Frankfort Cinema

Cinema, TG-1
	A Frankfort Cinema TG-1A on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
Role	Sailplane
Manufacturer	Frankfort
Designer	Stanley Corcoran

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Twentynine Palms AirAcademy TG-1A glider a training glider a Frankfort Cinema with the Army designation TG-1

The Frankfort Cinema is a sailplane manufactured in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s and which was used by the United States Army Air Corps as a training glider under the designation TG-1. It was a high-wing, strut-braced design with a fully enclosed cabin. Originally designed as a single-seater, a two-seat version designated the Cinema II was produced soon afterwards, and this design was put forward when the Army issued a requirement for training gliders. At the same time, the company was awarded production contracts for transport gliders, the CG-1 and CG-2.

However, Frankfort lacked the resources to quickly produce large numbers of gliders, and only 43 TG-1s were delivered. The TG-1 designation was also applied to 10 civilian Cinemas that were impressed into Army service.

Variants

Cinema: baseline design
Cinema II: two-seat version
TG-1: USAAF designation for Cinema II
TG-23: USAAF designation for one impressed Cinema I (serial n/o 42-57192)^[1]

Aircraft on display

Specifications (Cinema II)

General characteristics

Crew: One pilot
Capacity: 1 passenger
Length: 23 ft 4 in (7.10 m)
Wingspan: 46 ft 3 in (14.10 m)
Aspect ratio: 10.7
Empty weight: 500 lb (227 kg)
Gross weight: 920 lb (417 kg)

Performance

Maximum speed: 80 mph (130 km/h, 70 kn)
Maximum glide ratio: 20
Rate of sink: 190 ft/min (1.0 m/s)

References

^ https://usmilitaryaircraft.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/airf-tg.pdf ^{[bare URL PDF]}
^ US Southwest Soaring Museum (2010). "Sailplanes, Hang Gliders & Motor Gliders". Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
^ Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum. "Frankfort TG-1A "Cinema B"". waaamuseum.org. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2021.

Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 405.
NASM website

[1] ttps://usmilitaryaircraft.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/airf-tg.pdf ^{[bare URL PDF]}

[SWSMCollection-2] US Southwest Soaring Museum (2010). "Sailplanes, Hang Gliders & Motor Gliders". Archived from the original on 20 November 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2011.

[WAAAM-3] Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum. "Frankfort TG-1A "Cinema B"". waaamuseum.org. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 29 March 2021.

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