Gotha G.I
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Gotha G.I
Role	Bomber
Manufacturer	Gothaer Waggonfabrik AG
Designed by	Oskar Ursinus and Helmut Friedel 1
First flight	30 January 1915 2
Primary user	Luftstreitkräfte
Number built	20 3
Unit cost	M 32,000 without engines 4

The Gotha G.I was a heavy bomber used by the Luftstreitkräfte (Imperial German Air Service) during the First World War.

Design and development

In mid-1914, Oskar Ursinus, the founder and editor of the German flying magazine Flugsport, began designing a large twin-engine seaplane of unconventional configuration⁵. While most biplane designs have the fuselage attached to the lower wing, Ursinus had a snub-nosed fuselage attached to the upper wing, and twin engine nacelles mounted on the lower one⁶. The purpose of this arrangement was to allow the engines to be kept close together thereby minimizing asymmetrical thrust in the event of an engine failure⁷, although Ursinus later also claimed that this design balanced out the lowering of the centre of pressure as speed increased, and minimised the drag on the upper wing caused by turbulence from the fuselage ⁸.

Ursinus was conscripted into the army on 1 August 1914 and little over a week later, presented his commanding officer, Major Helmut Friedel, with the seaplane design adapted into a Kampfflugzeug ("battle aircraft") intended for ground attack duties⁹. Apart from the aerodynamic benefits claimed by Ursinus, the aircraft's unorthodox layout provided excellent views for the three crewmen and broad fields of fire for the gunner¹⁰. The design also matched the specifications that the Idflieg had issued in March that year for a "Type III" large military aircraft¹¹, and Friedel ordered the construction of a prototype.

This aircraft was built by the men his unit, Fliegerersatz Abteilung 3 ("Aviator Replacement Unit 3")¹² and received the Idflieg designation B.1092/14, although it was generally known as the FU for "Friedel-Ursinus"¹³. It was powered by two 75 kW (100 hp) Mercedes D.I engines, and in keeping with the "Type III" requirement, it was armed with a machine-gun in the nose and the engines and crew were protected by 200 kg (440 lb) of chrome-nickel armour¹⁴.

The prototype first flew on 30 January 1915 ¹⁵ and was inspected by an Idflieg engineer on 20 February¹⁶. His report confirmed that the aircraft conformed to the specification, and Ursinus' claims about the excellent field of fire and advantages of the design in single-engine operation¹⁷. However, he also noted that the aircraft was difficult to fly, lacking in structural integrity, dangerous to the crew in the event of a crash landing, and underpowered ¹⁸. Despite its shortcomings, the FU was sent to the front, assigned to Feld Fliger Abteilung 28 reconnaissance unit¹⁹ at Ujatz on the Russian Front in early 1915 ²⁰.

With the design proved under service conditions, the Idflieg issued a contract on 1 April²¹ for series production to Gothaer Waggonfabrik AG, which acquired a license from Ursinus, who held the patent to the design ²². Gothaer chief engineer Hans Burkhard simplified and refined the design²³, which was originally known as the Gotha-Ursinus-Heeresflugzeug (Gotha Ursinus Army Aircraft), or "GUH,"²⁴ later known as the Gotha G.I or Gotha-Ursinus G.I. The first production aircraft was completed on 27 July 1915 ²⁵. These aircraft were powered by two 112 kW (150 hp) Benz Bz.III engines²⁶. Gothaer Waggonfabrik built 18 G.I aircraft in three batches of six before production ceased at the end of the year ²⁷. The final batch was powered by 120 kW (160 hp) Mercedes D.III engines and featured an extra defensive machine gun and nearly double the armour of previous examples ²⁸.

A single example of a seaplane version was also built, ordered by the Navy in April 1915 and delivered in February 1916²⁹. During a test flight, six men climbed aboard to take the place of ballast. When they emerged after landing, a nearby naval officer likened the aircraft to the Trojan Horse, and this nickname stuck ³⁰. It was used operationally until 2 October ³¹ when it was written off after a hard landing³².

Operational history

Today, little is known of the G.I's service history³³. Idflieg records show only small numbers ever in service on the Front at any one time (the most being five in October and six in December 1915³⁴). At this stage of the war, Type G aircraft were being used for a variety of duties, including defensive patrols, reconnaissance, and only rarely for bombing³⁵. By the time it reached the front, the Gotha G.I was already an easy target for faster and more maneuverable fighters³⁶, and the few pilot recollections that have survived are largely unfavourable to the type³⁷.

The UWD seaplane is known to have participated in a successful air-raid on Dover sometime in 1916, bombing Langton Fort and the Shoulder of Mutton battery, but the exact date is not now known³⁸.

Variants

• FU - (Friedel-Ursinus) - single prototype ³⁹
• G.I - standard production version
• UWD - (Ursinus Wasser Doppeldecker - Ursinus Water Biplane) - seaplane variant with twin floats (1 only built) ⁴⁰, also known as the WD.4.

Operators^{41 42}

•  German Empire
  • Armeeabteilung Falkenhausen
  • Fliegerersatz Abteilung 1
  • Fliegerersatz Abteilung 3
  • Fliegerersatz Abteilung 5
  • Fliegerersatz Abteilung 7
  • Fliegerersatz Abteilung 37
  • Fliegerersatz Abteilung 46
  • Kagohl 1
  • Kagohl 2, Staffel 8
  • Prüfanstalt und Werft
  • Sonderstaffel S

Specifications (Gotha G.I)

Data from ⁴³

General characteristics

• Crew: 3
• Length: 12.00 m (39 ft 4 in)
• Wingspan: 20.30 m (66 ft 7 in)
• Height: 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)
• Wing area: 82.0 m² (882 ft²)
• Empty weight: 1,800 kg (3,970 lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 2,966 kg (6,539 lb)
• Powerplant: 2× Benz Bz.III inline engine, 112 kW (150 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 130 km/h (80 mph)
• Rate of climb: 0.7 m/s (140 ft/min)

Armament

• 3 x 7.92 mm Parabellum LMG 14 machine guns

References

See also

Gotha Raids

Comparable aircraft

• Caproni Ca.1 (1914)
  

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of Germany
• List of bomber aircraft