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General Aircraft Hamilcar

1942 WORLD WAR 2

General Aircraft Hamilton History

As World War II (1939-1945) intensified, war planners soon realized that long-range warfare would ultimately require equally long-range aircraft for total victory. This has led to the development of many powered and non-powered forms of transporting people, machinery and supplies from point A to point B. The "Hamilka" utility aircraft was one of the non-dynamic contributors to the war effort developed by the United Kingdom (albeit to a limited extent), capable of carrying heavier-than-normal loads, such as light main battle tanks and similar vehicles.

The development of Hamilkar coincided with the development of the British Air Force. Airborne troops were basically forced to enter the combat zone with fairly light weapons and without armoured vehicles as support.

Light artillery became a traditional part of the stockpile, but these combat units did lack the advantage of fighting alongside mechanized tanks with powerful weapons.

The first operations of British troops and Hamilcar took place during Operation Tonga, the airborne and amphibious landings in Normandy (France). The Americans became interested in the super-giant glider, but the U.S. Air Force's demand was so great that General Aircraft could not meet it, and the partnership fell through. Future operations using gliders include Operation Market Garden (A Bridge Too Far) and Operation University (as part of Operation Plunder).

Varsity marked Hamilcar's last combat operation, despite the fleet's extended peacetime service with Britain, although all were phased out in the mid-1950s.

No variants of the series exist, although some are planned beyond the original Mark I shape. These included the Hamilcar Mark X, which was intended as a tropical combat glider, i.e. for Pacific island hopping against the Japanese. Modifications to the Hamilcar in this form included the addition of 2 x Bristol Mercury air-cooled radial piston engines on the wings to provide additional traction for the aircraft (and its mothership). At least two prototypes were modified in this way and proved to be adequate tugboats.

Although the fleet increased by about ten aircraft, the war was over before anyone could use them.

Throughout its operational history, the Hamilcar glider has only been in service with the United Kingdom, with branches in the Army and Royal Air Force.