Absolutely outstanding programme, I thoroughly believe after Hughs Nephew successfully go the glider off the roof to fly , would have been a successful escape 👏👏 very interesting, brave men with unbreakable spirit
Interesting, this must be the second glider to be built for a launch test. The first documentary I saw featured some of the surviving prisoners, who are also featured in this video speaking about the glider, snow etc. A copy of the glider was built by a local company that builds gliders, in their workshop, they had an area marked on the floor to represent the attic space. The glider was built and witnessed by the four prisoners. The glider was launched from the ground using a small plane at the test airfield. It flew far better than expected. It was an awesome moment for all that witnessed it. This video appears to have been made after, now the glider design has been proven to fly it's time to try a roof launch. They couldn't do this last time. Time to continue the adventure...
I think I speak for all of us when I say I would have paid good money to see the reactions of the guards if they'd actually gone through with the plan 😅 thank you for sharing x
One point easily forgotten is the original plan was to the weight to directly pull the glider, so it would accelerate at 9.8 m/s/s, whereas the one tested had an altered pulley system so it accelerated at twice that rate. It could easily be if they had actually gone ahead with this escape attempt then they'd have changed the pulley system to get more speed, but the best we can say is this was a plausible method of escape. My recollection from reading the books on Colditz is the Escape Committee stopped all escape attempts once it was apparent the Allies were going to win the war because some escapees disappeared and the suspicion was they'd been caught and shot. They let this team keep on building their glider as something to do, but I understood they didn't want them to try to escape in case they got shot.
This was the only memory of the programme " Colditz" that i remembered as a child around 1972/3, and i now have a plan 60" scale, to build, for no other reason, but i can!
The only thing i can say is forget the glider for now.... Too sit in the room on your own were your dad was pow and reflect on his situation makes your trip Hugh.... Strange thing is not in a million years did ur old man ever think you wud be in that room
On end of the 2000 Channel 4 Documentary "Escape from Colditz" they tested the pilot manned glider(which was built totally following the original project), which was initially pushed by a plane to get airborne and then released and then it was all good, it and the project was proven has viable. Not to mention all happened at view of Bill Goldfinch and Jack Best(the 2 creators of the Colditz Cock) and also about a dozen of the veterans who had worked on the original more than 55 years earlier.
That was a brilliant documentary, one of the best I have seen for a while. The glider launch was awesome for everyone to witness, both for the veterans and us viewers. It flew much better than I expected.. It just disappeared into the sky..
I've been to Colditz and explored from the cellar to the lofts, most people don't know there were 2 camps in Colditz. ALso there is a replica of the glider in teh Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum at Flixton, UK
"Willkommen in Colditz" For you za war is over. Have just read Ben Macintyre's book, "Prisoners of the Castle. For a building of the size and history of Coldidz Castle, I always wondered if there were ancient hiding places, secret passages that led from one part of the castle to another, and even escape routes that went out of the castle. Would have saved a lot of digging. Jack, the Japan Alps Brit
32 successful escapes! But 1 attempt a day must have been very distracting to the Guard company and regional government! Imagine the grudging respect these efforts must have engendered.
Very interesting... But not much point if they're not going to at least try and use the same materials the prisoners had to use.. instead of using DeWalt drills & so on 😐
Probably could have side slipped the last few hundred metres to bleed off extra height then gently land it in one piece instead of none diving and wrecking it. Very well done though and no doubt the real one would have flown and flown well and they were a skilled lot and would have worked out all the numbers.
As the pilot in this vid said. He decided to crash it due it was getting too close to comfort of peoples homes and property. He said he would had been able to land it more safely if he didn't have to worry about private property. The prisoners would probably not given an ants fart if they had struck someone's fence or goat. But nowadays there are these things called lawsuits, and an experiment are often not worth the potential farting around in court.
Absolutely outstanding programme, I thoroughly believe after Hughs Nephew successfully go the glider off the roof to fly , would have been a successful escape 👏👏 very interesting, brave men with unbreakable spirit
Interesting, this must be the second glider to be built for a launch test. The first documentary I saw featured some of the surviving prisoners, who are also featured in this video speaking about the glider, snow etc. A copy of the glider was built by a local company that builds gliders, in their workshop, they had an area marked on the floor to represent the attic space. The glider was built and witnessed by the four prisoners. The glider was launched from the ground using a small plane at the test airfield. It flew far better than expected. It was an awesome moment for all that witnessed it. This video appears to have been made after, now the glider design has been proven to fly it's time to try a roof launch. They couldn't do this last time.
Time to continue the adventure...
I saw that earlier documentary, too.
I think I speak for all of us when I say I would have paid good money to see the reactions of the guards if they'd actually gone through with the plan 😅 thank you for sharing x
One point easily forgotten is the original plan was to the weight to directly pull the glider, so it would accelerate at 9.8 m/s/s, whereas the one tested had an altered pulley system so it accelerated at twice that rate. It could easily be if they had actually gone ahead with this escape attempt then they'd have changed the pulley system to get more speed, but the best we can say is this was a plausible method of escape. My recollection from reading the books on Colditz is the Escape Committee stopped all escape attempts once it was apparent the Allies were going to win the war because some escapees disappeared and the suspicion was they'd been caught and shot. They let this team keep on building their glider as something to do, but I understood they didn't want them to try to escape in case they got shot.
This was the only memory of the programme " Colditz" that i remembered as a child around 1972/3, and i now have a plan 60" scale, to build, for no other reason, but i can!
This story have fascinated me since i was a kid, what a fantastic experiment.
The only thing i can say is forget the glider for now.... Too sit in the room on your own were your dad was pow and reflect on his situation makes your trip Hugh.... Strange thing is not in a million years did ur old man ever think you wud be in that room
What a fantastic show. Thoroughly enjoyable
THANKYOU SO MUCH THAT WAS AMAZING!!!!!
Amazing document! Very good and emotional. Respect.
On end of the 2000 Channel 4 Documentary "Escape from Colditz" they tested the pilot manned glider(which was built totally following the original project), which was initially pushed by a plane to get airborne and then released and then it was all good, it and the project was proven has viable. Not to mention all happened at view of Bill Goldfinch and Jack Best(the 2 creators of the Colditz Cock) and also about a dozen of the veterans who had worked on the original more than 55 years earlier.
Some of the footage from that documentary is included in this video ;-)
That was a brilliant documentary, one of the best I have seen for a while. The glider launch was awesome for everyone to witness, both for the veterans and us viewers. It flew much better than I expected.. It just disappeared into the sky..
Brilliant a great story and well done
I've been to Colditz and explored from the cellar to the lofts, most people don't know there were 2 camps in Colditz. ALso there is a replica of the glider in teh Norfolk and Suffolk Aviation Museum at Flixton, UK
That was blimen awesome
"Willkommen in Colditz"
For you za war is over.
Have just read Ben Macintyre's book, "Prisoners of the Castle.
For a building of the size and history of Coldidz Castle, I always wondered if there were ancient hiding places, secret passages that led from one part of the castle to another, and even escape routes that went out of the castle. Would have saved a lot of digging.
Jack, the Japan Alps Brit
Now guys we are going to build a platform on the roof. With a catapult. Nothing conspicuous though.
42:47. Give the man a RedBull. Everyone knows it gives you wings
It only does that, once you hit the ground to the sound of SPLAT.
But imagine the glider with an additional 24 stone (152KG) of passengers. It will drop like one.
not to mention the landing would have killed both of them.
32 successful escapes! But 1 attempt a day must have been very distracting to the Guard company and regional government! Imagine the grudging respect these efforts must have engendered.
got to say sadly this new glider had electronics etc that did not exist during ww2? apart from that well done it could have worked
Is this where Upham was caught in the barbed wire or is this where he was sent after?
Very interesting... But not much point if they're not going to at least try and use the same materials the prisoners had to use.. instead of using DeWalt drills & so on 😐
Only the weather could stop it flying,maths tell you that.
I couldn't be the first to comment on this, but now it'd be a hang glider.
Probably could have side slipped the last few hundred metres to bleed off extra height then gently land it in one piece instead of none diving and wrecking it. Very well done though and no doubt the real one would have flown and flown well and they were a skilled lot and would have worked out all the numbers.
As the pilot in this vid said. He decided to crash it due it was getting too close to comfort of peoples homes and property. He said he would had been able to land it more safely if he didn't have to worry about private property. The prisoners would probably not given an ants fart if they had struck someone's fence or goat. But nowadays there are these things called lawsuits, and an experiment are often not worth the potential farting around in court.
Yes it is very easy to be an armchair expert isn't it?
It was heading for a private house hence the early landing!!