I am wondering if any company has ever produced models of the Waco and Horsa gliders used in WW II. I’ve been thinking of doing one of my “digital dioramas” of a skyfull of C47s and gliders. Scale is not important, as I can change that anyway. Can anyone help ? If none were ever made, an important part of WW II history has been ignored. (and not for the first time, either !)
Italieri did a model of the WACO glider - I THINK it is still available. Don’t know about the Horsa though.
Jim
I’m pretty sure Italeri did both in 1/72.
Yes - Italeri did indeed do a Airspeed Horsa Mk I / II - Kit No. 116
OOP i think but should be fairly easy to track down - good luck with the project…
You might want to contact the Silent Wings Museum here in Lubbock, Tx. I know for a fact they have the Horsa kits and probably have the Waco ones too. Not to mention they’ve got a fully restored Waco, 3 partially restored ones and will be getting a new-build Horsa within the next year or so!
I built a 1/72 Waco for my grandpa who flew one, although briefly[:p] Any how the kit was Testors of Italeri origin I’m sure.
Woody, I have seen on a documentary that the glider pilots were not given the same status as the ones that flew “engined” aircraft. I feel that was a terrible disservice to those who flew into such danger. My hat is off to your grandpa. Pix.
Hi;
Read your post and then went online to EBAY and found 5 auctions running at this moment fot the waco and horsa glider. All 1/72 scale I hope this helps . [8D]
I am looking fer these kits too as my grandfather (on my dads side) also flew in both of these and the hamilcar and hotspur gliders, in the back though and not as a pilot. i got a hotspur but dont know if there ever was a kit of the hamilcar, anyone know? cheers…Greg
Hey Greg, Someone indeed made a kit of it-Contrail. Thanks Pixilater, Grampa George never would talk about the war much. He did tell briefly of landing and having more than 1/2 of the poor boys onboard killed before they could get out of the glider. He never talked about a second class statis, but said he flew P-51’s before being tapped for the honor of glider pilot. I’m not sure if he just trainer or was in combat in fighters. He pretty much let it be known it was a topic he didn’t wish to discuss. I was shocked and honored when he asked for me to build the glider model.(He only asked that I didn’t put any of “those little men in it”). He die of the big C about 6 months later.
Cheers Woody i’ll be on the look out for one…Greg [8D]
Woody - My father was a pilot during the war, also (B-24 to Ploesti first raid; P-51 in Italy). He never said much, either. I only saw one wartime pic of his, with the crew of the Liberator in the desert. He was in the Air Force from '41- '61. After his flying was over, he became a cryptologist (code-breaker; not sure of spelling). He died of the big C also, in '89. I think that everyone in the country owes a debt of gratitude to the people of that generation. That’s just my opinion.
18co- Thanks for the tip ! I put a bid in on the Horsa. I’d really like to create that picture.
Thanks again, all ! Have fun, Pix.
A debt for sure! One we can never forget. I was having a discussion the other day with someone about the unexceptable losses our soilders are suffering in Iraq. It got me thinking what a different breed we are from our fathers and grandfathers. In WWI and WWII young men were asked to die by the thousands and did. Now if one soilder dies some Americans start to run down the military, president, and America in general. God bless America and all thoughs who have shed blood to preserve one of the greatest nations that has ever stood.