What I find interesting is that I think the possible next step is to build a flyable version of this Horten 229.

It's not as far-fetched as people think--if they can build a NEW flyable version of the Me 262 Schwalbe, they can certainly build a new flyable Horten 229 using two GE J85 turbojets.

How cool. I am not all that much into aviation but this replica offers a nice window into a bit of fascinating history.

Keeping in mind I know essentially nothing about aviation, I see how thin the wings look. They give me the impression that a plane like that would have trouble flying very well because the wings would be to flimsy.

The fact that it is a stealth plane and it does look like an early version of our stealth fighter, makes me wonder if the US didn't some how get their hands on something like this, reverse engingeer it and improve it.

You guys probably know the answer to that, but I don't! Oh well.

This is a really neat find!

Are we all missing the obvious in that the shape "like a stealth plane" is just a coincidence. It is a flying wing - an aircraft design that was not exactly secret or unique (e.g. Britain's Baynes Bat or the US Northrop N1M). The stealth came from a coating, which may - may not - have been practical.

Of course, in the context of the time (and it just so happens to have panned out that way), the Mosquito was "stealth" because it was also made of wood!

Regards

Originally posted by Blackmarketeer
Not only does it appear to be radar-stealth, but it has a speed of 600 mph, combine that with the shortened detection range, this sucker could have inflicted serious damage on Britain if it had been put into production before war's end.

Well it's impressive and all, but in all honesty it was a folly... A handy folly for us (the winning side!) because it diverted attention and man power from practicle projects.

My reasoning for that is simply that the B2 which we can agree has parallels to the 2-29 requires some serious computing power simply to keep the thing under control... Computing power that simply was not available to the nazi's... Ergo that plane would of been a serious handful even in straight and level flight - dogfighting would of been impossible, for a fighter that is not a good thing!

The Germans also were way ahead with Helicopters. They used them in all the traditional roles of helio's including air assualt.

Originally posted by warrenb

Also, I wonder if George Lucas got some ideas for his crafts from things like this?



[edit on 26-6-2009 by warrenb]

This is exactly what I thought when I saw that second picture!

Great Post!

One of the problems with the Horten 229, and other such Nazi projects, is that they were too far ahead of their time. Even the Me-262 and other workable projects never achieved their full potential because of the general limits of the base technology required to make them fully realize their potential.

Modern stealth-bombers (and even standard fighters) require complex computers and electronic equipment just to maintain stable flight. These computers were 'sci-fi' technology in the 40's. It's sort of like da Vinci's tanks and helicopters - great idea but a little too ambitious for the times.
Thank God that they didn't have the other resources necessary to make these things workable!

I don't know why most are wetting themselves over this. It is NOT a stealth fighter. As a few have already pointed out, but nobody seems to want to listen, the Flying wing has ALWAYS been a fascination with aircraft designers, some of the earliest practical designs dating from the 1880's but the lack of a petrol engine meant their far sighted designers were thwarted. The Hortens had been buiolding gliders on this model for several years. Nor was the design even a shock to the allies at the end of the war. Want proof? go to flightglobal.com and click 'archive' and search for 'flying wing'. There you will read a full page illustrated report on Hortens flying wings from 1943!

The guy who can't imagine why the structure is layered with a composite like material' isn't doing his reputation any favours. It was the plywood skinning that made it radar absorbant, completely by accident and of no benefit if it was coming towards you thanks to those huge round intakes. The layering was for strength and it was plastic to prevent the inner skin decaying if the outer was penetrated by moisture which could cause the glues to come unstuck. It was skinned with wood to save on using aluminium sheet. All ofthis paragraph by the way also applies to the DH Mosquito. Are we calling that a stealth bomber? No, because it looks normal and here we all seem to be mesmerised by the shape, which is beautiful, elegant and aerodynamic. But not sci fi.

An interesting comment earlier on is that it would have done a lot of Damage to Britain. How exactly would a defensive fighter have managed that? Far more at risk would have been the USAAF day bombing campaign.

Also, I am given to understand that it was actually a stable design. An RAE report on it from 1945 states how the aircraft could be held steady for shooting (at a target) by the application of both tip brakes simultaneously and something called 'bell shaped spanwise lift distribution' which was developed by the Hortens, ignored by everyone else for 40 years and which I don't understand.

However it was far too radical a design, as was the Ta 183 with its ridiculously inappropriate tail design and several other designs. The effort that went into which diverted resources away from building more Me 109's and Fw 190's which the Luftweaffe could have really done with, but not Me 262's for, as excellenty as that design was, the materials for the engines wasn't available and whats the point of building hundreds of a plane without engines? Oh thats right, those 'brilliant' Germans never figured that one out!

Originally posted by warrenb

Clearly showing that Germany had advanced technology during the war.

[edit on 26-6-2009 by warrenb]

Great find! Thanks for bringing that under my attention

It indeed shows very cleary that Germany had advanced technology, even before the WW-II

For me it's also very clear that WW-II in Europe wasn't about stopping the Germans to kill Jewish people or other written historical reasons but only to gain their technology!

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Originally posted by Wally Conley
This Ho 2-29 is further proof that the Germans were continuosly able to build what for the time was qualitatively advanced, top of the line equipment for it's Armed Forces. They had also developed the first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile in the V-2 Rocket. They had one of the worlds most advanced tanks in the Tiger. This equipment, along with the fighting spirit of it's Armed Forces, has been the stuff of legend. It's just that they did not have the economy available like the U.S. to also allow the Germans to have a quantitative put-out of this equipment. They were ground down by superior numbers.

I'm not completely convinced...
It seems the Germans were very successful until they attacked people who could actually fight back. Maybe I'm just being overly simplistic.

BTW... why is this Hitler's stealth... what role did he play ? Is the B2 Reagan's stealth bomber ? Just curious.

And what's this 50 YEARS thing ? Where was this aircraft before 1959 ?

Originally posted by Melyanna Tengwesta


...For me it's also very clear that WW-II in Europe wasn't about stopping the Germans to kill Jewish people...

The Jews that died in concentration camps died because of malnourishment and diseases. There was no mass extermination.


The Holocaust is an excuse to loot Germany, scientific and financially and killing their identity like in most other globalised nations. Germany was aware that we are on the verge of the new age, Hitler started to live up to it and tried to prepare the Aryan Race to unite so they would leap all together as one into the age of Aquarius.