General Aircraft GAL.55
The General Aircraft GAL.55 was a 1940s British military training glider designed and built by General Aircraft Limited.[1]
| General Aircraft GAL.55 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Training Glider |
| National origin | United Kingdom |
| Manufacturer | General Aircraft Limited |
| First flight | 1943 |
| Number built | 2 |
Development
The GAL.55 was a two-seat training glider to meet Air Ministry Specification TX.3/43.[1] The requirement called for a glider to train transport glider pilots and the GAL.55 had side-by-side seating, a tricycle landing gear, split trailing edge flaps and dive brakes.[1] Two gliders were built, the first flew in 1943 from Hanworth, the type flew well but they did not handle like the contemporary Hotspur and Horsa.[1] Having no training value the type did not enter production.[1]
Specifications
GAL 55 3-view drawing from Les Ailes January 4, 1947
Data from Ellison 1971, p. 127
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 25 ft 6.5 in (7.785 m)
- Wingspan: 35 ft 1.5 in (10.706 m)
- Wing area: 182 sq ft (16.9 m2)
- Aspect ratio: 6.8
- Empty weight: 1,650 lb (748 kg)
- Gross weight: 2,350 lb (1,066 kg)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 225 mph (362 km/h, 196 kn)
References
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Notes
- Ken Mason (February 2005). "GAL - industry innovator (Part 2)". Aviation News. 67 (2): 136.
Bibliography
- Ellison, Norman (1971). British Gliders and Sailplanes. London: A & C Black Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7136-1189-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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