THE "GOTHA" AEROPLANE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17126, 30 October 1917, Page 5

THE "GOTHA" AEROPLANE.

GIANT ENEMY MACHINE

TWO POWERFUL. ENGINES

It may be~ taken as an axiom that considered as a bombing machine, the Gotha biplane, which have formed the squadrons which have raided England of late, is a success, writes G. G. Gray in the Daily Chronicle. Viewed as an example of aeroplane construction the machine is a *pez'fect horror. Nevertheless, it does its job, and does it only too well for the comfort of some people.

As seen by the inexperienced at a distance, tlie Gotha looks like an ordinary biplane of the type familiar to everybody. That is to say, there are two pairs of wings, with a long, solid-looking body, or fuselage, as it is called, projecting in front df and behind thjem. But, instead of having an engine in the forward projecting portion, with an air screw in front of it, the front part of the Gotha is occupied by a gunner-ob-server, who is armed with a machinegun.

There are two engines, which are placed one on each side of the central body, in little cabins, or nacelles, of their own. Each engine is a Mercedes of 280-h.p.

The pilot sits behind the gunnerobserver, practically in between the wings. Behind the pilot is a third compartment, occupied by a second gunner. This man has a gun mounted on the top of the fuselage, wMch covers all the air above and becSid it, excluding the area dead aft, wh: re the tail and the rudder get. is .he way. The area thus' cut oE jss hitherto been the one "blind Lpot" in all aeroplanes, and to obviate this the designer of itlie Gotha has introduced the ingenious idea of building the fuselage in the form of a bottomless tunnel, so that a gun placed on the floor of the after-gun-ner's compartment can fire straight aft under the tail, and abolish any attacking machine which adopts the usual method of hiding in the blind spot.

Thus the machine is able to bring two guns to bear in a broadside or on an enemy attacking from above. One gun can defend against a forward attack. And in an attack from behind the forward gunner can come aft and operate one of the after guns while the regular gunner operates the other. So it is considered to be the best defended machine of the moment.

Despite its bad construction the Gotha has a very good performance. With its full load it can reach a height of 12,000 to 15,000 feet, and when it has dropped its bombs and has used part of its faiel it can get to 18,000 feet or so with ease.

The span of the wings, from tip to tip is about 80 feet, and the rest of the machine is in proportion, which is why so many people who saw the machines over London thought they were low down. When one is used to our average machines of only 40 feet span, an 80-footer at 12,000 feet looks the same size as a 40-footer at 6000 feet, and. though it may be travelling at SO or 90 miles an hour, it Is so high that it appears to be travelling at only 40/ or 50 miles.