Bat Project 72003 Gotha GL VII w/Maybach engines

The Gotha G.VII was a German WW1 bomber in a classic layout with a landing gear. The flight of the prototype took place in 1918, and in the same year started a small series production, which led to the creation of about 20 machines of this type. The length of the aircraft was approximately 9.6 meters with a wingspan of approximately 19.3 meters. The drive was provided by two engines - either a Mercedes D.IVa or a Maybach Mb.IVa with 260 and 245 HP respectively. The maximum speed was around 180 km / h. The deck armament consisted of two 7.92 mm machine guns. The machine could also carry a load of bombs weighing up to 285 kilograms. Gotha G.VII was developed for the needs of the German Air Force (Ger. Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte) as a fast tactical bomber and reconnaissance machine. In this plane, a lot of emphasis was placed on the highest possible maximum speed, which was to allow the machine to fly without hunting cover and to allow it to escape from enemy machines. This led to the use of Maybach and Mercedes engines that were powerful for those times. Finally, a very successful machine was created with a high maximum speed, high flight altitude, good climbing speed, capable of taking nearly 300 kilograms of bombs on board. However, as the war drew to a close, a relatively small number of aircraft were produced Gotha G.VII, which was used in battle on a rather small scale.