Gotha LD.1

LD.1, LD.2, LD.6, and LD.7
Role	Military utility aircraft
National origin	Germany
Manufacturer	Gotha
First flight	April 1914
Primary users	Luftstreitkräfte Ottoman aviation squadrons

The Gotha LD.1 (for Land Doppeldecker - "Land Biplane") and its derivatives were a family of military aircraft produced in Germany just before and during the early part of World War I. Used for training and reconnaissance, they were conventional designs with two-bay unstaggered wings, tailskid landing gear, and two open cockpits in tandem. Made quickly obsolete by the rapid advances in aviation technology, several were supplied as military aid to the Ottoman Empire when withdrawn from German service.

Variants

LD 1

Basic open-cockpit biplane

LD 1a

1915 variant with a 100 hp (75 kW) Oberursel U.1 rotary engine.

LD 2

Similar to the LD 1a but fitted with a 100 hp (75 kW) Mercedes D.I inline piston engine.

LD 4

Minor changes and engine variations.

LD 6a

Minor changes and engine variations.

LD 7

Minor changes and fitted with a 120 hp (89 kW) Mercedes D.II inline piston engine.

Operators

 Germany

• Luftstreitkrafte

 Turkey

• Ottoman Air Force

Specifications (LD.1)

General characteristics

• Crew: Two, pilot and observer
• Length: 8.28 m (27 ft 2 in)
• Wingspan: 14.50 m (47 ft 6 in)
• Height: 3.45 m (11 ft 4 in)
• Wing area: 46.0 m² (495 ft²)
• Empty weight: 590 kg (1,300 lb)
• Gross weight: 980 kg (2,160 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Mercedes D.I, 78 kW (105 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 115 km/h (71 mph)
• Range: 520 km (320 miles)

See also

Related development

• Gotha LD.5

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gotha aircraft.

• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. p. 428. 
• Das Virtuelle Luftfahrtmuseum