General Airborne Transport XCG-16

[jzichek]

Check out this article at RetroMechanix.com on the General Airborne Transport XCG-16, an American flying wing type combat glider with twin booms and a single rudder dating from 1944:



The article reproduces an Army Air Force preliminary evaluation report on the type, which features 21 high resolution photos of this innovative but ultimately unsuccessful aircraft.

-Jared

[jzichek]

A second post on the XCG-16 has been added to RetroMechanix.com featuring an additional 17 photos of this unusual lifting fuselage military transport/assault glider:



The high resolution photos include some interesting shots of the glider being towed by a B-17; worth a look if you are interested in unusual vintage aircraft.

-Jared

[Empiricist]

That was a controversial glider designed by controversial designer. William H. Bowlus was not a man of success when it comes to his military projects. All of them were rejected by the USAAF. Bowlus was unable to design the gliders according to world's trends in the glider design. No doubt that the report you linked mentions: "The extremely restricted pilot visibility" among others. That was the same factor as in the other Bowlus' glider called 1-S-2100 Senior Albatross Falcon which was a gliderman's nightmare when it comes to visibility with its claustrophobic cockpit of the design unknown in the world. Bowlus was too much "original" to be accepted by the USAAF. Also his BA-100 Baby Albatross gliders with gun cameras to train air combats were rejected by USAAF.