IBG Models – 72573 – Gotha Go-242A-1 German Medium Cargo Glider

Description:

The Gotha Go 242 was a German military transport glider developed during World War II. Designed by Gothaer Waggonfabrik, it was created to meet the Luftwaffe’s need for a larger-capacity assault glider than the earlier DFS 230, aiming to carry heavier loads such as troops, equipment, and even small vehicles into battle zones without needing an airfield.

The Go 242 had a distinctive twin-boom design with a central nacelle for the cargo or passengers. It could carry up to 23 fully armed soldiers or the equivalent weight in cargo, including light artillery pieces or motorbikes. The glider was typically towed into the air by aircraft like the Heinkel He 111 or Junkers Ju 52 and released near the combat area. To improve landing performance, it was fitted with either a wheeled undercarriage or skids, depending on the mission terrain.

Several variants were produced, including the Go 242B, which was optimized for cargo and paratroop transport. There was also an experimental motorized version, the Go 244, fitted with engines to allow it to return to base after delivering its load — but it was not particularly successful due to reliability issues.

Although the Gotha Go 242 was not as famous as Allied gliders like the Waco CG-4A, it served important roles in resupply and airborne operations, particularly on the Eastern Front and in the Mediterranean. Its rugged construction, decent payload capacity, and simple design made it a practical solution for Germany’s airborne forces.

This is the first release of a new tooled 2025 kit series that will cover in depth the subject. Kit is a precise engineered kit with special attention to inner detail and configurations. Kit provide a sheet of PE (phot-etched) parts and decal sheet with 4 different markings.

The Go-242A-1, a combat cargo glider, was the first mass produced variant of the Go-242. Featured a jettisonable wheeled undercarriage, allowing for safe and stable landings when towed, while landing skids ensured it could touch down on rough or unprepared terrain after the wheels were released. At the front of the fuselage, a 6-ton towing hook was installed, allowing the glider to be towed with a single towing setting by transport aircraft such as the Heinkel He 111. In its original configuration, the aircraft had a smooth-type wing covering between the fuselage and the twin tail booms (as seen in early production units). However, some later machines were modified with additional stiffening in the wing sections between the fuselage and booms to enhance structural integrity and performance under load.

In the below resource link with a PDF outlining variants covered by this series, this particular model is depicted in the page 1.

Resources:

Summary of IBG options and variations that will be released of the Gotha Go 242/244. Note it doesn’t mean all the options are available in a single kit.