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General Aircraft Hotspur
| GAL.48 Hotspur | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Training glider, transport glider– 8 troops |
| Manufacturer | General Aircraft Limited |
| Primary users | British Army |
| Number built | 1,015 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1940–1943 |
| First flight | 5 November 1940[1] |
The General Aircraft GAL.48 Hotspur was a military glider designed and built by the British company General Aircraft Ltd during World War II. When the British airborne establishment was formed in 1940 by order of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, it was decided that gliders would be used to transport airborne troops into battle. General Aircraft Ltd were given a contract by the Ministry of Aircraft Production in June 1940 to design and produce an initial glider for use by the airborne establishment, which resulted in the Hotspur.
Conceived as an "assault" glider which necessitated a compact design and no more than eight troops carried, tactical philosophy soon favoured larger numbers of troops being sent into battle aboard gliders. Therefore, the Hotspur was mainly relegated to training, where it excelled and became the basic trainer for the glider schools that were formed.[2]
The Hotspur was named after Sir Henry Percy, a significant captain during the Anglo-Scottish wars who was also known as "Hotspur".
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