Tanks with glider wings were the subject of several unsuccessful experiments in the 20th century. It was intended that these could be towed behind, or carried under, an airplane, to glide into a battlefield, in support of infantry forces.
In war, airborne forces use parachutes to drop soldiers behind enemy lines to capture and hold important objectives until more heavily equipped friendly troops can arrive. Military planners have always sought ways to provide airborne troops with combat support equipment in the form of light armored vehicles or artillery which can be dropped by parachute or military glider.
The problem with air-dropping vehicles is that their crews drop separately, and may be delayed or prevented from bringing them into action. Military gliders allow crews to arrive at the drop zone along with their vehicles. They also minimize exposure of the valuable towing aircraft, which need not appear over the battlefield. An improvement would be a tank which could glide into the battlefield, drop its wings, and be ready to fight within minutes. This would allow the crew to immediately begin operation.
In 1930, the Grokhovskiy Special Design Bureau experimented with dropping "air buses" full of troops: the bicycle-wheeled G-45 onto land, and the amphibious "hydro bus" into water. When the hydro bus disintegrated on landing, the chief designer and his assistant were strapped into the G-45 for a test drop; they survived, but the project was cancelled.[3]
Later, the Soviets used heavy bombers to land on the battlefield carrying T-27 tankettes and T-37 tank light tanks, and experimented with air-dropping light tanks (both with and without parachutes). In 1941, airborne units were issued T-40 amphibious tanks.[4]
None of these were completely satisfactory, so in 1942 the Soviet Air Force ordered Oleg Antonov to design a glider for landing tanks. Antonov was more ambitious, and instead added a detachable cradle to a lightened T-60 light tank, bearing large wood and fabric biplane wings and twin tail. Although one semi-successful test flight was completed, due to the lack of sufficiently powerful aircraft to tow it at the required 160 km/h, the project was abandoned.
Japanese projects
The Imperial Japanese Army's experimental Special No. 3 Flying TankSo-Ra or Ku-Ro, was developed in 1943. Like the Soviet models, it had detachable wings, but it could also be transported by heavy gliders, namely the Kokusai Ku-7 "Buzzard" and Kokusai Ku-8 I "Gander". These could be towed by aircraft such as the Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" heavy bomber. However, the Japanese Flying Tank project was abandoned before it went into production. The tank transport gliders were deployed to the Philippines during 1944. Another prototype was Maeda Ku-6 Flying Tank, but it also did not advance to experimental phases.[5]
United Kingdom
In 1941, L.E. Baynes produced a design for a 100 ft (30 m) wingspan "Carrier Wing Glider", a large tailless wing to carry a tank. A reduced scale experimental glider – the Baynes Bat – was tested.[6] It was satisfactory but the project was dropped and work on gliders that could carry vehicles internally was taken up. This led to the Airspeed Horsa and General Aircraft Hamilcar that could carry a Jeep and a light tank respectively.
After World War II
The Soviet Union continued to develop methods to efficiently deploy airborne vehicles, but focusing on parachute deployment from large fixed-wing aircraft instead, in an effort to render their "winged infantry" fully mechanized as well. By the mid-1970s, they were able to drop BMD-1s with crew members aboard, using a combination of a parachute and retrorocket.[citation needed]
The T-80 and T-84 have also been nicknamed Flying Tank for their speed
The M22 Locust is an American Light Tank used for the British Airborne that is suspended under a C-54 Skymaster or a General Aircraft Hamilcar glider but not as a winged tank, but as a glider under the Skymaster or inside the Glider.
^"Flying Tank – Newest Air Menace". Popular Mechanics. Hearst Magazines: 37–39. July 1932. ISSN 0032-4558.
^Holt, Lew. “Flying Tanks that Shed Their Wings 2011-09-20 at the Wayback Machine” in Modern Mechanics and Inventions, July 1932.
^Zaloga, Steven J.; Grandsen, James (1984). Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two. London: Arms and Armour Press. pp. 192–3. ISBN0-85368-606-8.
^Shavrov, V. (1997). "Istoriya konstruktsiy samoletov v SSSR". Bronekollektsiya (4).
^. 2011. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16.
May 16, 2023
winged, tank, tanks, with, glider, wings, were, subject, several, unsuccessful, experiments, 20th, century, intended, that, these, could, towed, behind, carried, under, airplane, glide, into, battlefield, support, infantry, forces, airborne, forces, parachutes. Tanks with glider wings were the subject of several unsuccessful experiments in the 20th century It was intended that these could be towed behind or carried under an airplane to glide into a battlefield in support of infantry forces In war airborne forces use parachutes to drop soldiers behind enemy lines to capture and hold important objectives until more heavily equipped friendly troops can arrive Military planners have always sought ways to provide airborne troops with combat support equipment in the form of light armored vehicles or artillery which can be dropped by parachute or military glider The problem with air dropping vehicles is that their crews drop separately and may be delayed or prevented from bringing them into action Military gliders allow crews to arrive at the drop zone along with their vehicles They also minimize exposure of the valuable towing aircraft which need not appear over the battlefield An improvement would be a tank which could glide into the battlefield drop its wings and be ready to fight within minutes This would allow the crew to immediately begin operation Designer s model of the Antonov A 40 Contents 1 Development 1 1 J Walter Christie 1 2 Soviet experiments 1 3 Japanese projects 1 4 United Kingdom 1 5 After World War II 2 See also 3 ReferencesDevelopment EditJ Walter Christie Edit In the early 1930s American engineer J Walter Christie experimented with the flying tank concept 1 2 This section needs expansion You can help by adding to it November 2020 Soviet experiments Edit TB 3 bomber carrying a T 27 tankette 1935Soviets flying tankFurther information Antonov A 40 In 1930 the Grokhovskiy Special Design Bureau experimented with dropping air buses full of troops the bicycle wheeled G 45 onto land and the amphibious hydro bus into water When the hydro bus disintegrated on landing the chief designer and his assistant were strapped into the G 45 for a test drop they survived but the project was cancelled 3 Later the Soviets used heavy bombers to land on the battlefield carrying T 27 tankettes and T 37 tank light tanks and experimented with air dropping light tanks both with and without parachutes In 1941 airborne units were issued T 40 amphibious tanks 4 None of these were completely satisfactory so in 1942 the Soviet Air Force ordered Oleg Antonov to design a glider for landing tanks Antonov was more ambitious and instead added a detachable cradle to a lightened T 60 light tank bearing large wood and fabric biplane wings and twin tail Although one semi successful test flight was completed due to the lack of sufficiently powerful aircraft to tow it at the required 160 km h the project was abandoned Japanese projects Edit The Imperial Japanese Army s experimental Special No 3 Flying Tank So Ra or Ku Ro was developed in 1943 Like the Soviet models it had detachable wings but it could also be transported by heavy gliders namely the Kokusai Ku 7 Buzzard and Kokusai Ku 8 I Gander These could be towed by aircraft such as the Mitsubishi Ki 21 Sally heavy bomber However the Japanese Flying Tank project was abandoned before it went into production The tank transport gliders were deployed to the Philippines during 1944 Another prototype was Maeda Ku 6 Flying Tank but it also did not advance to experimental phases 5 United Kingdom Edit In 1941 L E Baynes produced a design for a 100 ft 30 m wingspan Carrier Wing Glider a large tailless wing to carry a tank A reduced scale experimental glider the Baynes Bat was tested 6 It was satisfactory but the project was dropped and work on gliders that could carry vehicles internally was taken up This led to the Airspeed Horsa and General Aircraft Hamilcar that could carry a Jeep and a light tank respectively After World War II Edit The Soviet Union continued to develop methods to efficiently deploy airborne vehicles but focusing on parachute deployment from large fixed wing aircraft instead in an effort to render their winged infantry fully mechanized as well By the mid 1970s they were able to drop BMD 1s with crew members aboard using a combination of a parachute and retrorocket citation needed See also EditMilitary glider Messerschmitt Me 321 and Junkers Ju 322 German gliders designed to be capable of carrying light armored vehicles The T 80 and T 84 have also been nicknamed Flying Tank for their speed The M22 Locust is an American Light Tank used for the British Airborne that is suspended under a C 54 Skymaster or a General Aircraft Hamilcar glider but not as a winged tank but as a glider under the Skymaster or inside the Glider Light Tank Mk VII Tetrarch Also available for the British Airborne that be put on a General Aircraft Hamilcar glider References Edit Flying Tank Newest Air Menace Popular Mechanics Hearst Magazines 37 39 July 1932 ISSN 0032 4558 Holt Lew Flying Tanks that Shed Their Wings Archived 2011 09 20 at the Wayback Machine in Modern Mechanics and Inventions July 1932 Zaloga Steven J Grandsen James 1984 Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two London Arms and Armour Press pp 192 3 ISBN 0 85368 606 8 Shavrov V 1997 Istoriya konstruktsiy samoletov v SSSR Bronekollektsiya 4 Ku Ro Ku ro Aviarmor com The Baynes Carrier Wing Glider or the Bat 2011 Archived from the original on 2011 07 16 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Winged tank amp oldid 1136862315, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
