Gotha Go 244

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The Gotha Go 244 was a transport aircraft used by the Luftwaffe during World War II.

Development

The Go 244 was the powered version of the Gotha Go 242 military glider transport. Studies for powered versions of the Go 242 began early in the design of the glider, with one early proposal being for modification to allow a single Argus As 10C engine to be temporarily attached to the nose of the glider to allow recovery back to base after use. This idea was rejected, but the alternative of a permanently powered twin-engined version was taken forward.^[1]

Three Go 242s were modified as prototypes of the powered Go 244, fitted with varying surplus radial engines. The first prototype, the Go 244 V1 was powered by two 660 hp (492 kW) BMW 132, while the second prototype had 700 hp (522 kW) Gnome-Rhône 14Ms and the third 750 hp (560 kW) Shvetsov M-25A engines. Although only the third prototype offered adequate engine out performance, the Luftwaffe had large stocks of captured Gnome engines, so this was chosen as the basis for the production conversion, although a few more aircraft were fitted with the BMW and Shvetsov engines.^[2]<ref name=""Smith&Kay p219">Smith and Kay 1972, p.219.</ref>

The B series was the main production model, being based on the Go 242B with a wheeled tricycle undercarriage and with fuel and oil carried in the tailbooms.^[3] 133 were converted from Go 242 Bs, while a further 41 were built from new before production reverted to the glider Go 242.^[4] Plans were also created for single-engined variants with a nose-mounted Argus A 10C or Junkers Jumo 211.^[5]

Operational history

The first examples of the Go 244 were delivered to operational units in Greece, based in Crete in March 1942. Some were also assigned to transport Geschwader in North Africa and the Eastern Front but on the former front they proved vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire and were withdrawn, being replaced by Junkers Ju 52 or Messerschmitt Me 323 aircraft.^[5]

Variants

Go 244 A-1 - prototype, using the BMW 132 radial engine
Go 244 B-1 - production version, with fixed landing gear
Go 244 B-2 - B-1 with improved landing gear including a larger semi-retractable nose wheel
Go 242 B-3 - paratroop-carrying version of B-1 with double rear doors
Go 244 B-4 - paratroop-carrying version of B-2 with doors of B-3 and landing gear of B-2
Go 244 B-5 - training version with dual controls

Specifications (Go 244 B-1)

Data from Gotha's Twin-Boom Troopers^[6]

General characteristics

Crew: 1 or 2 pilots
Capacity: up to 23 troops or freight
Length: 15.80 m (51 ft 10 in)
Wingspan: 24.50 m (80 ft 4½ in)
Height: 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 64.4 m² (693 ft²)
Empty weight: 5,100 kg (11,243 lb)
Loaded weight: 6,800 kg (14,991 lb)
Max. takeoff weight: 7,162 kg (15,789 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Gnome-Rhône 14M 06/07 14-cylinder radial engine, 742 hp (553 kW) at 2,000 m (6,560 ft) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 290 km/h (157 knots, 180 mph) at 4,000 m (13,100 ft)
Cruise speed: 270 km/h (146 knots, 168 mph) at 3,900 m (12,800 ft)
Range: 410 km (222 nmi, 255 mi)
Service ceiling: 8,350 m (27,395 ft)
Climb to 1,000 m (3,300 ft): 3 min

Armament

Guns: 3 × 7.92 mm (.312 in) MG 15 or MG 81Z machine guns

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gotha Go 244.

Notes

↑ Air International December 1989, p. 291.
↑ Air International December 1989, pp. 291–2.
↑ Air International December 1989, p. 292.
↑ Air International December 1989, p. 309.
↑ 5.0 5.1 Bishop, Chris; Roger Ford (2002). The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II. Sterling. p. 408. ISBN 1-58663-762-2. Cite uses deprecated parameters (help)
↑ Air International December 1989, pp. 288.

Bibliography

"Gotha's Twin-Boom Troopers". Air International 37 (6): pp. 286–292, 309. December 1989.
Smith, J R; Kay, Antony L (1972). German Aircraft of the Second World War. London: Putnam. ISBN 0370000242.

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.20 WD.22 WD.27

Idflieg designations 1914-1918

Reichsluftfahrtministerium designations 1933-1945

v t e Reich Air Ministry aircraft designations

1 to 100	B 9 Gö 9 Do 10 Do 11 Wn 11 Do 12 Do 13 Do 14 Do 15 Wn 15 Do 16 Wn 16 Do 17 Do 18 Do 19 Do 20 Do 22 Do 23 Do 24 Kl 25 Do 26 Kl 26 M 27 Do 29 Kl 31 Kl 32 W 33 L 33 W 34 Kl 35 Kl 36 HD 37 HD 38 G 38 DFS 39 BV 40 DFS 40 A 40 Fw 42 He 42 Fw 43 HD 43 Fw 44 He 45 He 46 Ju 46 Fw 47 He 47 K 47 A 48 He 49 Ju 49 He 50 A 50 He 51 K 51 Ju 52 K 53 NR 54 Fw 55 NR 55 Fw 56 Fw 57 Fw 58 He 58 He 59 He 60 Ju 60 Fw 61 He 61 Fw 62 He 62 He 63 Ar 64 He 64 Ar 65 He 65 Ar 66 He 66 Ar 67 Ar 68 Ar 69 He 70 He 71 He 72 He 74 Ar 76 Ar 77 Ar 79 Ar 80 Ar 81 Ju 85 Ju 86 Ju 87 Ju 88 Ju 89 Ju 90 Ar 95 Ar 96 Fi 97 Fi 98 Fi 99 He 100

101 to 200	Al 101 Al 102 Al 103 Fi 103 Fh 104 Kl 105 Kl 106 Kl 107 Bf 108 Bf 109 Bf 110 He 111 He 112 He 113 He 114 He 115 He 116 Hs 117 He 118 He 119 He 120 Hs 121 Hs 122 Hs 123 Hs 124 Hs 125 Hs 126 Hs 127 Hs 128 Hs 129 Hs 130 Bü 131 Hs 132 Bü 133 Bü 134 Ha 135 Ha 136 Hü 136 Ha 137 BV 138 Ha 139 Ha 140 BV 141 BV 142 BV 143 BV 144 Go 145 Go 146 Go 147 Ju 147 Go 149 Go 150 Kl 151 Ta 152 Kl 152 Ta 153 Ta 154 BV 155 Fi 156 Fi 157 Fi 158 Fw 159 Ju 160 Bf 161 He 162 Bf 162 Bf 163 Me 163 Me 164 Fi 166 FK 166 Fi 167 Fi 168 He 170 He 172 He 176 He 177 He 178 Bü 180 Bü 181 Bü 182 Ta 183 Fl 184 Fl 185 Fw 186 Ju 186 Fw 187 Ju 187 Ju 188 Fw 189 Fw 190 Fw 191 Ao 192 DFS 193 DFS 194 Ar 195 Ar 196 Ar 197 Ar 198 Ar 199 Fw 200

201 to 300	Si 201 Si 202 DFS 203 Si 204 Fw 206 Me 208 Me 209 Me 209 (1943) Me 210 Hü 211 Do 212 Do 214 Do 215 Do 216 Do 217 Hs 217 He 219 He 220 BV 222 Fa 223 Fa 224 Ao 225 Fa 225 BV 226 Ho 226 FGP 227 DFS 228 Ho 229 DFS 230 Ar 231 Ar 232 Ar 233 Ar 234 Do 235 BV 237 BV 238 Fw 238 Ar 239 Ar 240 Go 241 Go 242 Go 244 BV 246 Ju 248 BV 250 Fw 250 Ho 250 Ho 251 Ho 252 Ju 252 Fi 253 Ho 253 Ta 254 Ho 254 Fi 256 Sk 257 Fw 261 Me 261 Me 262 Me 263 Me 264 Fl 265 Me 265 Fa 266 Ho 267 Ju 268 Fa 269 He 270 We 271 Fw 272 He 274 He 275 He 277 He 278 He 280 Fl 282 Fa 283 Ta 283 Fa 284 Fl 285 Ju 286 Ju 287 Ju 288 Ju 290 Me 290 As 292 Hs 293 Hs 294 Hs 295 Ar 296 Hs 296 Hs 297 Hs 298 Fw 300

301-	Me 309 Me 310 Do 317 Do 318 He 319 Me 321 Ju 322 Me 323 Me 328 Me 329 Fa 330 DFS 331 DFS 332 Fi 333 Me 334 Do 335 Fa 336 Fl 339 E.340 WNF 342 He 343 Rk 344 So 344 Go 345 DFS 346 Rk 347 Ba 349 Ju 352 Me 362 Me 364 Ju 388 Ju 390 Fw 391 Ar 396 Ta 400 Me 409 Me 410 Do 417 He 419 ZMe 423 Ar 430 Ka 430 Ar 432 Do 435 Ar 440 Ju 452 Me 462 Ju 488 Fw 491 Me 509 Me 510 He 519 ZSO 523 Ar 532 Do 535 E.555 Me 609 Ar 632 Do 635

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