Gotha Go 244 Country: Germany Type: Transport Manufacturer: Gothaer Service: 1942 - 1945 First Flight: 1940 Production: 176

The Gotha Go 244 was a transport aircraft used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. The Go 244 was the powered version of the Gotha Go 242 transport glider. The first examples of the Go 244 were delivered to operational units in Greece and Crete in March 1942.

After the fall of France, the German armed forces captured large stockpiles of the Gnome-Rhone 14M radial engines. It was decided to use these engines to convert Go 242 gliders into powered aircraft; the modification also added a tricycle undercarriage. The Gnome engines proved to be underpowered. After the invasion of Russia in June 1941, the Germans captured large stockpiles of Shvetsov M-25A radial engines, rated at 700 - 800 takeoff horsepower, depending on model, but they proved to be just as underpowered as the French engines. These aircraft were part of the Go 244 A series prototypes. Some of the Go 244A were powered by BMW 132 radial engines, rated at 960 takeoff horsepower. The B series was the main production model. 43 were built as full production models and 133 were converted from Go 242B.

General characteristics

• Crew: one or two pilots
• Capacity: up to 23 troops or freight
• Length: 15.80 m (51 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 24.50 m (80 ft 5 in)
• Height: 4.60 m (15 ft 1 in)
• Wing area: 64.4 m (693 ft)
• Empty weight: 5,225 kg (11,517 lb)
• Loaded weight: kg (lb)
• Useful load: kg (lb)
• Max takeoff weight: 7,800 kg (17,196 lb)
• Aspect ratio: 16:1