What was this US amphibian glider

hesham

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Hi,

http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1942/1942%20-%200497.html
 

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It should be the XLRA-1 amphibian glider, which was built by the Allied Aviation Corporation of Cockeysville, MD.
Although not powered in the air, it had outboard motors to maneuver in the water after landing.
 

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Actually, I believe it could be either the Allied XLRA-1 design or the Bristol XLRQ-1 designs. Both of them were design against the same specification and both of them look like picture presented by hesham except that the picture shows round windows whilst the Allied and Bristol aircraft show square windows.
They were designed as a 12 seat flying boat transport glider intended to be used by the US Marine Corps for ‘island hopping’ in the Pacific.
Two aircraft were built by Allied as XLRA-1 and the serials were 11647/11648. The first flight took place in 1943.
Production of 100 production versions as LRA 1 and with serials 31403/31502 was cancelled as the proposed use proved not practical.
Four Bristol XLRQ-1s were ordered of which only the first two were completed with serials 11651/11652. The other two aircraft were cancelled and were to have serials 11653/11654. The first flight was in January 1943. Although ultimate production was estimated at 12,000 only 100 production LRQ-1s were ordered with serials 33715/33814 but these were eventually cancelled. A pic of the XLRQ-1 is enclosed.
Allied also proposed the LR2A which was a development of the LRA design with a conventional undercarriage which could be dropped after take off. Two aircraft were ordered as XLR2A-1 with serials 31503 and 31504. It is believed they were not completed and were cancelled.
 

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Thank you my dears Archipeppe and Jos.
 
Actually, I believe it could be either the Allied XLRA-1 design or the Bristol XLRQ-1 designs. Both of them were design against the same specification and both of them look like picture presented by hesham except that the picture shows round windows whilst the Allied and Bristol aircraft show square windows.
The Bristol LRQ had no windows, the troops instead being designed to sit inside an extended canopy containing the pilot as well. I've attached an image of the LRQ for convenience.

The glider in the picture by hesham is all in probability the Allied Aviation LRA except that the artist depicted the windows round because the LRA had yet to be built and flown when the article containing this image was published, and one desktop model of the LRA has rounded windows (https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/allied-xlra-1-waterborne-troop-glider.7170/).

1604954979763.png
 
Dear Moderators,
Please combine this thread with other threads about USMC water assault gliders, which only flew as prototypes.
Maybe link these water gliders with the thread on cargo gliders.

usmilitaryaircarft.files.wordpress.com
Includes pages on both these water, assault gliders.
 

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