Bronco Aircraft 1/35 German DFS230B1 Tactical Assault Glider w/4 Paratroopers Kit

In 1936, the German military proposed the idea of ​​directly using gliders to transport combat troops for assault airborne, and then put forward the concept of "assault gliders". The German Glider Research Institute (Deutsche Forschungsanstaltfür Segelflug, hereinafter referred to as DFS) successfully developed three prototypes in 1937, which were immediately purchased in bulk by the military (military project code DFS-230) and became the standard light assault glider of the Luftwaffe, the first The model is DFS-230A. This glider adopts a hybrid structure with high single wing and under-wing support. The rectangular fuselage adopts a steel tube structure and a linen cloth skin, which is low in cost and easy to produce. The aircraft can accommodate 8 fully armed soldiers and 2 pilots. The aircraft can be towed into the air by a variety of different aircraft of the Luftwaffe, abandon the landing gear after lift-off, and land on the skid below the centerline of the fuselage when landing. The B-type improved on the basis of DFS-230A is equipped with a parachute that can be used in the air. Using this device, the aircraft can untie the towing rope and get rid of the enemy through the tactics of steep dive. The B-1 can also be equipped with an MG-15 machine gun at the rear of the cockpit for self-defense or ground suppression shooting. Part of the B-type received modification at the field airport, equipped with MG-34 machine guns used by infantry at both ends of the nose to further strengthen the firepower. The final production of the entire DFS230-B is as high as 1,020. DFS-230 was a great success in the first battle of the attack on the Belgian Eben Emael fortress on May 10, 1940. It also participated in the Battle of Crete and many other airborne operations. After the decline of the German airborne troops, the DFS-230 appeared as a transport aircraft most of the time. Until the end of the war, there were still some of aircraft in the German army. For example, the 1st Glider Assault Wing had 13 intact DFS230B-1s.