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Gotha WD.11

Страна: Германия

Год: 1917

Gotha - G.VI - 1917 - Германия<– –>Gotha - WD.12/WD.13/WD.15 - 1917 - Германия


В.Обухович, А.Никифоров Самолеты Первой Мировой войны


Морской бомбардировщик и торпедоносец W.D. 11 имел увеличенные размеры и оснащался более мощными двигателями Мерседес D.III с толкающими винтами. Несколько изменилась и форма фюзеляжа. Было изготовлено 12 машин этого варианта.


O.Thetford, P.Gray German Aircraft of the First World War (Putnam)


Gotha WD 11
   The WD 11 was the next development in the twin-engined torpedo aircraft series after the WD 7. It was a considerably bigger aeroplane, and its engines drove pusher airscrews. Some thirteen aircraft of this type were delivered between March and July 1917. Engines, two 160 h.p. Mercedes D III. Span, 22.51 m. (73 ft. 10 3/8 in.). Length, 13.43 m. (44 ft. 0 7/8 in.). Height, 4.75 m. (15 ft. 1 7/8 in.). Area, 103.4 sq.m. (1,117 sq.ft.). Weights: Empty, 2,437 kg. (5,361 lb.). Loaded, 3,583 kg. (7,883 lb.). Speed 120 km.hr. (75 m.p.h.). Climb, 1,000 m. (3,280 ft.) in 12 min. Armament, torpedo carried under fuselage; one Parabellum machine-gun in nose.


J.Herris Gotha Aircraft of WWI (A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes 6)


Gotha WD11

   Ordered on 9 March 1916 and designed by Rosner as a torpedo bomber, the WD11 resembled the earlier WD7 but was a much larger aircraft. The WD11 was powered by two 160 hp Mercedes D.III engines and was equipped to carry one Whitehead G/125 torpedo under the fuselage. All WD11 torpedo bombers were flown by a two-man crew, and the observer in the front cockpit had a flexible Parabellum LMG 14 machine gun.
   After flight tests at the SVK, the prototype WD11, Marine Number 679, was used to train aircrews at the Sonderkommando Flensburg. Three more production batches followed the prototype; the first was a batch of five, Marine Numbers 991-995, followed by a batch of three, Marine Numbers 1211-1213, followed by a final batch of eight, Marine Numbers 1372-1379, for a total of 17 airplanes.
   WD11 torpedo bombers were operational in the Baltic and North Sea, but they were reported to be underpowered - the Gotha G-types of similar size and weight had 260 hp Mercedes D.IVa engines - and too lightly built for the severe demands put on them.
   Torpedo attacks proved very difficult and required ideal sea and weather conditions. A drag rod under the fuselage was lowered prior to the attack; it was a device to measure height over the water, and the pilot had to maintain an altitude of 5 meters for torpedo release. Optical height measuring devices were also tested. Because of the difficulty of torpedo attacks coupled with the vulnerability of the aircraft to ship-board anti-aircraft guns, torpedo attacks were soon abandoned and the WD11s were modified to carry ten 50-kg bombs or a single Teka anti-shipping mine.

Gotha WD11 Specifications
Engines: 2 x 160 hp Mercedes D.III
Wing: Span Upper 22.50 m
Span Lower 21.00 m
Area 104 m2
General: Length 13.45 m
Height 4.75 m
Empty Weight 2146 kg
Loaded Weight 3583 kg
Maximum Speed: 120 km/h
Climb: 1000m 12 min
1500m 20 min
Service Ceiling: 3200 m
Range: 500 km


Gotha Seaplane Production Summary
Type Ordered Marine Numbers Remarks
WD11 17 679, 991-995, 1211-1213, 1372-1379 Torpedo bomber, flew operational sorties

O.Thetford, P.Gray - German Aircraft of the First World War /Putnam/
Gotha WD 11
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Side view of the prototype WD11, Marine Number 679, on a beaching dolley.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
WD.11 в испытательном бассейне
The prototype WD11, Marine Number 679, afloat in the Gotha factory pond. Unlike the earlier WD7, the WD11 had its engines mounted as pushers. The box radiators were mounted directly above the engines.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Front view of a WD11 emphasizing its distinctive Gotha appearance. A form of aileron servo is mounted on the outer rear interplane struts.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Front view of the prototype WD11, Marine Number 679, afloat in the Gotha factory pond.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Gotha WD11 Marine Number 1376 of the third production batch was ordered in February 1917 and was attached to the I.Torpedoflugzeug Staffel in Windau.The torpedoman had elaborate aiming gear and a flexible machine gun.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Side view of the prototype WD11, Marine Number 679, afloat in the Gotha factory pond. The attachment and mounting of the aileron servo is clearly seen.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Closeup of a WD11 showing the forward gunner's station and left engine.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
WD11 s from the last production batch at Windau.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Gotha WD11 s and other seaplanes at Windau after the Zerel raid of 8 October 1917.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
WD11 being maneuvered by crane. This WD11 has the hexagonal naval camouflage on upper and side surfaces; the standard naval camouflage pattern specified blue-gray sides without hexagons. Unfortunately, the photograph is too dark to read the Marine Number, but Marine #1376 (last digit unclear, could be #1375) with shooting-star marking is second from right in bottom photo, page 62. The variety of markings on these Lindau-based WD11 s indicates the shooting-star is a personal marking.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Gotha WD11 in flight with naval identification streamers attached. Designed and successfully operated as a torpedo bomber, the WD11 was also used for long-range reconniassance and bombing.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Two WD11s in flight taken from another aircraft.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Two Gotha WD11s in flight with an Albatros W4 at bottom left.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Gotha WD11 showing the Whitehead G/125 torpedo hung just below the semi-enclosed fuselage cavity.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Gotha WD11 Marine Number 991 of the first production batch showing the Whitehead G/125 torpedo (45 cm diameter and 753 kg weight) hung in the semi-enclosed fuselage cavity. The wings and cowlings remain to be installed. On 15 June, 1917, this aircraft, crewed by Lt. Lowe &Thomsen, torpedoed and sank the S.S. Kankakee in the Thames Estuary.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Previously identified as a WD14, this isa WD11 configured to carry bombs in place of a torpedo as shown by the pusher engine. The bombs were not carried internally but left to hang externally in this non-aerodynamic manner. The naval hexagonal camouflage was very distinctive on this WD11 and may indicate it had been recovered since being built.
Large calibre bombs were not used against ship targets; from the beginning the principle of dropping a stick of at least five bombs straddling a target was maintained. Experience with the bombsights then in use showed that this was the correct approach. Torpedo-carrying aircraft could carry eight 58kg bombs, and it was the fifth bomb of an eight-bomb stick that sunk the Russian destroyer Stroiny. A Gotha WD 14 bomb load of approximately 300kg is shown here, made up of 10kg bombs, a size commonly used on seaplanes. They are retained by a simple carrying strap across the tail of the bombs. no specially designed bomb cradles being required.
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Gotha WD.11
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Gotha WD11
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Gotha WD11
J.Herris - Gotha Aircraft of WWI /Centennial Perspective/ (6)
Gotha WD11