Gotha G.VII

G.VII
Role	Bomber
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Gotha
First flight	1918
Primary users	Luftstreitkräfte Ukrainian Air Force, Czechoslovakian Air Force
Number built	ca.20

The Gotha G.VII. a.k.a.GL.VII, was a bomber aircraft produced in Germany during the final months of World War I. With the strategic bombing campaign effectively over, it was intended to be a high-speed tactical bomber with a secondary reconnaissance capability. It was a conventional two-bay biplane design with tractor-mounted engines, and a conventional empennage with twin fins and rudders. The bombardier's position in the nose of the aircraft that had featured on earlier Gotha designs was removed, and the nose of the aircraft severely truncated and fitted with a streamlined nose-cone. This allowed the engines to be located further inboard than on previous designs, bringing them closer to the aircraft's centreline and therefore minimising the effects of asymmetric thrust in the event of an engine failure. The engine nacelles also featured careful streamlining.

The Idflieg ordered around 250 of these aircraft, 50 from Gotha and 50 from LVG, and 150 from Aviatik. At least some of the LVG and Aviatik machines had been completed before the Armistice, with some reaching operational service. One G.VII survived the war to see brief service with the Ukrainian Air Force before being impounded by Czechoslovakia and used by the Czechoslovakian air force for a short time.

Variants

Gotha G.VII prototype - The original prototype with short nosed fuselage was intended for long-range photographic reconnaissance.

Operators

Austria-Hungary

Austro-Hungarian Imperial and Royal Aviation Troops

Czechoslovakia

Czechoslovakian air force (one aircraft taken from Ukrainian Air Force)

Germany

Luftstreitkrafte

Ukraine

Ukrainian Air Force (one aircraft)

Specifications (Gotha G.VII production)

Data from Gray, Peter & Thetford, Owen. “German Aircraft of the First World War”. London, Putnam. ISBN 0-370-00103-6

General characteristics

Crew: Three
Length: 9.63 m (31 ft 7-1/8 in)
Wingspan: 19.27 m (63 ft 2-3/4 in)
Height: 3.51 m (11 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 63.8 m² (689 ft²)
Empty weight: 2,419 kg (5,333 lb)
Gross weight: 3,139 kg (6,920 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Mercedes D.IVa, 194 kW (260 hp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 180 km/h (112.3 mph)
Range: 540 km (340 miles)
Endurance: 3 hours
Service ceiling: 7,000 m (23,000 ft)
Rate of climb: 2.63 m/s (518 ft/min)

Armament

1 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) Parabellum machine gun in dorsal ring mount

References

Gray, Peter & Thetford, Owen. “German Aircraft of the First World War”. London, Putnam. ISBN 0-370-00103-6
Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 427.
World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing. pp. File 895 Sheet 08.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gotha bomber aircraft.

Уголок неба

Idflieg G-class aircraft designations

AEG G.I G.II G.III G.IV G.V Albatros G.I G.II G.III G.IV Friedrichshafen G.I G.II G.III G.IV G.V Gotha G.I G.II G.III G.IV G.V G.VI G.VII G.VIII G.IX G.X Halberstadt G.I LFG G.I LVG G.I G.II G.III Rumpler G.I G.II G.III Schütte-Lanz G.I Siemens-Schuckert G.I G.II G.III

Aircraft produced by Gothaer Waggonfabrik

Company designations pre-1918

LD.1 LD.2 LD.3 LD.4 LD.5 LD.6 LD.7

LE.1 LE.2 LE.3

WD.1 WD.2 WD.3 WD.4 WD.5 WD.7 WD.8 WD.9 WD.11 WD.12 WD.13 WD.14 WD.15 WD.17 WD.20 WD.22 WD.27

Idflieg designations 1914-1918

Reichsluftfahrtministerium designations 1933-1945

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