Gotha WD.14

__NOTOC__ Infobox Aircraft
name=WD.14, WD.20, and WD.22


caption=
type=Torpedo bomber
national origin=Germany
manufacturer=Gotha
designer=
first flight=avyear|1916
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user=German Navy
more users=
produced=
number built=69
variants with their own articles=The Gotha WD.14, WD.20, and WD.22 (for "Wasser Doppeldecker" - "Water Biplane") were a family of torpedo bomber seaplanes developed in Germany during World War I. They were conventional biplanes, essentially enlarged versions of the Gotha WD.11 and like it, having twin engines mounted tractor-fashion on the lower wing. The wider fuselage of these aircraft allowed the pilot and observer to sit side-by-side in the open cockpit, and a second machine gun was added in an open dorsal position. Hinges were added to the wings, allowing them to be folded for storage.

Sixty-nine WD.14s were built, but were found to be ineffective in their intended role of torpedo bomber, since their low speed made them extremely vulnerable to defensive fire. Many were subsequently adapted to act as mine layers, and some were even used as transports, landing machine gun detachments during Operation Albion in October 1917. The WD.20 differed from it only in having large auxiliary fuel tanks for long-range reconnaissance and having no torpedo- or mine-carrying capability.

A small number of generally similar WD.22 prototypes were built, these differing from the WD.20 in having two extra engines added, creating two tractor-pusher pairs, one on each wing.

pecifications (WD.14)

aerospecs
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met or eng?= met

crew=Three, pilot, observer, gunner
capacity=
length m=14.45
length ft=47
length in=5
span m=25.50
span ft=83
span in=8
swept m=
swept ft=
swept in=
rot number=
rot dia m=
rot dia ft=
rot dia in=
dia m=
dia ft=
dia in=
width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=5.00
height ft=16
height in=5
wing area sqm=132.0
wing area sqft=1,421
swept area sqm=
swept area sqft=
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
volume m3=
volume ft3=
aspect ratio=
empty weight kg=3,150
empty weight lb=9,845
gross weight kg=4,642
gross weight lb=10,234
lift kg=
lift lb=

eng1 number=2
eng1 type=Benz Bz.IV
eng1 kw= 150
eng1 hp= 200
eng1 kn=
eng1 lbf=
eng1 kn-ab=
eng1 lbf-ab=
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=
eng2 kn=
eng2 lbf=
eng2 kn-ab=
eng2 lbf-ab=

max speed kmh=130
max speed mph=80
max speed mach=
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
range km=
range miles=
endurance h= 8
endurance min=
ceiling m=
ceiling ft=
glide ratio=
climb rate ms=1.3
climb rate ftmin=250
sink rate ms=
sink rate ftmin=

armament1=1 × trainable, forward-firing Parabellum MG14 machine gun in nose for observer
armament2=1 × trainable, rearward-firing Parabellum MG14 machine gun in dorsal position
armament3=1 × 725 kg (1,600 lb) torpedo
armament4=
armament5=
armament6=

aircontent
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References

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