Laister-Kaufman in World War Two

Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation in World War Two
St. Louis, MO
1941-1946

This page added 11-6-2022.

As World War Two approached and the United States military learned of the success of German airborne glider attacks in May 1940 during the invasion of Belgium, there was an urgent need for gliders in the United States. As the United States Army Glider Program began taking shape, 27 year-old Jack Laister, a well-known civilian glider designer since he was 14 years old, modified his 1938 Yankee Doodle single seat glider by adding a second seat. This then became the TG-4A series of gliders that the Laister-Kauffman company built for the U.S. Army. However, while Mr. Laister had the design, he did not have the financing for their manufacture. He was able to partner with St. Louis businessman John Kauffman and the Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation was born. The company came into existence because of the need of gliders for World War Two, and when the war ended, and production ceased in August 1945, the need for gliders came to an abrupt end. There would be no further use for military gliders as the age of the helicopter was beginning. Laister-Kauffman was not fully reimbursed by the United States government for materials it had purchased for future production, and the company filed for reorganization under Chapter 10 of the bankruptcy codes in September 1946. In the end, the company went out of business. Note: A special thank you to Mr. Jim Moffett for information on the end of the company.

Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation World War Two Production: The company had $23,075,000 in major contracts during World War Two. For a company that did not exist until 1941, this is an amazing amount. The demand for both training gliders and combat gliders was of extreme urgency during the war, as the United States Army Air Forces was playing catch-up with the Germans. Laister-Kauffman built the TG-4A training glider and CG-4A combat glider.

This TG-4A is on display at the Museum of Aviation at Robbins Air Force Base, GA. While photographing the glider during my visit to the museum, I decided to research the company and publish this page to recognize the company's contribution to winning World War Two. Table 2 shows that there were 150 production and three experimental versions of this type built. These were used to train pilots in preparation to flying the CG-4A combat glider. Author's photo.

Table 2 shows that the company built 230 CG-4A combat gliders under license from the Waco Aircraft Corporation of Troy, OH. Author's photo.

Laister-Kauffman did not have a factory and assembled all of its gliders in the St. Louis Arena. The St. Louis Arena opened in 1929 and was the home of the St. Louis Blues hockey team among many other hockey and basketball teams until it closed in 1994. It was imploded on February 27, 1999, the day this photo was taken.

The Laister-Kauffman Aviation Corporation did not have time to build a factory. The Army Air Forces wanted its gliders yesterday, not today. During the war, professional sports came to a standstill and no doubt Mr. Kauffman had the proper connections to be able to quickly occupy this space to not only build gliders but create jobs in St. Louis.

In this photo, workers are working on the rib and wing assembly for the TG-4A glider.

A TG-4A is shown being assembled by five workers inside the St. Louis Arena.

Laister-Kauffman workers are shown here doping down a wing and adding the star and bar insignia for a DG-4A.

Final assembly of the wings may have taken place at a suitable field to test the gliders before acceptance by the Army Air Forces.

Table 1 - Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation's Major World War Two Contracts The information below comes from the "Alphabetical Listing of Major War Supply Contracts, June 1940 through September 1945." This was published by the Civilian Production Administration, Industrial Statistics Division.
Product - Customer	Contract Amount	Contract Awarded	Completion Date
Gliders - USAAF	$6,155,000	3-1942	1-1943
Gliders - USAAF	$302,000	3-1942	4-1943
Gliders - USAAF	$856,000	4-1942	9-1944
Gliders - USAAF	$301,000	5-1942	7-4193
Glider Noses - USAAF	$267,000	6-1944	9-1944
Glider Repair Servs - USAAF	$1,791,000	7-1944	2-1945
Gliders - USAAF	$2,071,000	10-1944	8-1945
Gliders CG-10A - USAAF	$11,255,000	3-1945	3-1946
Metal Booms - USAAF	$77,000	6-1945	12-1945
Total	$23,075,000

Table 2 - Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation's World War Two Glider Production
U.S. Army Air Force Serial Numbers	Type	Quantity Built	Comments
42-61099 through 42-61100	XCG-10A-LK	2	Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation Model LK-11B Trojan Horse 42 seat glider.
42-53022 through 42-53096	TG-4A-LK	75	Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation LK-10A Yankee Doodle 2 tandem seat training glider.
42-53525 through 42-53526	XCG-10A-LK	2	Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation Model LK-11B Trojan Horse 30 seat gliders ordered April 22, 1942. 42-53525 accepted October 4, 1942. First flight November 6, 1943. Converted to 42 seat glider. 42-53525 completed as a 42 seat glider.
42-43649through 42-43678	CG-4A LK	30	Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation Model NZR troop glider. Built under license from the Waco Aircraft Company, Troy, OH.
42-4367through 42-43753	TG-4A-LK	75	Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation LK-10A Yankee Doodle 2 tandem seat training glider.
42-14705-hrough 42-14707	XTG-4-LK	3	Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation
43-42129 through 43-42228	CG-4A-LK	100	Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation LK-10A Yankee Doodle 2 tandem seat training glider.
45-17143 through 45-17242	CG-4A-LK	100	Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation LK-10A Yankee Doodle 2 tandem seat training glider.
45-44450 through 45-44459	YCG-10A		Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation Model LK-11B Trojan Horse 42 seat glider. All ten units were cancelled
45-44460 through 45-454499	CG-10A		Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation Model LK-11B Trojan Horse 42 seat glider. 1,040 units cancelled.
Total		387

Table 1 shows that Laister-Kauffman was awarded a $11,255,000 contract in March 1945 for CG-10A gliders. Table 2 shows that only four experimental XCG-10A-LK 42 seat combat gliders were built. Table 2 also shows that ten YCG-10A test gliders and 1,040 CG-10A production gliders were cancelled and most of the $11,255,000 was never spent. The CG-10A was the largest American glider built during World War Two. This was a quantum jump for a company that only began business in 1941, but it also shows the engineering and design ability of Jack Laister.

On August 3, 1945, it was announced in Louisville, KY that the Laister-Kauffman Aviation Corporation was taking over the Louisville Defense Plant at the Louisville Airport. Previously, this plant had been occupied by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation to build 458 C-46 twin-engine cargo aircraft. It had fulfilled its contract with the Army Air Forces and the plant was turned back over to the Defense Plant Corporation, which then leased it out to the Laister-Kauffman Aviation Corporation. It was the ideal venue in which to build the CG-10A gliders which was basically the same size as a C-46. Employment figures were expected to reach 1,000 employees as the large cargo gliders were urgently needed for the upcoming invasion of Japan.

Then on August 6 and August 9, 1945 top-secret atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. On August 15, 1945, Japan surrendered. Wartime contracts were cancelled on a mass basis as there was no longer a need for more equipment. No production CG-10A cargo gliders were ever built in Louisville, KY.

This is USAAF serial number 42-61100 which was the second Laister-Kauffman glider to be assigned a number.

The CG-10A had rear opening clam shell doors which allowed for easy exit of small vehicles, artillery, and 42 troops.

Laister-Kauffman TG-4A Gliders on Museum Display:

Here are four more photos showing the TG-4A on display at the Museum of Aviation at Robbins Air Force Base, GA. The aircraft is located in the Museum's World War Two hangar. Author's photo.

Author's photo.

The fuselage was constructed of fabric on a welded steel frame. The tail was made of wood with a fabric covering while the wings were made of wood. The first one-third of the wing's leading edge was covered with plywood and the entire wing covered in fabric. The aircraft had a 22:1 glide ratio. Author's photo.

This is serial number 42-43740. Author's photo.

Author's photo.

This is rather embarrassing. I have walked underneath this TG-4A dozens of times at the National Museum of the United States Air Force since it was placed on display in 2003 and never paid any attention to it. It was only when I began work on this page that I realized the Museum had this TG-4A on display. However, with over 350 aircraft on display at the museum, it is not difficult to overlook an aircraft or two. Author's photo.

This is serial number 42-43734. Author's photo.

This TG-4A is on display in the World War Two room of the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Kalamazoo, MI. For the photos of this TG-4A, I made a special trip accompanied by my oldest grandson. It was his first visit to this excellent museum. Author's photo.

This aircraft is Laister-Kauffman serial number 92 and was registered as N58189 until de-registered May 2015 when it was brought to the museum for display. Author's photo.

Author's photo.

This 1943 Laister-Kauffman TG-4A is company serial number 126 and USAAF serial number 42-53072. It is on display at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, VA. Author's photo.

The glider still carries the registration number N51462 which is good through March 2024. Author's photo.

Laister-Kauffman-built TG-4A is company serial 139. One source gives this as USAAF serial number 42-530727. This is most likely 42-53727. Author's photo.

Author's photo.