GENERAL AIRCRAFT G.A.L.
56 - Starting in
1943, GAL designed and built a series of four tailless research gliders,
featuring differing planforms. Three were covered by the designation General
Aircraft G.A.L. 56 and the last, completed post-war but not flown, was
General Aircraft G.A.L. 61. First to fly, starting mid-November 1944,
was the General Aircraft G.A.L. 56 Medium-V (TS507), with constant sweepback
on leading and trailing edges, span of 45 ft 4 in (13.82 m) and gross
weight of 4,400 Ib (2,000 kg). Flight trials were made behind a Whitley,
Halifax and, eventually, Spitfire IX. The second General Aircraft G.A.L.56
was the Medium-U (TS510), with a parallel-chord centre section, and the
third, also completed post-war, was the Maximum-V (TS513), with sweepback
on quarter-chord line increased from 28.4 to 36.4 deg.
