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Description
| Manufacturer: | Laister-Kauffman | |
| Base model: | TG-4 | |
| Designation: | TG-4 | |
| Version: | A | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Air Force | |
| Designation Period: | 1941-1947 | |
| Basic role: | Training Glider | |
Specifications
| Not Yet Available |
Known serial numbers
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| Museum of Aviation | Warner Robins AFB | Georgia |
Recent comments by our visitors
| John C. Kalinowski , DE | Last WWII Glider to Fly USAF Missions to be Retired
Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE, USA- “Angel Eyes”, the last World War 2 Military Glider to fly United States Air Force missions will be retired to the Dover Air Force Base, Air Mobility Command Museum on Saturday, 15 May, 2004. The Laister-Kauffman built, Army Model TG-4A (LK-10A), was ordered in 1942 as aircraft number 42-53078 and spent the last 5 years serving with Delaware Wing, Civil Air Patrol providing Cadet glider orientation flights. Although outclassed by more modern sailplanes, she flew in the International Vintage Sailplane Meet 2000 earning the altitude and duration award for one day of that meet. She has received an Experimental Aircraft Association “Most Rare” award and was featured in the 2002 German Gliding Club calendar. In August 2002, the aircraft was flown nonstop for 5 hours and 23 minutes earning her pilot altitude gain and duration legs for the Soaring Society of America and Federation Aeronautic International for Soaring “Silver” award. In September 2002, aircraft number 42-53078 flew her last official CAP-USAF Cadet orientation flight giving the glider a span of service to the United States of America that exceeded sixty years. A World War II honorable discharge button, known affectionately but unofficially as the "Ruptured Duck", is painted on her vertical stabilizer to commemorate the Glider’s WWII heritage. Although not actually awarded, the “Purple Heart” ribbon with 2 “Oak-Leaf” clusters is also painted on the tail to commemorate the 3 times that this aircraft was damaged and set aside as scrap. She never lost a crew member and like the mythical “Phoenix” always rose to fly again. Delaware Wing, CAP will utilize a Slingsby T-53 and a Bergfalke II as training gliders while awaiting delivery of a new Blanik L23. After preservation, “Angel Eyes” will be suspended in perpetual flight from the AMC Museum ceiling in the WWII section of the museum. The nose of a CG-4a cargo glider will be displayed below her flanked by her old friends a B-17 Bomber and C-47 cargo plane. JPEG IMAGE ATTACHED, Caption: "Angel Eyes" after landing at Dover AFB, Dover, Delaware, May 2002. Pilot-Owner, (Left) Major John C. Kalinowski, CAP, and Co-Pilot Cadet 2nd Lieutenant Kevin A. Kalinowski (Right). 04/20/2004 @ 14:14 [ref: 7245] |
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