The Gotha P.50 was designed after the RLM issued a contract for a new transport glider in 1939, which could carry twelve fully-equipped troops, a Kubelwagen or a cannon. Two versions were designed, the first version was very unorthodox looking and the second was of a much more conventional layout. Both versions featured a rear loading ramp.
          The first version had a short, squat fuselage, with a shoulder mounted, tapered wing placed near the rear. A fin and rudder was located on each end of the main wing, and a fairly long, forward stabilizer (canard) with elevators was mounted in the forward mid-fusleage position. The rear fuselage section swung up for loading, a feature that was later used on the Gotha Go 242/244 transport glider/transport aircraft. Takeoff and landing was done on two main wheels and a long skid that ran the length of the fuselage. A crew of two sat above the forward canard wing. This design was felt to be too unconventional to be built as a front line aircraft.

          The more orthodox second design featured a boxy fuselage with a conventional tail mounted on a fuselage boom. It extended over the rear loading ramp, which hinged down and was fitted with a standard fin/rudder and tailplanes. The tapered wing was also shoulder mounted, and the landing gear was attached to the fuselage and braced off to the wings via struts. As in the first design, a two man crew was planned for the Go P.50/II. Although this design was not built either, Dipl. Ing. Albert Kalkert, who designed these gliders, went on to design and build the Gotha-Kalkert Ka 430, which was very similar to the P.50/II.

    The Gotha-Kalkert 430 was first built in late 1944. 12 examples were built before the end of WWII.