Gotha G.VI

The Gotha G.VI was an experimental bomber aircraft designed and built in Germany during World War I.

Gotha G.VI
Role Bomber
National origin Germany
Designer Hans Burkhard
First flight 1918
Number built 2
Developed from Gotha G.V

Development

The Gotha G.VI was an experimental bomber developed from the Gotha G.V. Using the standard wing cellule from the Gotha G.V the G.VI became what was probably the first asymmetrical aircraft to be built. In an effort to reduce drag Hans Burkhard, the chief designer at Gotha, studied various configurations of fuselage and engine nacelle for multi-engined aircraft. He concluded that drag could be reduced dramatically if the number of bodies creating drag could be reduced, on September 22, 1915, Burkhard obtained German Patent number 300 676 for his unusual design. Using the wing from a Gotha G.V Burkhard moved an engine to the front of the fuselage, driving a tractor propeller, and moved it to lie over the port main undercarriage supports. The second engine was moved to the rear of a nacelle, driving a pusher propeller, offset to a lesser degree to starboard, to compensate for differing drag characteristics, the forward end of the nacelle housed a cockpit for a gunner armed with a flexible machine-gun that extended forward of the tractor propeller in the port fuselage. Flight tests commenced in the summer of 1918, with the only major problem being buffeting of the tail unit, but were interrupted when the aircraft nosed over, repairs were not carried out to the first prototype. The buffeting of the tailunit was to have been alleviated by fitting an asymmetric tailplane, offset to port, on the second prototype which was not completed before the Armistice. The second prototype is reputed to have been destroyed before it could be requisitioned by the Inter-Allied Control Commission.

Specifications (Gotha G.VI)

Data from The Osprey Encyclopaedia of Russian Aircraft 1875 – 1995[1]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 3/4
  • Length: 12.4 m (40 ft 8.25 in)
  • Wingspan: 23.7 m (77 ft 9.25 in)
  • Wing area: 89.5 m2 (967 sq ft)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Mercedes D IVa , 194 kW (260 hp) each

Performance

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References
  1. Gunston, Bill. “The Osprey Encyclopaedia of Russian Aircraft 1875 – 1995”. London, Osprey. 1995. ISBN 1-85532-405-9
  • Gray, Peter & Thetford, Owen. German Aircraft of the First World War. London, Putnam. ISBN 0-370-00103-6
  • Taylor, Michael J.H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. Studio Editions. London. 1989. ISBN 0-517-69186-8
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