Nederlandse Modelbouw en Luchtvaartsite

Dutch Modelling and Aviation

In Memoriam

Klaas Willem Jonker
(Wilko)
† April 30, 2018

On Monday 30 April 2018, Wilko Jonker died after a long illness at the age of 58. He leaves behind a wife and two children. The Dutch military aviation and plastic modeling were his hobby and on this website he shared all the knowledge he has collected over the years. His hobby has been able to distract him from the persistent disease in his body until the last week of his life. The contacts with other hobbyists were a major support for him.

This website will be maintained by different people for as long as possible, so that other enthusiasts can continue to benefit from extensive content.

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.

 

Technical information
Dimensions:
Length: 11,86 m Wingspan: 23,7 m
Height: 4,3 m Wing area: 89,5 m2
Weights:
Empty weight: 2400 kg Max. start weight: 3635 kg
Performances:
Max. speed: 140 km/hr Climbing speed: 28 min to 3000 m
Cruising speed: - km/hr    
Range:  490 km Service ceiling: 6500 m
Miscellaneous:
Engine type: Three men
Crew: Two 260 hp Mercedes D-IVa engines.
Armament: 500 kg Bombs; Two movable 7,9 mm Parabellum MG 14 machine-guns.