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Airspeed AS.51 and AS.58 Horsa

For a description of the format and data included in Production Tables, see here.

Produced Variants

AS.51 Horsa Mk.I Troop carrying Glider to Specification X.26/40 to meet the requirements of OR.99.
AS.58 Horsa Mk.II Vehicle carrying glider - as Mk.I with hinged nose; developed from AS.51.


Projected Variants

AS.52 Proposed bomb carrying version of Mk.I to Specification X.3/41 to meet the requirements of OR.104.
AS.53 Proposed vehicle carrying version of Mk.I.
(none) Powered version of Mk.I fitted with 375 h.p. Armstrong Siddeley Cheetah X powerplants.

Production List Page Top
Serial Range
Type
Batch Qty
Conv.
Canc'd
Notes
 4 aircraft ordered from Airspeed Ltd., Portsmouth, to contract SB.13325. DG597 first flew September 1941.
 DG597, DG600, DG604, DG609  AS.51 Horsa I  4      
 200 aircraft ordered from Harris Lebus(1), to contract SB.21550. Cancelled.
 DJ721 - DJ765  AS.52 Horsa      45  
 DJ779 - DJ812        34  
 DJ825 - DJ864        40  
 DJ876 - DJ913        38  
 DJ927 - DJ969        43  
 2 aircraft ordered from Airspeed Ltd., Portsmouth, to contract SB.21775. Cancelled.
 DK346, DK349  AS.52 Horsa      2  Cancelled and serials reallocated to Horsa Mk.Is
 4 aircraft ordered from Airspeed Ltd., Portsmouth, to contract SB.13325.
 DK346, DK349, DK353,  AS.51 Horsa I  4      
 DK358          
 300 aircraft ordered from Harris Lebus(1) , to contract SB.21963, later Acft/1513 & finally Acft/1663. Delivered between April and December 1942.
 DP279 - DP294  AS.51 Horsa I  16      A few early examples assembled by Airspeed.
 DP303 - DP315    13      
 DP329 - DP353    25      
 DP368 - DP399    32      
 DP412 - DP440    29      
 DP484 - DP506    23      
 DP513 - DP562    50      
 DP567 - DP575    9      
 DP592 - DP631    40      DP593 - DP598, DP614, DP617 and DP701 transferred to USAAF.
 DP644 - DP681    38      
 DP689 - DP713    25      
 100 aircraft ordered from Austin Motors Ltd., Longbridge Works, Birmingham, to contract SB.21963 (later Acft/1664). Delivered between March and September 1942.
 DP714 - DP726  AS.51 Horsa I  13      DP725 to USAAF
 DP739 - DP777    39      
 DP794 - DP841    48      
 400 aircraft ordered from Tata, India, to contract SB.22985 (later Acft/1513). Cancelled.
 ES372 - ES416  AS.51 Horsa I      45  
 ES434 - ES471        38  
 ES485 - ES534        50  
 ES548 - ES589        42  
 ES601 - ES636        36  
 ES649 - ES695        47  
 ES723 - ES766        44  
 ES781 - ES830        50  
 ES855 - ES902        48  
 200 aircraft ordered from Austin Motors Ltd., Longbridge Works, Birmingham, to contract Acft/1664. Delivered between September and December 1942.
 HG736 - HG770  AS.51 Horsa I  35      
 HG784 - HG819    36      
 HG831 - HG880    50      
 HG897 - HG944    48      
 HG959 - HG989    31      
 50 aircraft ordered from Airspeed Ltd., Christchurch, to contract Acft/1689 . Delivered between July and November 1942.
 HS101 - HS150  AS.51 Horsa I  50      
 400 aircraft (possibly ordered from Harris Lebus(1), to contract Acft/1513). Cancelled.
 HT525 - HT562  AS.51 Horsa I      38  
 HT577 - HT621        45  
 HT645 - HT694        50  
 HT712 - HT748        37  
 HT769 - HT812        44  
 HT830 - HT878        49  
 HT896 - HT933        38  
 HT948 - HT996        49  
 HV113 - HV162        50  
 65 aircraft ordered from Austin Motors Ltd., Longbridge Works, Birmingham, to contract Acft/1664. Ordered as Mk.I, delivered as Mk.II
 LF886 - LF923  AS.58 Horsa II  38      20 to USAAF
 LF937 - LF963    27      
 1014 aircraft ordered from Harris Lebus(1), to contract Acft/1663. 635 delivered, remainder cancelled.
 LG511 - LG534  AS.51 Horsa I      24  
 LG547 - LG593        47  
 LG616 - LG658        43  
 LG662 - LG699    38      
 LG713 - LG749    37      
 LG761 - LG798    38      
 LG814 - LG856    43      
 LG868 - LG896    29      
 LG911 - LG952    42      
 LG966 - LG999    34      
 LH113 - LH154    42      
 LH167 - LH189    23      
 LH202 - LH249    48      
 LH263 - LH301    39      
 LH316 - LH359    44      
 LH373 - LH415    43      
 LH429 - LH476    48      
 LH490 - LH536    47      
 LH549 - LH583    35      
 LH597 - LH601    5      
 LH602 - LH634        33  
 LH646 - LH690        45  
 LH703 - LH747        45  
 LH760 - LH799        40  
 LH813 - LH855        43  
 LH868 - LH916        49  
 LH929 - LH938        10  
 300 aircraft ordered from Airspeed Ltd., Christchurch, to contract Acft/1689. See note 3 . Delivered as 220 AS.51 Horsa Mk.I, one AS.58 Horsa Mk.II.  Remainder cancelled.
 LH942 - LH976  AS.51 Horsa I  35      
 LJ101 - LJ144    44      
 LJ157 - LJ193    37      
 LJ206 - LJ241    36      
 LJ256 - LJ270    15      
 LJ271  AS.58 Horsa II  1      Converted to Mk.II under contract Acft/3452
 LJ272 - LJ291  AS.51 Horsa I  20      
 LJ303 - LJ334    32      
 LJ335- LJ347        13  
 LJ360 - LJ398        39  
 LJ410 - LJ437        28  
 100 aircraft ordered from Airspeed Ltd., Christchurch, to contract Acft/1689. See note 3. Delivered between November 1943 and April 1944.
 PF690 - PF725  AS.51 Horsa I  36      
 PF739 - PF770    32      
 PF786 - PF817    32      
 206 aircraft ordered from Harris Lebus(1), to contract Acft/1663. Delivered between February and April 1944.
 PW637 - PW678  AS.58 Horsa II  42      
 PW693 - PW735    43      
 PW742 - PW790    49      
 PW812 - PW847    36      
 PW862 - PW897    36      
 100 aircraft ordered from Airspeed Ltd., Christchurch, to contract Acft/1689. See note 3. Delivered between April and August 1944.
 RJ111 - RJ143  AS.51 Horsa I  33      
 RJ150 - RJ196    47      
 RJ212 - RJ231    20      
 100 aircraft ordered from Harris Lebus(1), to contract Acft/1663. Delivered between April and June 1944.
 RJ245 - RJ287  AS.51 Horsa I  43      
 RJ290 - RJ316    27      
 RJ330 - RJ359    30      
 175 aircraft ordered from Airspeed Ltd., Christchurch, to contract Acft/3452 . Delivered between August 1944 and March 1945.
 RN309 - RN349  AS.58 Horsa II  41      
 RN362 - RN405    44      
 RN418 - RN459    42      
 RN473 - RN520    48      
 325 aircraft ordered from Harris Lebus(1), to contract Acft/1663. Delivered between June and September 1944.
 RN523 - RN568  AS.51 Horsa I  46      
 RN583 - RN625    43      
 RN638 - RN679    42      
 RN693 - RN738    46      
 RN752 - RN795    44      
 RN809 - RN850    42      
 RN865 - RN902    38      
 RN918 - RN941    24      
 50 aircraft ordered from Airspeed Ltd., Christchurch, to contract Acft/3452 . Delivered between  March and April 1945.
 RX534 - RX583  AS.58 Horsa II  50      
 100 aircraft ordered from Harris Lebus(1), to contract Acft/3601. Delivered between September and October 1944.
 RX595 - RX634  AS.51 Horsa I  40      
 RX647 - RX688    42      
 RX700 - RX717    18      
 450 aircraft ordered from Harris Lebus(1), to contract Acft/3601. Delivered between September 1944 and March 1945.
 RX718 - RX735  AS.58 Horsa II  18      
 RX749 - RX779    31      
 RX792 - RX835    44      
 RX848 - RX889    42      
 RX902 - RX937    36      
 RX949 - RX998    50      
 RZ112 - RZ156    45      
 RZ170 - RZ203    34      
 RZ215 - RZ259    45      
 RZ280 - RZ325    46      
 RZ338 - RZ380    43      
 RZ393 - RZ408    16      
 600 aircraft ordered from Harris Lebus(1), to contract Acft/4505.
 TK828 - TK869  AS.58 Horsa II  42      
 TK882 - TK913    32      
 TK927 - TK963    37      
 TK978 - TK999    22      
 TL114 - TL157    44      
 TL173 - TL215    43      
 TL229 - TL261    33      
 TL274 - TL312    39      
 TL328 - TL369    42      
 TL384 - TL427    44      
 TL440 - TL481    42      
 TL495 - TL536    42      
 TL549 - TL587    39      
 TL602 - TL643    42      
 TL659 - TL691    33      
 TL712 - TL735    24      
 400 aircraft ordered from Harris Lebus(1), to contract Acft/4939 (Originally Acft/3601). 15 delivered as AS.58 Horsa Mk.II, remainder cancelled.
 TT353 - TT367  AS.58 Horsa II  15      
 TT368 - TT393        26  
 TT424 - TT469        46  
 TT487 - TT536        50  
 TT568 - TT616        49  
 TT638 - TT669        32  
 TT682 - TT707        26  
 TT747 - TT794        48  
 TT834 - TT872        39  
 TT895 - TT940        46  
 TT952 - TT974        23  
 360 aircraft ordered from Harris Lebus(1), to contract Acft/5399. Cancelled.
 VF207 - VF247  AS.58 Horsa II      41  
 VF264 - VF301        38  
 VF332 - VF362        31  
 VF378 - VF400        23  
 VF414 - VF439        26  
 VF462 - VF511        50  
 VF531 - VF578        48  
 VF601 - VF648        48  
 VF670 - VF699        30  
 VF713 - VF737        25  
Total Production
 3799
 
 2206
 



Production Summary

Page Top 
Total Production By Mark and Manufacturer All Aircraft By Type
Constructor AS.51
Mk.I		 AS.58
Mk.II		 Total Type Built New Conv. Canc'd Total
 Airspeed Portsmouth 8   8  AS.51 Horsa Mk.I 2503   1259 3762
 Airspeed Christchurch 470 225 695  AS.52     202 202
 Harris Lebus 1660 1065 2725  AS.58 Horsa Mk.II 1290 (1) 745 2036
 Austin Motors 365   365   3793 (1) 2206  
  2503 1290 3793


Notes
  1. Harris Lebus - a consortium managed by furniture manufacturers Harris Lebus, Tottenham, London, including Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Works, The Co-operative Society, AC Cars, Slazenger, Peerless Furniture and others.
     
  2. It has long been recorded that there were only 3 Horsa prototypes, but Mike Phipp [4] corrects this to 4, based on Airspeeds Chief Test Pilots' logs.
     
  3. The contract record card states 'These Gliders are complete Gliders but sometimes delivered as complete sets of components and assembled under contract A/C 1577. The PF series are definitely delivered as complete Gliders'.

Production References
  1. Airspeed Aircraft Since 1931, H.A. Taylor (Putnam, 1970)
  2. Wingspan (Incorporating Planes) Magazine #39
  3. RAF Aircraft Register Series, Various Volumes (Air-Britain Publications)
  4. Correspondence on Air Britain Information Exchange (AB-IX) forum, November 2010. (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ab-ix/)
  5. RAF Air Historical Branch: Serial Ledger (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MF-5)
  6. RAF Air Historical Branch: Contract Delivery Cards (Dept of Archive and Aviation Records, RAF Museum, Hendon, Records MFC-78-8-2)

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Page Revision History Page Top

Revised at Version 1.4.0
  • Harris Lebus first deliveries to contract Acft/1663 - deleted incorrect row of 43 aircraft LG551 - LG593. Totals corrected.

V1.4.4 Created by Roger Moss. Last updated August 2020