The Gotha Go 242 was a transport glider used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. Gothaer Waggonfabrik (Gotha, GWF) was a German manufacturer of rolling stock established in the late nineteenth century at Warnemünde. ... Gliders are un-powered heavier-than-air aircraft. ... The Luftwaffe (literally, air weapon, pronounced looft-vaaf-feh) is the air force of Germany. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (over 11 miles) into the air, August 9, 1945. ...

Development

The Go 242 was designed by Albert Kalkert in response to a RLM (Reichssluftfahrtministerium - "Reich Aviation Ministry") requirement for a heavy transport glider to replace the DFS 230 then in service. The aircraft was of pod-and-boom design, with the cargo pod built up of a framework of steel tubing covered with fabric. Cargo versions of the glider featured a hinged rear fuselage that could accommodate a Kübelwagen or loads of similar size and weight. Reichsluftfahrtministerium (Reich Aviation Ministry / German Air Ministry / German Aviation Administration) Note: If you are looking for the RLM-GL/C list, please go to List of RLM aircraft designations The Reich Air Ministry (Reichsluftfahrtministerium or RLM), was a German civil service organization in charge of development and production of aircraft... The DFS 230 was a WW2 Luftwaffe transport glider. ... A 1951 VW Kübelwagen (LIM 111). ...

Two prototypes flew in 1941 and the type quickly entered production. A total of 1,528 were built, some of which were later motorised to become the Go 244. This is a list of aviation-related events from 1941: Events Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to fly a bomber across the Atlantic Ocean. ...

Operational history

In service, Go 242s were towed into the air by Heinkel He 111s or Junkers Ju 52s, and occasionally were fitted with RATO equipment. Most saw service in the Mediterranean and Aegean. The Heinkel He 111 was the primary Luftwaffe medium bomber during the early stages of World War II, and is perhaps the most obvious symbol of the German side of the Battle of Britain. ... The Junkers Ju 52 nicknamed Tante Ju (Auntie Ju) and Iron Annie was a civilian airliner and military transport aircraft and bomber manufactured between 1932 and 1945 by Junkers. ... JATO is an acronym for Jet Assisted Take Off. ...

Variants

Go 242A

• Go 242A-1 - initial cargo-carrying version
• Go 242A-2 - initial troop-carrying version

Go 242B

• Go 242B-1 - cargo version with jettisonable landing gear
• Go 242B-2 - B-1 with improved landing gear
• Go 242B-3 - troop-carrying version of B-1 with double rear doors
• Go 242B-4 - troop-carrying version with doors of B-3 and landing gear of B-2
• Go 242B-5 - training version with dual controls

Go 242C

• Go 242C-1 - maritime assault version with flying boat-style hull. Never used operationally

Boeing 314 A flying boat is an aircraft that is designed to take off and land on water, in particular a type of seaplane which uses its fuselage as a floating hull (instead of pontoons mounted below the fuselage). ...

Specifications (Go 242B-3)

General characteristics

• Crew: one or two pilots
• Capacity: up to 23 troops
• Length: 15.81 m (51 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 24.50 m (80 ft 5 in)
• Height: 4.40 m (14 ft 5 in)
• Wing area: 64.4 m² (693 ft²)
• Aspect ratio: 16:1
• Empty: 3,200 kg (7,056 lb)
• Loaded: kg ( lb)
• Maximum takeoff: 7,100 kg (15,655 lb)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 300 km/h (188 mph)
• Maximum glide ratio: 1:16
• Rate of sink: m/min ( ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² (lb/ft²)

Armament

• 4x 7.92 mm MG 15 machine guns

The MG 15 was a 7. ...

Related content

Related development: Go 244

Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence: Ar 239 - Ar 240 - Go 241 - Go 242 - Go 244 - BV 246 - Ju 248 The Arado Ar 240 was a twin-engine multi-role heavy fighter aircraft developed for the Luftwaffe during World War II by Arado Flugzeugwerke. ... The Messerschmitt Me 263 was a rocket-powered fighter aircraft developed from the Messerschmitt Me 163 towards the end of World War II. Only two airframes were ever completed, and the type seems never to have actually flown under power. ...