Piper TG-8

Piper TG-8
Type:	Glider
Design country:	United States
Manufacturer:	Piper Aircraft
First flight:	1941
Commissioning:	1942
Production time:	1941-1943
Number of pieces:	253

The Piper TG-8 was an American glider manufactured in the 1940s for the training of glider pilots . The task identifier "TG" was used by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) between 1941 and 1947 for training gliders.

prehistory

During the Second World War, the USAAF needed a large number of glider pilots; around 13,900 copies of the Waco CG-4 alone were produced. In order to quickly get a suitable glider training aircraft, the USAAF commissioned some American aircraft manufacturers such as Taylorcraft and Piper to develop suitable aircraft.

history

The Piper Aircraft company took a machine from the series production of the L-4 Grasshopper, the military version of the J-3 Cub , and converted this machine into a cargo glider prototype.

In the fuselage of the L-4, the fire bulkhead with the engine mount, including the engine and tank system, was removed and this area was provided with an additional pilot's seat with control equipment; thus the TG-8 was now a three-seater. The removed engine, weighing around 80 kilograms, was compensated for by the pilot's weight. The front fairing was lengthened accordingly and a tow coupling for aircraft towing was attached to the bow . The long-legged landing gear was shortened, the wheels remained the same and were installed directly next to the fuselage. The fuselage was additionally protected with a wooden skid in the front area. Wings with struts, vertical stabilizer and horizontal stabilizer were designed like the L-4, the elevator was adapted to the new fuselage position. The displays and electrics required for engine operation have been removed from the instrument panel. The standard instruments of the TG-8 were a magnetic compass , altimeter , airspeed indicator , variometer , bubble level and a radio. The internal designation Piper G-1 was the former L-4 with the serial number 9106, which then received the designation TG-8 in the army.

After the test flights, the USAAF then ordered 250 TG-8s in 1942. In addition, the US Navy received three copies with the designation XLNP-1 , whereby the mission identifier "LN" stood for "school glider" in the US Navy from 1941 to 1945.

Technical specifications

Parameter	Data
crew	Pilot and flight instructor (plus one passenger or ballast)
length	6.95 m
span	10.76 m
height
Wing area
Wing extension
Glide ratio	18th
Slightest sinking
payload
Empty mass	245 kg
Max. Takeoff mass	500 kg
Top speed
landing gear	rigid tail wheel landing gear

Whereabouts

After the end of the war, numerous surplus TG series gliders were sold cheaply to private pilots and were also used in glider clubs for a long time until they were replaced by the development of new and much more expensive models. Some TG-8s were also dismantled and registered as powered aircraft.

Comparable types

In addition to the Piper TG-8, the USAAF also used comparable sailplane trainers from other manufacturers, including 32 Swiss SGS-2-8s, which were designated as TG-2, and 150 Laister-Kauffman LK-10s , which were designated as TG- 4 were operated. The military also signed a contract with Schweizer Aircraft for a completely new two-seater development specially built for military flight training. 153 pieces of the Swiss TG-3A were produced. The machines built by Taylorcraft had the designation TG-6 and the Piper machines, which were converted by Aeronca to sailors, had the designation TG-5.

Web links

Commons : Piper TG-8  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Piper TG-8 WWII Training Glider with pictures on fiddlersgreen.net
• Piper J-3 TG-8 US Army Air Forces
• TG-8 in aircraft tow
• Factory drawing TG-8