Gotha
Gothaer Waggonfabrik A.G. (Gotha) built both twin-engine bombers and a series of seaplanes, as well as a small number of Tauben and unarmed biplanes.
Production aircraft from the Great War or shortly thereafter include:
- Bombers
- Gotha Ursinus G.I
- Gotha G.II
- Gotha G.III
- Gotha G.IV
- Gotha G.V
- Gotha G.VI [note 1]
- Gotha G.VII/GL.VII
- Gotha G.VIII/GL.VIII [note 2]
- Gotha G.IX/GL.IX
- Gotha G.X [note 3]
- Reconnaissance Biplanes [note 4]
- Gotha LD.1 [note 5]
- Gotha LD.2 (Gotha B.II)
- Gotha LD.3 [note 6]
- Gotha LD.4 [note 7]
- Gotha LD.5 [note 8]
- Gotha LD.6 [note 9]
- Gotha LD.7 (Gotha B.I)
- Tauben
- Gotha LE.1 "Taube" [note 10]
- Gotha LE.2 "Taube"
- Gotha LE.3 "Taube"
- Gotha LE.4 "Taube" [note 11]
- Seaplanes [note 12]
- Gotha W.D.1
- Gotha W.D.2
- Gotha W.D.3
- Gotha W.D.4/UWD
- Gotha W.D.5 [note 13]
- Gotha W.D.6 [note 14]
- Gotha W.D.7
- Gotha W.D.8 [note 15]
- Gotha W.D.9 [note 16]
- Gotha W.D.10 [note 17]
- Gotha W.D.11
- Gotha W.D.12
- Gotha W.D.13
- Gotha W.D.14
- Gotha W.D.15 [note 18]
- Gotha W.D.20 [note 19]
- Gotha W.D.22
- Gotha W.D.27
References
- Notes
- ↑ The G.VI was an asymmetric plane with a small nacelle containing the gunner and a pusher engine. Three were built but after a crash the type was not developed.[1]
- ↑ The war ended while the G.VIII/GL.VIII was still undergoing prototype evaluation.[2]
- ↑ Three GL.X prototypes, powered by BMWIII.a engines, were ordered in August 1918. At least one was completed.[3]
- ↑ Gotha's LD series was only built in small numbers. LD stands for Land Doppeldecker.
- ↑ Gotha built a single LD.1 in 1914 as a testing platform, leading to the LD series.[4]
- ↑ Gotha license-built a single Caudron G-type in 1913 as the LD.3. [5]
- ↑ The LD.4 was a 1914 LD.3 variant with side-by-side seating for the pilot and observer.[6]
- ↑ The single LD.5 biplane saw no production and spent its life as a trainer.[7]
- ↑ The Gotha LD.6 prototype crashed. An improved LD.6a failed to meet acceptance criteria and was used as a trainer.[8]
- ↑ Eight LE.1 Tauben were built as trainers in 1913.[9]
- ↑ A single LE.4 was built in 1914. It replaced the familiar, massive Taube tail with a more contemporary design.[10]
- ↑ W.D. likely stands for Wasser Doppeldecker, or 'Water Biplane'
- ↑ Only the prototype W.D.5 was built.[11]. It was sent to Turkey on 13 July 1916.[12]
- ↑ The W.D.6 was the company designation for thirty Brandenburg NW's built under license by Gotha, aka the "Brandenburg NW(Go)".[13]
- ↑ Only a single WD.8 was built in late 1915[14]. It was delivered in Feb 1916 to Zeebrügge, where it was found unsuitable, and it was shipped to Turkey on 21 Sep 1916.[15]
- ↑ The WD.9 was derived from the WD.5. It served at Zeebrügge from May to June 1916 before being sent to Turkey in Sept.[16] Nowarra hints that there may have been a small production order for use by Turkey.[14]
- ↑ The WD.10 was a project only.[14]. It was destroyed during testing in 1916.[17]
- ↑ The WD.15 was a single-seat seaplane fighter that did not go into production.[18]
- ↑ The WD.20 was a three-seat, twin engined long-range reconnaissance seaplane based on the WD.14. Only 1-3 were completed.[18]
- Citations
- ↑ Herris'14, p.142.
- ↑ Herris'13, p.168.
- ↑ Herris'14, p.157.
- ↑ Herris'13, p.13.
- ↑ Herris'13, p.16.
- ↑ Herris'13, p.17.
- ↑ Herris'13, p.18.
- ↑ Herris'13, p.19.
- ↑ Herris'13, p.6.
- ↑ Herris'13, p.11.
- ↑ Nowarra, p.44.
- ↑ Herris'13, p.42.
- ↑ Herris'13, p.44.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Nowarra, p.46.
- ↑ Herris'13, p.48.
- ↑ Herris'13, p.51.
- ↑ Herris'13, p.54.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Nowarra, p.56.
- Bibliography
- Peter Gray and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. Great Britain, Putnam, 1962, 1987. ISBN 0-85177-809-7.
- Jack Herris, Gotha Aircraft of WWI. USA, Aeronaut Books, 2013. ISBN 978-1-935881-14-8
- Jack Herris, German G-Type Bombers of WWI. Aeronaut Books, 2014. ISBN 978-1-935881-26-1.
- Heinz J. Nowarra, Bruce Robertson, and Peter G. Cooksley. Marine Aircraft of the 1914-1918 War. Letchworth, Herts, England: Harleyford Publications Limited, 1966. ISBN 0900435070