Gliders, such as the Waco CG-4A shown above, were towed to their drop zones by C-47 transport planes, the same aircraft used by the paratrooper regiments. Once they were over the drop zone the glider pilot would release the towline and begin his descent, hopefully finding a clear field in which to safely land his glider. The CG-4A was designed for a maximum speed of 150 mph, with a normal glide (descent) speed of 72 mph; landing speed was 60 mph, and its stall speed was 49 mph. Quite obviously speed was not one of the CG-4A's strong points...
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