Colditz
Colditz
Contents
History
British prisoners of war built a monoplane glider during World War II for an escape attempt from Oflag IV-C (Colditz Castle) prison camp in Germany. Takeoff was scheduled for the spring of 1945, but the launch never took place. The war was nearing its end, and it was decided to postpone what would have been the glider's brief and only flight.
Company References
Project Data
| Project No | Type No | Name | Alternative Name(s) | Year | Spec (Requirement) | Status | Qty | Description | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cock | 1945 | Pro(n) | 1 | 1S glider. | 1, 2, 3 |
Project References
- British Gliders and Sailplanes 1922-1970, Norman Ellison (Adam and Charles Black, 1971)
- British Homebuilt Aircraft since 1920, Ken Ellis (Merseyside Aviation Society, 1975)
- https://www.j2mcl-planeurs.net/
Production Details and Type Description
Cock
Lightweight, two-seater, high wing, monoplane glider. It had a Mooney-style rudder and square elevators. Over thirty ribs had to be constructed (around a third being structural compression ribs), predominantly formed from bed slats, but also from every other piece of wood the POWs could surreptitiously obtain. The wing spars were constructed from floor boards. Control wires were made from electrical wiring in unused portions of the castle. Prison sleeping bags of blue and white checked cotton were used to skin the glider, and German ration millet was boiled and used as a form of dope to seal the cloth pores.
Lightweight, two-seater, high wing, monoplane glider. It had a Mooney-style rudder and square elevators. Over thirty ribs had to be constructed (around a third being structural compression ribs), predominantly formed from bed slats, but also from every other piece of wood the POWs could surreptitiously obtain. The wing spars were constructed from floor boards. Control wires were made from electrical wiring in unused portions of the castle. Prison sleeping bags of blue and white checked cotton were used to skin the glider, and German ration millet was boiled and used as a form of dope to seal the cloth pores.
| Specification | |||||
| Span | Length | Height | Wing Area | Empty Wt | Max AUW |
| 32 ft | 20 ft | 240 lb | 560 lb | ||
| 9.75 m | 6.1 m | 109 kg | 254 kg | ||
One aircraft only : no c/n or registration. Never flown.
Replicas
Several Colditz glider reproductions have been built, but only one (BGA 4757) flown with a live pilot (details from Richard Cawsey, via post on the Air Britain Information Exchange (AB-IX) forum, 28 December 2023) :- Reproduction built for BBC TV series "Colditz"; Imperial War Museum 1974; loaned to Torbay Aircraft Museum 1974-78 (BAPC 90); Imperial War Museum, Duxford (stored) by 1990.
- BGA 4732 by Martin Francis, Derbyshire; not completed.
- BGA 4757, built by Southdown Aero Services & John Lee for Channel 4 documentary "Escape from Colditz"; first flight 23.1.00; IWM, Lambeth 2000; Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum, Flixton by 2003.
- Built in 2012 by Tony Hoskins (South East Aircraft Services) for a Channel 4 documentary "Escape from Colditz"; written off on landing after a radio-controlled flight from the castle. Two aircraft may have been built. One was donated to the Gliding Heritage Centre, Lasham 6.13 (BAPC 347).
- Completed 10.09 by members of Flugwelt Altenburg Nobitz e.V.; displayed at Schloss Colditz since April 2015.
Total Colditz Production1