The Chase XCG-20, also known as the XG-20 and by the company designation MS-8 Avitruc,Gunston 1980, p. 170. was a large

assault glider Military gliders (an offshoot of common gliders) have been used by the militaries of various countries for carrying troops (glider infantry) and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were ...

developed immediately after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

by the Chase Aircraft Company for the United States Air Force, and was the largest glider ever built in the United States. The XG-20 did not see production due to a change in USAF requirements, however, it was modified into the successful

Fairchild C-123 Provider The Fairchild C-123 Provider is an American military transport aircraft designed by Chase Aircraft and then built by Fairchild Aircraft for the U.S. Air Force. In addition to its USAF service, which included later service with the Air Force Re ...

twin-engined transport aircraft which saw extensive service in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...

Design and development

Following the end of World War II, the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

, which became the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

(USAF) in 1947, developed a requirement for a new, large assault glider type to replace smaller types that were then in service, all existing gliders having been declared obsolete.Noetzel 1992, p.27. The new gliders were to be constructed entirely of metal, and were also required to be easily adaptable to a powered configuration. As part of a five-year development program, a contract was awarded to the Chase Aircraft Company of Trenton, New Jersey, in August 1946 for the construction of two types of gliders. These included a smaller model being designated XCG-18A, and the larger, definitive model being designated XCG-20.Pattillo 2000, p.165. The XCG-20, redesignated XG-20 in 1948 with the establishment of the USAF, was the largest glider ever constructed in the United States, and the last combat glider to be built for the U.S. military.Sergievsky et al. 1998, p.128 It featured a high-mounted wing and retractable tricycle landing gear, with an

auxiliary power unit An auxiliary power unit (APU) is a device on a vehicle that provides energy for functions other than propulsion. They are commonly found on large aircraft and naval ships as well as some large land vehicles. Aircraft APUs generally produce 115& ...

supplying hydraulic power to the landing gear and flaps. The nose section was reinforced to provide optimal protection to the pilots in the event of a crash on landing, and to allow for the strongest possible towing connection.Adcock 1992, p.4. The cargo hold was long and wide; it featured an innovative configuration, the rear fuselage being upswept with an integrated loading ramp. This allowed vehicles to be driven directly on and off of the aircraft, speeding loading and unloading times.

Operational history

Although the first prototype XG-20 never flew as a glider, the second prototype conducted the aircraft's first flight in April 1950. Following being displayed to the public at

Pope Air Force Base Pope Field is a U.S. military facility located 12 miles (19 km) northwest of the central business district of Fayetteville, in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States.. Federal Aviation Administration. effective 15 November 2012 ...

as part of

Exercise Swarmer Exercise SWARMER (also known as Operation SWARMER) was a large-scale military exercise conducted in the spring of 1950 by the United States Air Force, United States Army, and United States Navy in the area of Fort Bragg, North Carolina in the sout ...

during that month, the XG-20 underwent thorough flight testing; during the late summer, it was evaluated against a variety of other transport aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Although it possessed no obvious faults, the test program confirmed that the powered "assault transport" was the equal of the glider in landing performance; having been rendered obsolete, the assault glider fell out of favor with the Air Force, and the XG-20 project was cancelled.Mitchell 1992, p.164. However, Chase had designed the aircraft to allow for the easy installation of engines; the first XG-20 had already been modified with two

radial Radial is a geometric term of location which may refer to: Mathematics and Direction * Vector (geometric), a line * Radius, adjective form of * Radial distance, a directional coordinate in a polar coordinate system * Radial set * A bearing f ...

piston engines, becoming the XC-123, the prototype of the long-serving C-123 Provider family of transports.Andrade 1979, p. 87. Meanwhile, the second prototype XG-20 was returned to Chase Aircraft, to be fitted with two twin pods for

General Electric J47 The General Electric J47 turbojet (GE company designation TG-190) was developed by General Electric from its earlier J35. It first flew in May 1948. The J47 was the first axial-flow turbojet approved for commercial use in the United States. It ...

turbojets, becoming the XC-123A, the first jet-powered transport aircraft built in the United States.Adcock 1992, p.7.

Specifications

References

Notes

Bibliography