Gotha Go.244

Twin-Engine Military Transport [ 1941 ]

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

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 02/26/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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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.©MilitaryFactory.com

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.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1941

Origin

Nazi Germany

Status

RETIRED
Not in Service.

Crew

2

Production

133
UNITS

Gotha Waggonfabrik - Nazi Germany

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Nazi Germany

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Transport
General transport functionality to move supplies/cargo or personnel (including wounded and VIP) over range.

Length

51.8 ft
(15.80 m)

Width/Span

80.4 ft
(24.50 m)

Height

15.4 ft
(4.70 m)

Empty Wgt

11,244 lb
(5,100 kg)

MTOW

15,785 lb
(7,160 kg)

Wgt Diff

+4,542 lb
(+2,060 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the Gotha Go.244 B-1 production variant)

Installed: 2 x Gnome-Rhone 14M 14-cylinder radial piston engines developing 742 horsepower each.

Max Speed

180 mph
(290 kph | 157 kts)

Ceiling

27,395 ft
(8,350 m | 5 mi)

Range

255 mi
(410 km | 759 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

1,100 ft/min
(335 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Gotha Go.244 B-1 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

STANDARD:
3 x 7.92mm MG 15 OR MG 81Z machine guns

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 0

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

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