Gotha G-IV

History

Gotha G. IV was the successor of the Gotha G. III and conducted various improvements.
Because it was clear that the rear air gunner had difficulties to handle both the upper and lower machine gun, this problem was solved by application of the "Gotha tunnel", connecting both upper and lower gun position in a way that the machine gun could quickly be moved from top to bottom and vice versa.

It was still possible to mount the lower machine gun and also fourth machine gun between the pilot and the machine gun bombardier could be added. In practice, this was rarely used, mainly to save weight.
Other changes were the entirely wooden hull.
In order to improve stability in the transverse direction, ailerons were added to the lower wing

In November 1916 Gotha was commissioned to build 35 aircraft, later increased to fifty. Furthermore, another eighty aircraft ordered from Siemens Schuckert Werke (SSW) and a further 100 by Luft-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft (LVG). This license built aircraft were heavier and slower than the original, since a variety of hull reinforcements had to be made.

The last production aircraft built by SSW generally had a nose wheel mounted to prevent nose standing of the aircraft. Further also Flettner servo tabs were added, later also used in the Gotha GV. To improve the performance and tail of the machines difficult to cope, LVG fitted the aircraft with a larger V-position of the wings.

The last produced machines of SSW and LVG were equipped with less powerful engines and mainly used as trainers.