Groshev GN-4

Overview

The Groshev GN-4 was a Soviet transport glider introduced in 1934. Designed by G. F. Groshev and built by the Moscow Glider Works, the GN-4 was the world's first transport glider, with capacity for 5 passengers. Unlike later transport gliders, which would be towed near to the destination then released to glide on their own, the GN-4 was designed to be towed almost the entire flight except for a short while after release from the tow-plane for landing, though it is claimed that it could fly like a sailplane under the right conditions. The GN-4 was intended to be towed as part of a glider train behind a commercial version of the Polikarpov R-5. The GN-4's design consists of a narrow oval fuselage mated to a high-wing, strut-braced wing with an enclosed cockpit and 5 passenger seats.