A night out with Erika - Gotha G.V 904/16 'Erika'

[Manni]

James, I looked at your Photos and might have seen a mistake (sorry, I don't wand to displease you but better to say it now or never)
I think the GV was not equipped with the "Monokulares Abwurfgerät" bombsight in the observer's floor.
Here I have a very detailed russian source were you can see everything:

http://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft30020.htm

I will also send you a picture of the mentioned section.
Manni

[FarEast]

Next up is all the internal wood work, again this was achieved using the same technique as the floor paneling.

I used the RB Productions Interior kit and again followed the same method - only when it came to laying the decal I laid it completely over the whole PE sprew, then after they had dried I cut the edges and then coated in Tamiiya Clear. They still require a orange tint to match the rest of the interior.

[FarEast]

James, I looked at your Photos and might have seen a mistake (sorry, I don't wand to displease you but better to say it now or never)
I think the GV was not equipped with the "Monokulares Abwurfgerät" bombsight in the observer's floor.
Here I have a very detailed russian source were you can see everything:

http://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft30020.htm

I will also send you a picture of the mentioned section.
Manni

Many thanks for that Manni! A Very nice source! Actually this I knew and the Ron Kootje comes with the belly detail for the nose section that has a trap door where the hole for the sites would have been so it seems that the hole remained and was used for other reasons. You can see the detail on the scale drawings in the Windsock Datafile and it seems the trap door is completely gone in the G.Va and G.Vb

[FarEast]

@Manni, great minds think alike.... .sadly my Russian is very lacking.



So with the console out, decking and equipment reinstalled I started some work on the cockpit instrument panel - this is just a mock-up to make sure the fit is true - the holes for the switches,dials and other apparatus will slowly be marked out on a final piece.

The hole for the fifth switch is too high - this will be corrected in the next attempt.

[Manni]

It's a pleasure to me to see your work.
Sadly my russian is like yours-not there- but fortunately my collegue (Dmitri) is a very helpful guy and is always so kind and translates me every thing.
But your log is very interesting for me, because I think the Go 1002/16 that I like to build is a bit between GIV and GV so I can copy some of your ideas.
Manni

[FarEast]

Manni,

Also Erika 904/16 was a retrofitted G.V and there is a photo of the aircraft straight out of the factory without the Drift site on the right side and was later added to the aircraft.

Here is the section on the Gotha G.V that shows the trap door.



and the Instrument panel.

[coyotemagic]

Magnificent work on the modifications, James!  Painful lesson, but one you handled brilliantly!
Cheers,
Bud

[zavod44]

So where did the bombsight get moved to?  Was there still a hole in the floor or not?
       James I think you need to make another change in your interior.  The fuel tanks were moved to the inside behind the Pilot on the GV.  The fuel tanks on the GIV sat under the engine.  But once the nacelle got small on the GV the fuel tanks were moved to inside of the fuselage.  They said they did this to protect the fuel tanks so they weren't so exposed out on the wing.  I believe the internal bomb racks were removed and the fuel tanks were put in their place, at least on the Port side.  I believe the bomb rack behind the pilot should be removed....and possibly both racks.  Maybe the one one the starboard side was left on some GV's but I think they were both removed.....I can send some drawings if you need....  I'm working on a GV too although it's a GVb, using the same conversion from Ron.  So I have been doing research and I noticed the discrepancy....
 

[FarEast]

So where did the bombsight get moved to?  Was there still a hole in the floor or not?
       James I think you need to make another change in your interior.  The fuel tanks were moved to the inside behind the Pilot on the GV.  The fuel tanks on the GIV sat under the engine.  But once the nacelle got small on the GV the fuel tanks were moved to inside of the fuselage.  They said they did this to protect the fuel tanks so they weren't so exposed out on the wing.  I believe the internal bomb racks were removed and the fuel tanks were put in their place, at least on the Port side.  I believe the bomb rack behind the pilot should be removed....and possibly both racks.  Maybe the one one the starboard side was left on some GV's but I think they were both removed.....I can send some drawings if you need....  I'm working on a GV too although it's a GVb, using the same conversion from Ron.  So I have been doing research and I noticed the discrepancy....

Gotha G.V 904/16 left the factory without an external Bomb/ drift sight on the right side of the aircraft and it was later retro fitted on the aircraft early 1918 - no actual dates are available apart from she is seen without when she left the factory then seen with it in March of 1918.



In regards to the hole in the floor - there is absolutely no photo evidence to say if it was or wasn't however in the scale drawings there are sliding hatches in the fuselage directly under where the holes would have been.

In regards to the offer of the drawings that would be very kind of you and I would love to see them as it will really help me - I have very limited time for research and the build is really proving to be a stretch in many areas both time and skills required for the modification and scratch building.

[zavod44]

Here is the best thing I found





Didn't your conversion come with the cover to cover the walkway where the bomb racks are?  Some of the GV's had this cover and there was a little curtain behind and to the right of the pilot....

[FarEast]

So after the great information you guys have given me i've decided to scarp this current build and start again. The current interior will be placed in a G.IV and I'll basically have to purchase another Gotha to make all the modifications to the interior.

To be honest it's the best way to move forward at this moment.

[Manni]

Ohh, that is sad, but I think you are right.
I just have been in Beglium this Weekend in the Rojal military museum and thought of you and took some extra pictures for you of a engine gondola of a Gotha GV. I can send you the pictures in a few days. I will also post some pictures of the engine and the other planes on the forum.
Manni

[zavod44]

I'll keep the torching going on this project.  I'll start a new thread and show what I have so far....I just need to get a little more before I have something worthwhile to show....I'm still hoping to pick your brain on a few different things on the GV. I ordered another Gotha as well, in case I need parts.  I'm hoping I won't and maybe I can do another Gotha, maybe G III?

[FarEast]

One of the things I've noticed is that many of the Gotha G.V are different in many ways. In some of the pictures the central storage space where the fuel tanks have been moved to show different characteristics.

In one it actually looks like the top of the original tank is protruding from the top, on others it looks like tanks were built specifically to fit within the bay.







However this is not visible on Erika in any of the available photos, so the possibility is that some G.V, Va, Vb were built using materials readily available and its possible that Erika probably had drum style fuel tanks installed. One other thing to not is the fuel model, the diagram supplied shows the model near the rear gunners position, while there is photographic evidence that shows the model just behind the pilot (G.V) and this would make sense as the last thing you'd want is a large tank of aviation fuel next to the propellers, especially as it was very common to top the fuel up just before take off.


I'm not sure when I'll be able to resurrect this project as funds are a little low having just bought my dream bike however there is a lot I can still do in regards to the wing and engine configuration.

Manni, many thanks for thinking of me and I really appreciate it. Looking forward to seeing the photos!

[zavod44]

I have seen those pics as well.  I was thinking that the fuel tank on the fuselage looks real similar to the tanks mounted on the top wing.  Maybe it's an auxiliary tank to add more range??  Why it's there instead of the top wing I'm not sure.  Unless it's easier to put them all together in the middle??  One thing to note is that both the aircraft you showed are GVb..... So maybe nothing to concern Erika with?  There are pics of the standard GV with the cover over the walkway and the curtain just to the right behind the pilot....