05/31/2018. Remarks by Kees Kort: "The Gothaer Waggonfabrik (Gotha Railcar Factory) started with a Flugzeug Abteilung (aircraft department) in the beginning of 1913. Several designers were active and this Wasser-Doppeldecker (sea biplane) was a design of Bruno Büchner, hence the twin-float amphibian aircraft was also referred to as Gotha Büchner Wasser-Doppeldecker. The machine was finished in June 1913, ready to be entered in the Bodensee-Wasserflug-Wettbewerb (Lake Constance seaplane contest), held June 29 till July 5, 1913.

To get enough lift to get the machine off the water, the pusher biplane had a very long six-bay wing, spanning 65 ft 7.4 in (20 m). The 100 hp liquid-cooled Benz engine was in pusher configuration. As the contest stipulated a take off from land (or at least taxiing from land to water) an ingenious wheel construction was made between the floats, which could be lowered and raised from the nacelle above.

The contest was not successful for Gotha as Büchner, who was also the pilot, fell ill on the second day of the contest (June 30, 1913). As there was no replacement pilot, that was the end of the competition for this early Gotha floatplane."