Gotha G . I The Gotha G . I was a heavy bomber used by the " Luftstreitkräfte " ( Imperial German Air Service ) during World War I . Design and development . In mid - 1914 , Oskar Ursinus , the founder and editor of the German flying magazine " Flugsport " , began designing a large twin - engine seaplane of unconventional configuration . While most biplane designs have the fuselage attached to the lower wing , Ursinus had a snub - nosed fuselage attached to the upper wing , and twin engine nacelles mounted on the lower one . The purpose of this arrangement was to allow the engines to be kept close together thereby minimizing asymmetrical thrust in the event of an engine failure , although Ursinus later also claimed that this design balanced out the lowering of the centre of pressure as speed increased , and minimised the drag on the upper wing caused by turbulence from the fuselage . Ursinus was conscripted into the army on 1 August 1914 and little over a week later , presented his commanding officer , Major Helmut Friedel , with the seaplane design adapted into a " Kampfflugzeug " ( " battle aircraft " ) intended for ground attack duties . Apart from the aerodynamic benefits claimed by Ursinus , the aircraft ' s unorthodox layout provided excellent views for the three crewmen and broad fields of fire for the gunner . The design also matched the specifications that the " Idflieg " had issued in March that year for a " Type III " large military aircraft , and Friedel ordered the construction of a prototype . This aircraft was built by the men his unit , " Fliegerersatz Abteilung " 3 ( " Aviator Replacement Unit 3 " ) and received the " Idflieg " designation B . 1092 / 14 , although it was generally known as the FU for " Friedel - Ursinus " . It was powered by two 75 kW ( 100 hp ) Mercedes D . I engines , and in keeping with the " Type III " requirement , it was armed with a 7 . 92 mm ( . 312 in ) machine gun in the nose and the engines and crew were protected by 200 kg ( 440 lb ) of chrome - nickel armor . The prototype first flew on 30 January 1915 and was inspected by an " Idflieg " engineer on 20 February . His report confirmed that the aircraft conformed to the specification , and Ursinus ' claims about the excellent field of fire and advantages of the design in single - engine operation . However , he also noted that the aircraft was difficult to fly , lacking in structural integrity , dangerous to the crew in the event of a crash landing , and underpowered . Despite its shortcomings , the FU was sent to the front , assigned to " Feld Flieger Abteilung 28 " reconnaissance unit at Ujatz on the Russian Front in early 1915 . With the design proved under service conditions , the " Idflieg " issued a contract on 1 April for series production to Gothaer Waggonfabrik AG , which acquired a license from Ursinus , who held the patent to the design . Gothaer chief engineer Hans Burkhard simplified and refined the design , which was originally known as the " Gotha - Ursinus - Heeresflugzeug " ( Gotha Ursinus Army Aircraft ) , or " GUH , " later known as the Gotha G . I or Gotha - Ursinus G . I . The first production aircraft was completed on 27 July 1915 . These aircraft were powered by two 110 kW ( 150 hp ) Benz Bz . III engines . Gothaer Waggonfabrik built 18 G . I aircraft in three batches of six before production ceased at the end of the year . The final batch was powered by 120 kW ( 160 hp ) Mercedes D . III engines and featured an extra defensive machine gun and nearly double the armor of previous examples . A single example of the UWD floatplane version of the G . I was also built , ordered by the Navy in April 1915 , and delivered in February 1916 . During a test flight , six men climbed aboard to take the place of ballast . When they emerged after landing , a nearby naval officer likened the aircraft to the Trojan Horse , and this nickname stuck . It was used operationally until 2 October when it was written off after a hard landing . Operational history . Today , little is known about the G . I ' s service history . " Idflieg " records show only small numbers ever in service on the Front at any one time ( the most being five in October and six in December 1915 ) . At this stage of the war , Type G aircraft were being used for a variety of duties , including defensive patrols , reconnaissance , and only rarely for bombing . By the time it reached the front , the Gotha G . I was already an easy target for faster and more maneuverable fighters , and the few pilot recollections that have survived are largely unfavourable to the type . The UWD seaplane is known to have participated in a successful air - raid on Dover sometime in 1916 , bombing Langton Fort and the Shoulder of Mutton battery , but the exact date is not now known .