Historic aircraft glides into RAF Cosford museum
[gallery] A piece of history was transported through Shropshire when the latest chapter was opened on a 14-year aviation project.
The huge wings of a replica wartime Horsa glider were moved on low loaders 26 miles from RAF Shawbury to storage at RAF Cosford.
The wide load crawled along the M54 with a police escort to what those behind the project hope will be its final destination.
For the short term the glider will be in storage at RAF Cosford but the Assault Glider Trust, which is behind the replica, hopes to eventually see it on display at the Cosford Air Museum.
The origins of the Assault Glider Trust go back to the year 2000, when veterans of the Midland Branch of the Glider Pilot Regiment Association decided to construct a complete Airspeed Horsa assault glider to serve as an appropriate memorial to airborne forces in the Midlands.
Of the several hundred Horsas used in the Second World War many were assembled and tested at West Midlands airfields such as RAF Cosford, Shawbury and Sleap.
Volunteers have been creating the glider in hanger at RAF Shawbury but it is having to move because the base needs the space for other aircraft.
Trust spokesman, Martin Locke said the wings had had to be moved on a Sunday because they were an abnormal load.
"Each wing is 10 metres long with the glider a huge 27 metres. It is a very large glider.
"The operation took longer than we expected it to but that is only because we have never done anything like this before.
"We expect the fuselage to follow sometime next week."
Mr Locke said the go into storage at RAF Cosford for the time being.
"We hope it will eventually go on display at the Cosford museum, when it can offer us the space."
