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Gotha Go.244


Twin-Engine Military Transport


Nazi Germany | 1941



"The Gotha Go.244 transport was the powered form of the original Go.242 unpowered glider transport."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Gotha Go.244 B-1 Twin-Engine Military Transport.
2 x Gnome-Rhone 14M 14-cylinder radial piston engines developing 742 horsepower each.
Propulsion
180 mph
290 kph | 157 kts
Max Speed
27,395 ft
8,350 m | 5 miles
Service Ceiling
255 miles
410 km | 221 nm
Operational Range
1,100 ft/min
335 m/min
Rate-of-Climb
Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Gotha Go.244 B-1 Twin-Engine Military Transport.
2
(MANNED)
Crew
51.8 ft
15.80 m
O/A Length
80.4 ft
(24.50 m)
O/A Width
15.4 ft
(4.70 m)
O/A Height
11,244 lb
(5,100 kg)
Empty Weight
15,785 lb
(7,160 kg)
MTOW
Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Gotha Go.244 Twin-Engine Military Transport .
STANDARD:
3 x 7.92mm MG 15 OR MG 81Z machine guns
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Gotha Go.244 family line.
Go.244 - Base Series Designation
Go.244 A-1
Go.244 B-1
Go.244 B-3
Go.244 B-4
Go.244 B-5
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 02/26/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Gotha Go.244 was based on the original Go.242 glider model of 1941 though now the design had evolved to become a twin-engined, self-powered aircraft with dedicated military transport in mind. The Go.242 proved a useful aircraft in the scope of German airborne assaults though it was essentially a "one-way" aircraft, having to be towed into action by a host which tied additional resources to a given operation. As a self-powered version, the Go.244 alleviated this logistical issue and was able to take-off and land in conventional fashion without requiring anything more than a semi-prepared runway.

At least three Go.242 gliders were pulled from the original 1,528-strong stock to serve in Go.244 development and these were marked as V1, V2 and V3. V1 (also A-1) was outfitted with BMW radial engines of 660 horsepower whileV2 was given use of French Gnome-Rhone radials of 750 horsepower. V3 was granted a pair of Soviet Shvetsov M-25A series radials in turn. While all three engine models showed value, it was decided to outfit the Go.244 line primarily with the French Gnome-Rhone line - simply due to the large stocks captured in the conquer of France.

Initial production models were the Go.244 B-1 and these featured a basic, fixed undercarriage approach. The B-2 followed with a revised undercarriage system that included a semi-retractable nose leg. Twin doors for improved cargo bay access greeted the upcoming infantry-minded B-3. The B-4 was a "combination" design based on the B-2 with the twin-door arrangement of the B-3 model. As with the Go.242 line, the Go.244 saw a dedicated trainer version emerge as the B-5, this with a dual-control cockpit arrangement.

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With its engine and fuselage configuration, the Go.244 B-1 was capable of speeds nearing 180 miles per hour though cruising was closer to 170 miles per hour or less. Operational range limited to 255 miles while the aircraft could reach a service ceiling of 27,400 feet. Despite being a transport, the Go.244 was most often times armed for self-defense by way of 3 x 7.92mm MG 15 or MG 81Z series machine guns.

Like the Go.242 before it, the Go.244 was pressed into service as soon as stocks allowed. Many emerged as conversions from existing Go.242 airframes and saw first actions over Greece during March of 1942. Additional service forced them over North Africa and, eventually, over the Eastern Front following the German-led invasion of the Soviet Union.

The Go.245 was a proposed Go.242/244 offshoot in which Argus pulsejets were to be mounted under the wings to provide for additional thrust.

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Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Gotha Go.244. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 133 Units

Contractor(s): Gotha Waggonfabrik - Nazi Germany
National flag of modern Germany National flag of Nazi Germany

[ Nazi Germany ]
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Image of the Gotha Go.244
Image courtesy of the Public Domain.

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