Warbirds and Airshows
By David D Jackson

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WWII US Glider Manufacturing Sites
Below are statistics on the number and location of what was almost entirely CG-4A production in WWII.  However, there is more to the story of than just statistics.  That is the story of the Glidermen that rode these un-powered aircraft into combat.  The book, "Glidermen of Neptune: The American D-Day Glider Attack"  by Charles J. Masters, gives an excellent overview of what is really an untold and unique story from WWII.  Also put on your list of important places to visit the Silent Wings Museum in Lubbock, TX.

Company Location Glider Types USAAF Code History
Babcock Aircraft Corporation Deland, FL (60) CG-4A BB Was out of production by 1945.  Unit cost of these CG-4A was $51,000.  They manufacturing facility was a circus tent.
Cessna Aircraft Company Wichita, KS (750) CG-4A CE Cessna built a new plant in Wichita, KS that began shipping gliders nine weeks after construction of the facility began.  In November of 1942 it produced 409 CG-4As, which was twice the monthly output of any of the other producers.  However, production of trainers was deemed more important by the US Army, so it terminated glider production not too long afterwards.
Commonwealth Aircraft Company (Formerly Rearwin Aircraft) Kansas City, KS (100) CG-3A
(1,470) CG-4A
CM CG-3A was used for training only and had nine seats.
Ford Motor Company Kingsford, MI (4,190) CG-4A; (85) CG-13A FO Largest producer.  This was a former wood station wagon plant that ran 24 hours a day with 4,500 employees which at peak production was producing 8 gliders a day.  This was at a unit cost of $14,891, which was $4,500 lower than WACO, the next most efficient producer.

After WWII the plant was converted to the manufacture of Kingsford Charcoal.

G&A Aircraft Corporation Willow Grove, PA (627) CG-4A G&A  
General Aviation Corporation Astoria, NY (1,112) CG-4A GE  
Gibson Refrigeration Company Greenville, MI (1078) CG-4A GN  
Jenter Corporation (former Ridgefield Manufacturing Corporation) Ridgefield, NJ (162) CG-4A RI  
Laister-Kauffman St. Louis , Missouri (310) CG-4A LK  
National Aircraft Corporation Elwood, IN (1) CG-4A NA Was out of production by 1943 and was a company organized by several persons with no previous aircraft manufacturing experience, which received a contract for 30 units. .When the contract was terminated by the Army a year later, the cost of the one unit stood at $1,741,808.88. 
Northwestern Aeronautical Corporation Minneapolis, MN (1,509) CG-4A; (47) CG-13A NW  
Pratt-Read and Company  Deep River, CT (956) CG-4A PR  
Porterfield Aircraft Company (former Ward Furniture Manufacturing Company) Fort Smith, AR (7) CG-4A WA Was out of production by 1945.
Robertson Aircraft Corporation St. Louis, MO (170) CG-4A RO  
Timm Aircraft Company Los Angeles, California (433) CG-4A TI Was out of production by 1945.
Waco Troy, OH (1) XCG-3
(2) XCG-4
(1,074) CG-4A
WO  

WWII Aircraft Manufacture   Canada Aircraft  US Aircraft   US Cross Reference  US Airships  US Engines   USA Gliders   Propellers  Plant Photos

 

 

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