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10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Allied glider that crash-landed: US Army· Public domain
- 2. Airspeed Horsa ExCC: Wikimedia Commons· Public domain
- 3. Airspeed Horsa framwork: John from Tejas· CC BY 2.0
- 4. Civilian workers pose with sections of an Airspeed Horsa glider, as received from the manufacturers, before assembling it at No. 6 Maintenance Unit, Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, 26 April 1944. CH13022: Bridge B (F/O), Royal Air Force official photographer· Public domain
- 5. Horsa glider: Official British Government Photographer· Public domain
- 6. A jeep is loaded aboard a Horsa glider during a large-scale airborne forces exercise, 22 April 1944. H37692: Laing (Sgt), War Office official photographer· Public domain
- 7. Airborne troops smile from the door of their Horsa glider as they prepare to fly out as part of the second drop on Normandy on the night of 6th June 1944. H39182: Malindine E G (Capt), War Office official photographer· Public domain
- 8. Aircraft of the Royal Air Force 1939-1945- Airspeed As.51 Horsa. CH10356: Goodchild A (Pilot Officer), Royal Air Force official photographer· Public domain
- 9. Airspeed Horsa and Waco CG-4 gliders on a field in Germany during Operation Varsity, 24 March 1945 (342-FH-3A20136-56783AC): U.S. Army Air Forces photo 342-FH-3A20136-56783AC· Public domain
- 10. Airspeed Horsa ExCC cropped: Image by Royal Air Force via the website/www.raf.mod.uk· Public domain
what is it?
The Airspeed AS.51 Horsa was a British troop-carrying glider used during the Second World War. It was developed and manufactured by Airspeed Limited, alongside various subcontractors; the type was named after Horsa, the legendary 5th-century Germanic conqueror of southern Britain. Having been greatly impressed by the effective use of airborne operations by Germany during the early stages of the Second World War, such as during the Battle of France, the Allied powers sought to establish capable counterpart forces of their own.
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 85 years ago, in 1941.
- Wingspan of 26.8 m: about 6 cars parked nose to tail.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1941-09-12
- introduced
- 1942
- status
- retired
- number built
- 3,799
- role
- troop and cargo military glider
- origin
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- makers
- Airspeed Ltd.
- engines
- —
- passengers
- 28
- length
- 20.4 m
- wingspan
- 26.8 m
- height
- 5.9 m
- max take-off weight
- 7,144 kg
- top speed
- —
- cruise speed
- 161 km/h
- range
- —
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q409210, Wikipedia: Airspeed Horsa (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.