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| The Gotha G.II and G.III bombers made their appearance in 1916. The two bombers were remarkably similar, differing only in their engines and internal details. The G.II entered service in March of 1916 and was powered by a pair of 164kW six-cylinder liquid-cooled Mercedes DIV engines mounted in a pusher configuration. Some 15 G.IIs were used in the Balkans until they were withdrawn due to unreliable engines.
Both aircraft were armed with two 7.92mm Maxim IMG Parabellum machine guns - one in the nose and another in the aft fuselage - and carried approximately 540kg of bombs.
A few G.IIs and G.IIIs were equipped with a trapdoor in the undersurface of the rear fuselage, which permitted the rear gunner to take up a prone position and fire aft or downwards from a ventral position to defend the bomber's vulnerable 'blind spot.'
| MODEL | G II |
| CREW | 3 |
| ENGINE | 2 x Benz D IV, 165kW |
| Barry, 25.08.2016 14:38 Not a great success, probably because of the unreliability of the Mercedes (not Benz) engines which were prone to vibration resulting in crank shaft failure. Of the 10 built one was retained by Gothaer and one was lost in evaluation trials the remaining eight went to the Balkan front where no more than four were active at any one time. By February 1917 only one remained in service what became of them has not been recorded.
Span 77'9" Empty weight 4,810 lb Maximum take off weight 7,037 lb
Max speed 92 mph
Armament 2 x 7.92 mm Parabellum machine guns 1,000 lb bombs reply | | Grant, e-mail, 21.10.2013 20:42 How were the internal bombs in the Gotha dropped. I see there is a "bomb chamber", but no bomb bay doors. reply | | Jeroen, e-mail, 24.10.2008 23:55 The G.II used straight-eight DIV engines of 220hp, the G.III straight-six DIVa's with 260hp.
Also the G.II did not have the trap-door, this was on G.IIIs only. Only 10 G.IIs were apparently built. reply | | Freeman, e-mail, 15.02.2008 14:44 At first, bobs were dropped "on eye":-) Then, was used very simply constructions made by crews. It was net made from wire and nails. Thrue bombing sights was constructed in last mounths the Great War. reply | |
| | Mark, e-mail, 08.12.2006 02:50 What bomb sight did they use? reply |
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