAF Aircraft Register Series, Various Volumes (Air-Britain Publications)
4. Correspondence on Air Britain Information Exchange (AB-IX) forum, November 2010
5. RAF Air Historical Branch: Serial/Delivery Ledger (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MF-5)
6. RAF Air Historical Branch: Contract Delivery Cards (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC78-8-2)
7. RAF Air Historical Branch: Aircraft Movement Cards (A.M. Form 78) (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC 77-15-41 and -42)
8. Canadian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers at CASPIR (Canadian Aircraft Serials Personnel Information Resource) at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
9. Ministry of Aircraft Production Aeroplane Price Books (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records X005-2126)