Ford making gliders during the war

[deuce5wndw]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...764ded34&ei=55

[19Fordy]

Wow! It is truly amazing how the industrial knowhow of Ford and all the other leading manufacturers was able to be converted to everything needed to win WW II.

[highbeams]

Originally Posted by deuce5wndw

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world...764ded34&ei=55

Thank You! And Thank You! to the Greatest Generation -

[Ray in La Mesa]

I've got a wing rib from one of the gliders. Got it from A Ford badge collector in Sun City, Az. who got it from a fellow in the U.P. where Henry had his operations. The weird stuff we collect!

[deuce5wndw]

Originally Posted by highbeams

Thank You! And Thank You! to the Greatest Generation -

You're welcome and I totally agree about the Greatest generation! My dad served in the Pacific during the war.

[corvette8n]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

If you’ve never read the book I encourage you to find a used copy, I bought on a few years back for a couple of bucks.

[rockfla]

Unfortunately, for "some", these bring back some bad memories. A good friend from church (RIP) was in the D-Day invasion and was in one of these going in, the pilots flew around for more than 2 hours, basically lost, and finally got frustrated and released his glider where the "thought" they were supposed to be. He landed and was immediately captured by a German regiment and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp.

[nelsb01]

Here is another book written by a member of the Early Ford V-8 Club.
Ford in the Service of America, by Timothy O'Callaghan

I believe it still is available from the Early Ford V-8 Foundation.

[FortyNiner]

At the museum in Iron Mountain, there is a display that includes one of the gliders produced locally. I still marvel at the incredibly cramped and overloaded design and the optimistically hopeful thinking they represent. The existence of any survivors for any landing is remarkable- and heroic.

[FortyNiner]

Originally Posted by Ray in La Mesa

I've got a wing rib from one of the gliders. Got it from A Ford badge collector in Sun City, Az. who got it from a fellow in the U.P. where Henry had his operations. The weird stuff we collect!

The pieces assembled were incredibly intricate. Can you share a picture?

[ScubaChief60]

Like this post! My late dad was a WACO glider pilot. He never spoke about it much. After his passing, my late mother came to us with a cassette tape he put together on Operation Varsity. Piloted a glider out of France into Germany. My understanding that one out of five glider pilots would not survive. So I feel special to be here and special that he was around to tell me to "replace those mechanical brakes on your 1935 or you'll bust your A$$"...

[ThirstyThirty]

Originally Posted by ScubaChief60

Like this post! My late dad was a WACO glider pilot. He never spoke about it much. After his passing, my late mother came to us with a cassette tape he put together on Operation Varsity. Piloted a glider out of France into Germany. My understanding that one out of five glider pilots would not survive. So I feel special to be here and special that he was around to tell me to "replace those mechanical brakes on your 1935 or you'll bust your A$$"...

Like your post, too! Made me chuckle! I heard the same thing from my Dad about mechanical brakes. We ran them... always stopped! Some times... later than sooner! lol

[ScubaChief60]

https://www.ww2gp.org/rhineCrossing/

My dear ole dad piloted a WACO glider with 3000 lbs of 75MM. I have his wings that sport the "G" dead center... for 'guts' not 'Glider'

[ScubaChief60]

I do like my FORD!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco_CG-4