The Horten Ho 229, also known as the Gotha Go 229, was a German experimental jet aircraft that was to revolutionize air warfare. Created during World War II, at a time when Germany was trying to change the course of the war, this plane was part of the so-called "Wunderwaffe" (Wonderful Weapons), aimed at tipping the scales of victory in favor of the Third Reich.
The project was developed by brothers Walter and Reimar Horten, who created a machine with a unique design. The first test of the prototype took place in January 1945. The Ho 229 thus became the world's first flying wing jet aircraft. Over the years, it has been surrounded by myths and legends, and the design itself turned out to be outstanding and ahead of its time, as exemplified by the American Stealth bombers, the French Mirage and the Swedish Cold War fighters.
During the work on this machine, it was suspected that its shape could make it more difficult to detect by radar. In order to reduce the machine's detectability, numerous wooden elements were installed in it and a mixture of charcoal and wood dust was used. For these reasons, the Horten brothers' plane is sometimes considered the forerunner of the American B-2 Spirit, which was created over 40 years later.
During the final fighting in 1945, American intelligence captured two examples of the aircraft one in the process of assembly (Ho 229 V3) and an older model, the Horten Ho IX V1 engineless glider.
In 20082009, Northrop Grumman carried out a full-scale reconstruction of the aircraft, although this version was not capable of flying. Electromagnetic tests at a secret range showed that in 1945 the aircraft would have been detectable by a British radar station at a range of 130 km, which was 80% of the detection range of a Bf-110 fighter (160 km).
Although the war ended before the Horten Ho 229 design could be fully developed, the aircraft will forever remain one of the most interesting chapters in aviation history.
The model includes a functional, opening cockpit with clock prints, characteristic folding wheels that increase the realism of the model, reflecting the real mechanisms of this futuristic machine. New bricks have been designed to faithfully reproduce the aircraft's distinctive nose, cockpit and engine air intakes - all of which capture the full specificity of the aircraft.
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