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Infix "S" coded CG-4 based at South Plains
AAF, TX . USAAF
Photo courtesty of the Silent Wings Museum |
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Army Air Field
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Code Letter Source
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Dalhart, TX
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Ft. Sumner, NM
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Laurinburg-Maxton, NC
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Sedalia AAF, MO
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South Plains, TX
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South Plains
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Stuttgart, AR
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ST
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STuttgart
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Victorville, CA
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Glider Production
Notes
Waco
CG-3A:100 constructed Waco CG-4: 14,000 constructed (by 16 firms) Waco CG-13: 252 constructed Waco CG-15: 429 consructed
Interesting Factoids - The
average price paid by the U.S. Gov't was about $ 25,000 for each CG-4 and were sold surplus after
the war for $ 75.00 each. Post-war purchases of brand new CG-4's (still in their original wooden
shipping boxes) was not uncommon. An example purchase would be that a group
of neighbors would pool $75 to purchase a CG-4...not because they wanted the glider, but because they wanted shipping box. Upon receipt the glider was extracted and hauled off to the city dump and the box was cut up into sub-sections and then distributed among the buyer group. The sub-sections were then used for a variety of applications
(e.g. a child's playhouse, tool shed, ham radio shack, chicken coop, etc.). Other uses included house trailers, hunting / fishing cabins and a reported motel.
- The
Ford Motor Co. produced 4200 CG-4's at their plant in Kingsford, Michigan which represented 30% of the total glider
production. As a result of this higher volume Ford could enjoy an economy of scale to become the least cost
producer of the CG-4 as their unit cost to the U.S. Government was $15,000 vs. $ 25,000 from the other
fifteen producers. This former aircraft factory site is now utilized by Kingsford Products Co. for
the manufacture of BBQ charcoal briquettes.
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greatest operational use was that of Operation Market Garden in 1944 when 1,600 CG-4's were towed into combat...by a simliar
number of C-47's .
- Operationally only 4% of the CG-4's landings resulted in an undamaged aircraft.
- The RAF received approx 1000
CG-4's which were based in India in preparation for use in the invasion of Japan.
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"ST" coded CG-4 based at Stuttgart AAF, AR Photo courtesy from the Collection of S. Smisek
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"S" coded CG-4's based at South
Plains AAF, TX Oops!...
USAAF
Photo courtesy of Silent Wings Museum |
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