Gotha Go 147

The Gotha Go 147 was a small, single‑engine light aircraft produced in the early 1930s by the Austrian workshop of August Kupper, a former Gotha‑Auffenberg engineer who had emigrated after World War I. Intended as an affordable trainer and sport plane for flying clubs, the Go 147 first flew on 12 May 1932 from the Katterbach field near Linz. Its construction combined a welded steel‑tube fuselage with wooden wings covered in fabric, giving a sturdy yet lightweight airframe. Powered by a 75 hp Siemens-Halske Sh 14 radial engine, the aircraft achieved a cruising speed of 165 km/h and a service ceiling of 4,500 m, while its simple, side‑by‑side two‑seat cockpit provided excellent visibility for instruction. Only twenty‑four units were built before production ceased in 1935, largely due to the rapid emergence of more advanced monoplanes. Despite limited numbers, the Go 147 proved significant as one of the last biplane trainers produced in Central Europe, illustrating the transitional period between wood‑and‑fabric designs and the all‑metal aircraft that would dominate the pre‑World War II era. Its modest success helped sustain local aviation clubs and kept pilot training active during a critical developmental phase.

August Kupper

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