Gotha WD.8

The Gotha WD.8 was a German two‑seat, single‑engine floatplane built by the Gothaer Waggonfabrik during the First World War. First flown in early 1915, it belonged to the “WD” (Wasser Doppeldecker) series, a line of reconnaissance and patrol aircraft designed for operation from water bases in the North Sea and Baltic. Powered by an inline 150 hp Benz Bz.IIIa engine, the WD.8 drove a two‑bladed wooden propeller and drove a wooden hull with twin floats beneath a conventional biplane wing arrangement. Its open cockpit accommodated a pilot and an observer who handled navigation, photography and a light defensive machine gun. The aircraft’s relatively low wing loading gave it good stability at low speeds, making it suitable for maritime patrol, artillery spotting and limited anti‑submarine work. Although only a few dozen were built, the WD.8 proved valuable for the Imperial German Navy’s early seaplane squadrons, providing a reliable platform that helped define the tactics of ship‑borne aerial reconnaissance. The type also served as a developmental stepping stone toward more powerful Gotha floatplanes such as the later WD.11 and the famed G‑IV bomber, illustrating the rapid evolution of naval aviation during the war.

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