| DFS 331 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Troop glider |
| Manufacturer | DFS/Gotha |
| Designer | |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 30 September 1940[1] |
After the success of the 1940 airborne assaults involving theDFS 230, theReichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM/German Aviation Ministry) invited theDeutsche Forschungsanstalt für Segelflug/DFS andGotha to submit plans for a larger capacity glider.[2] The result was theDFS 231, a twenty-seat troop designed byHans Jacobs, who had previously produced the successful, nine seat DFS 230.[3]
The visibility from the cockpit was good, with the entire nose being glazed, and the body was very wide, allowing it to carry light Flak guns and small military vehicles. A single prototype, the V1, was built and flown in 1941. The best glide ratio, at fully loaded weight, was 17.5.[2] The project was passed over in favour of theGotha Go 242.[3]
Data from Die Deutsche Luftrüstung 1933–1945,[4] German gliders in World War II[5]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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