science

Gribovsky G-11

Gribovsky G-11 is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Gribovsky G-11 rather than just read about it. In short: The Gribovsky G-11 (Russian: Грибовский Г-11) was a Soviet light troop/cargo military glider of World War II. Development The Soviet Union was the world's pioneer in designing transport gliders - the first design, the Grokhovski G-63, was built in 1932, however, no transport gliders were produced in series before World War II.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

The Gribovsky G-11 (Russian: Грибовский Г-11) was a Soviet light troop/cargo military glider of World War II.

Development The Soviet Union was the world's pioneer in designing transport gliders - the first design, the Grokhovski G-63, was built in 1932, however, no transport gliders were produced in series before World War II. Shortly after the German attack in 1941, the Soviet headquarters realized a need for transport gliders and ordered the development of several designs. Vladimir Gribovski agreed to design a light glider in two months and the tests of a prototype started on 1 September 1941. Given the Gribovsky designation G-29, it was accepted for production under the VVS designation G-11 (for Gribovski, 11-men including pilot). G-11s were produced from late 1941 until mid-1942 in two factories: 138 were built in Shumerlya (factory no. 471) and 170 in Kozlovka village (factory no. 494), for a total of 308. Production restarted in 1944 at Ryazan remaining in production until 1948. From October 1944 the G-11U training glider with twin controls was also in production. There are no data for a total production number, but it is estimated that 500-600 were eventually completed. A powered version designated G-11M by the VVS (Gribovsky designation G-30) had a M-11 radial engine mounted above the fuselage. It was tested from the Summer of 1942 but did not enter production.

Design The G-11 was a high-wing, all-wooden construction, plywood-covered transport glider. The fuselage was rectangular in cross-section with a single-seat cockpit in the nose, accessed by an upward opening canopy. Behind the cockpit was the 3.24 m × 1.25 m × 1.36 m (10.6 ft × 4.1 ft × 4.5 ft) cargo hold / passenger cabin. There were two 1.2 m × 0.7 m (3.9 ft × 2.3 ft) doors on opposite fuselage sides. Later series had only one 1.4 m × 0.7 m (4.6 ft × 2.3 ft) hatch on the left side. Troops sat on folding benches along the sides, lit by two small rectangular windows on each side. Wings were three-part, fitted with flaps for landing and the landing gear was fixed, but could be folded by the pilot in order to shorten the landing, using the main fuselage skid for landing.

Operational history G-11s, along with the Antonov A-7 constituted a majority of Soviet transport gliders. They were mainly used from mid-1942 for supplying Soviet partisans with provisions, weapons, equipment and trained men, towed mainly by SB or DB-3 bombers. Most intensive use was from March to November 1943 in Belarus, in the Polotsk-Begoml-Lepel area, on the Kalinin Front. Several hundred Soviet gliders (of all types) were used in night supply flights there. After landing, the gliders were destroyed and pilots were sometimes returned by aircraft. The only known instance of a glider returning from the field occurred in April 1943, when a famous glider and test pilot Sergei Anokhin evacuated two wounded partisan commanders in a G-11, towed by a Tupolev SB bomber, piloted by Yuriy Zhelutov, on a 10 m (33 ft) short towrope. Gliders were also used to supply partisans in some areas in 1944 and to transport sabotage groups behind enemy lines. G-11 gliders were also used in at least one small-scale airborne operation, the Dnepr crossing, carrying anti-tank guns and mortars. A less typical action was an airbridge from Moscow to the Stalingrad area in November 1942, to rapidly deliver anti-freeze coolant for tanks, during the battle of Stalingrad. The G-11 enjoyed relative success as a light transport glider design, having more capacity than the Antonov A-7, and its transport compartment was a better fit for cargo, although light guns could only be carried in parts due to small hatches.

Operators Soviet Union Soviet Air Force

Specifications Data from General characteristics Crew: 1 Capacity: 10 troops or cargo / 1,200 kg (2,646 lb) Length: 9.8 m (32 ft 2 in) Wingspan: 18 m (59 ft 1 in) Height: 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) Wing area: 30 m2 (320 sq ft) Empty weight: 1,200 kg (2,646 lb) Gross weight: 2,400 kg (5,291 lb) Performance

Never exceed speed: 280 km/h (170 mph, 150 kn) (aerotow) Aerotow speed: 146 km/h (91 mph; 79 kn) Rate of sink: 2.2 m/s (430 ft/min) Lift-to-drag: 16:1 Wing loading: 83 kg/m2 (17 lb/sq ft)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Gribovsky G-11

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Gribovsky G-11 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Gribovsky G-11 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Gribovsky G-11 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Gribovsky G-11

In research: Gribovsky G-11 appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Gribovsky G-11 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Gribovsky G-11 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1940s Soviet military transport aircraft, 1940s military gliders, Aircraft first flown in 1941, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Gribovsky G-11 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Gribovsky G-11 in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Gribovsky G-11 in simple terms?

The Gribovsky G-11 (Russian: Грибовский Г-11) was a Soviet light troop/cargo military glider of World War II. Development The Soviet Union was the world's pioneer in designing transport gliders - the first design, the Grokhovski G-63, was built in 1932, however, no transport gliders were produced i…

Why does Gribovsky G-11 matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Gribovsky G-11?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Gribovsky G-11.