Gotha Go.242

Military Transport Glider Aircraft

Aviation / Aerospace

1 / 1

Image courtesy of the Public Domain.

Towed glider transports like the Gotha Go.242 proved very important to airborne operations of World War 2.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 2/26/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com

After the stunning successes of German airborne troops using gliders in the opening stages of World War 2, a premium was placed on such low-cost, low-maintenance aircraft for assault. Indeed, the British and Americans eventually followed the German lead, such was the influence of these operations when conquering Western Europe. The DFS 230 glider of 1937 originally played this role in the German attacks on the Belgian fortress of Eben-Emael and were further pressed into action during the takeover of Crete. As the war evolved, however, a new design was requested by the Reich Air Ministry and this called for a heavy-class transport that carried more and improved on handling for more precise landings.

The storied aviation concern of Gothaer Waggonfabrik (Gotha) responded with such an aircraft in the form of their Model 242 (Go.242). Engineers elected for a centralized nacelle containing the cockpit and cargo/passenger hold while high-mounted wings provided the necessary lift and control at low altitude and low speed. To provide better clearance all about the fuselage, a twin-boom configuration was selected, these booms each mounting a vertical rudder and joined at the rear by a single horizontal plane. A wheeled undercarriage was added and heavy struts were allocated under each wing for support. The front of the fuselage contained the two-man cockpit, which was heavily glazed, and windows were set along the fuselage sides for situational awareness. The cargo area was accessible through a "clam shell-style" opening at the rear of the fuselage. Overall construction included steel tubing for robustness and fabric for a lightweight finish. The Go.242 was capable of hauling twenty combat-ready troops or cargo as required which even included small, lightweight vehicles. In this way, a fleet of gliders could bring a small army to bear on an unsuspecting enemy through surprise and overwhelming force. First flight of a prototype was in 1941 and introduction occurred soon after.

The Go.242 was pressed into service quickly when compared to other wartime developments. Such multi-role aircraft were highly valued in the fluid and fast-changing war and Gotha would eventually produce some 1,528 of their Model 242 gliders for the German military. These would see heavy use throughout the war as initial cargo-minded models - the Go.242 A-1 - were joined by troop ferries - in the Go.242 A-2.

As with other glider types entering the war, the Go. 242 was inherently unpowered and relied on a "host" aircraft for towing. The two aircraft were tied by a tow line with the glider following. Go.242s were traditional pulled by Heinkel He 111 medium bombers or Junkers Ju 52 trimotors for their hauling capabilities and, once in service, Go.242s saw action over some of the major theaters of the conflict including North Africa and the Mediterranean.

Following the original two "A-models" of the line, there emerged the Go.242 B-1 form with its jettisonable undercarriage. The B-2 model had an improved undercarriage while the B-3 was the B-1 with a twin-rear-door arrangement. The B-4 mark designated a "combination" breed made up of the B-1 form and functionality with the undercarriage of the B-2 and the twin doors of the B-3. Incoming glider pilots trained on the dedicated B-5 version with its dual control scheme. A lesser-known version of the Go.242 became the C-1 which was intended for marine assaults and given a flying boat-like hull for water landings though it appears that there were never utilized in their intended role.

Despite it glider transport classification, the Go.242 was optionally armed for self-defense. This included up to 4 x 7.92mm MG 15 series machine guns. Beyond this, however, the Go.242 was not outfitted for carrying ordnance.

Performance specifications of the Go.242 - essentially limited by the host aircraft/towed arrangement - included a maximum speed of 185 miles per hour. The aircraft exhibited a running length of 51.9 feet, a wingspan of 80.4 feet and a height of 14.5 feet. Empty weight was 7,050lbs with a maximum take-off weight nearing 15,650lbs. Some overloaded Go.242s were even tested with jettisonable rocket pods at one point in their history.

Of note in the Go.242 legacy was the Gotha Go.244 mark which became an engined/powered version of the unpowered Go.242. At least 133 existing Go.242 aircraft were converted to the newer, powered Go.244 form.

Specifications

Year:
1941

Status
Retired, Out-of-Service

Crew
2

Production
1,528 Units

Gotha Waggonfabrik - Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany

- Transport

Length:
51.84 ft (15.8 m)

Width:
80.38 ft (24.5 m)

Height:
14.44 ft (4.4 m)

Empty Weight:
7,055 lb (3,200 kg)

MTOW:
15,653 lb (7,100 kg)
(Diff: +8,598lb)

(Showcased weight values pertain to the Gotha Go.242B-3 production model)

None. This is a towed glider aircraft.

Max Speed:
186 mph (300 kph; 162 kts)

(Showcased performance values pertain to the Gotha Go.242B-3 production model; Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database)

OPTIONAL:
4 x 7.92mm MG 15 machine guns

(Showcased armament details pertain to the Gotha Go.242B-3 production model)

Go.242 - Base Series Designation

Go.242 A-1 - Original cargo transport

Go.242 A-2 - Original infantry transport

Go.242 B-1 - Cargo transport with jettisonable undercarriage.

Go.242 B-2 - Based on the B-1 though with an improved undercarriage design.

Go.242 B-3 - Based on B-1 as an infantry transport with twin-door arrangement.

Go.242 B-4 - Based on B-1 model; infantry transport with B-2 model undercarriage and B-3 twin door configuration.

Go.242 B-5 - Dual-control trainer version

Go.242 C-1 - Marine assault version with Flying Boat-type hull design.

Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway

Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift

Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War

Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War

Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era

Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft

* Ribbons not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns/operations.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2021 Military Pay Scale Army Ranks Navy Ranks Air Force Ranks Alphabet Code DoD Dictionary American War Deaths French Military Victories

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world and WDMMA.org, the World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft.