/

The H VII during the demonstration at Gottingen in 1944.

THE HOR-. _.~ . _. ..~~~-INGIN WORLD WAR 11

Gottingen: Left Waiter, right Reimar Horten. In the background the H II (left) and H IIIb (right).

The History & Development of the Ho 229..

H.P. Dabrowski

Translatedfrom the German by David Johnston

SCHIFFER MILITARY HISTORYWest Chester, PA

SOURCES:R. Horten/ P.F. Selinger: "Nurfliigel", Graz 1983D. Myhra: "Horten 229" Monogram Close-UpNo. 12, Boylston 1983B. Lange: "Typenhandbuch der deutschen Luft­fahrttechnik", Koblenz 1986T -2 Report "German Flying Wings Designed byHorten Brothers", Wright-Patterson AFB 1946W. RosIer: "Bericht iiber den Fluganfall desTurbinen-Nurfliigel-Flugzeuges Horten IX, V2 ..." (1985, unpublished)Working Discussion on the 229 Mock-up (13. 10.1944)

DVL Short Report on the Testing of the FlyingCharacteristics of the Horten IX V-I (Berlin­Adlershof, July 7, 1944)Power Plant Installation in Go 229 (Horten),(V3+V5), March 7, 1945, Junkers Flugzeug- undMotorenwerke A.G.Flight Log of Lt. Erwin Ziller via Dr. Jorg ZillerCorrespondence with W. Horten, R. Horten, H.J.Meier, D. Myhra, K. Nickel, W. Radinger, R.Roeser, W. RosIer, H. Scheidhauer, P.F. Selinger,G. Sengfe1der, R. Stadler.

H IX VI is towed into its hangar at Oranienburg in the summer of 1944 following a test flight.

PHOTOGRAPHS:W. Ho..tenR. Horten and H. Scheidhauer via P.F. SelingerW. RadingerD. MyhraP. Petrick

Copyright Cl 1991 by Schiffer Publishing Lld.Library of Congress Catalog Number: 91-62748.

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in anyforms or by any means-graphic, electronic or mechanical, includingphotocopying or information storage and retrieval systems-without writtenpermission from the copyright holder.

Printed in the United States of America.ISBN: 0-88740-357-3

This title was originally published under the title,Nur/lugel, Die Ho 229 - Vorlau/er der heutigen B2,by Podzun-Pallas Verlag, Friedberg.

We are interested in hearing from authors with book ideas on related topics.We are also looking for good photographs in the military history area. Wewill copy your photos and credit you should your materials be used in afuture Schiffer project.

M. GriehlH.J. NowarraB. LangeW. RosIerG. Sengfe1derF. Trenkle

Published by Schiffer Publ1shlng. Ltd.1469 Morsteln Road

West Chester. Pennsylvania 19380Please write for a free catalog.

This book may be purchased from the publ1sher.Please Include $2.00 postage.

Try your bookstore first.

The Horten 229 Fighter-BomberThe Horten H V, H VII and

H IX All-Wing Aircraft

PRELIMINARY REMARKS

The subject of "all-wing" aircraft is too extensiveto be covered in depth here. Therefore, only theHorten H V, H VII and H IX (the latter alsoknown as the Ho or Go 229) will be dealt with, allof which were twin-engined aircraft.

Doctor Reimar Horten, together with Dipl.Ing.Peter Selinger, has written about all of his aircraftin detail in the book Nurflilgel (Weishaupt Verlag,Graz 1983). Major Waiter Horten, at that timeTechnical Advisor of the General of Fighters inthe Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM), madefeasible the realization of his brother's designs.

NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN ...

When the newest American super-bomber, theNorthrop B-2, was revealed to the public atPalmdale, California on November 22, 1988, manyaviation history enthusiasts must have noted thatthe configuration selected by the aircraft'sdesigners, namely that of the "flying wing," hadbeen resurrected from the dead, as it were.Although present day experience has shown thatthe all-wing configuration is the best one foravoiding detection by enemy radar (aided by the

):[:I =::=::::c====--=-"-

Drawing of the H Va - the forward viewapproximates the aircraft sitting on the ground.Below: The H Va under construction. The stressbearing material used was the syntheticTrolitax.

The crew of the H Va occupied prone positions with their feet forward, and as a result the aircraft didnot have a conventional canopy. Below: Comparison with a motorized H 11.

The H Va ready to fly. Noteworthy is theunusual shape of the aircraft's propellers.Produced by Peter Kiipel, the propellers weredriven directly, without extension shafts.

latest technology in materials, electronics andcomputers), the same configuration has been inpractical use since about 1930. The first jet­powered all-wing aircraft flew in Germany onFebruary 2,1945, and at the time was also virtuallyundetectable by radar, partly on account of itsmixed construction (wooden wings).

In the United States, John Knudsen Northrophad been working on all-wing aircraft since theend of the 1920s. His first aircraft of this con­figuration (although it did employ two smallvertical tail fins on thin tail booms) was the"Flying Wing," which flew in 1929. Because ofpoor economic conditions during the 1930s,Northrop's twin-engined all-wing NIM did notappear until 1940, and the N9M until 1942.

Individual projects were undertaken in variouscountries, but in the Soviet Union there werenumerous attempts, some of them very promising,to learn the secrets of the all-wing aircraft. Themost successful Soviet designer was Boris Ivan­ovich Chernanovski, who developed a series ofprojects from 1921 to 1940.

In Germany, the Horten brothers, Reimar andWaiter, had in mind a pure all-wing aircraft withno vertical control surfaces of any kind. Inspiredby the Stork- and Delta-type tailless aircraft ofAlexander Lippisch, they began their work at theend of the 1920s. Successful flight tests of their firsttailless glider were carried out at Bonn-Hangelarairfield inJuly 1933. By 1934 they were working atGermany's "Gliding Mecca," the Wasserkuppe.The all-wing concept had achieved its firstpractical success.

Although development of the all-wing aircraft

began at about the same time in Germany, theSoviet Union and America, there was no col­laboration whatsoever between designers. In spiteof this, design teams in these widely-separatedparts of the world were convinced that the all­wing aircraft was the best configuration andpursued the idea with much idealism. It is nowonder, therefore, that the concept has beenrevived in the present day.

The Northrop "Flying Wings" and the twin­engined Horten H V, H VII and H IX aircraftdescribed herein can in a way be considered theforerunners of the B-2.

The H V was a pure research aircraft equippedwith two counter-rotating pusher propellers. TheH IX was designed as a twin-engined, turbojetfighter-bomber, and the H VII, also with twopusher propellers, was intended to serve as atrainer for jet aircraft. Detailed descriptions of thethree types follow.

HOTten Va, W.-NT. 5The H Va was built in 1936/37 in cooperationwith the Dynamit AG in Troisdorf, near Cologne.A synthetic material (Trolitax) were used in theaircraft's construction. Use of thismaterial resultedin a series of problems, even though the gliderHol's der Teufel had previously been built usingthis method. Several of the solutions to theseproblems were patented by the Dynamit company.The nose of the H V was covered in clear Cellon,and the two pilots occupied prone positions. Theaircraft was fitted with a tricycle undercarriagewith faired main members (only the nosewheelwas retractable), and the two Hirth HM-60-Rengines drove two-bladed pusher propellersdirectly (no extension shafts). The propellermanufacturer Peter Kiimpel produced the propel­lers from Lignofol (beech wood impregnated withsynthetic resin). The H Va introduced novelmovable wingtip control surfaces.

5

". .,.. .

The H Va following its crash: as a result of the brittle nature of the synthetic material the aircraft wascompletely destroyed; only the aircraft's engines survived relatively intact.

_...

II~II

Three-view drawing of the H Vb, seen abovewhile under construction at Cologne-Ostheim.The photographs below illustrate the excellentview from the cockpit afforded the aircraft'screw. In contrast to the H Va, the crew of the HVb were accommodated in conventional seatedpositions.

The aircraft's only flight took place at Bonn­Hangelar in early 1937. In the aircraft were Waiterand Reimar Horten. The extreme aft location ofthe engines made the aircraft unstable, and at itslow takeoff speed the aircraft's controls wereunable to overcome the resulting tail-heaviness atthe moment of rotation. The H Va became air­borne briefly, then crashed, damaging the aircraftseriously. The injuries sustained by the two menwere relatively minor (Waiter Horten knocked outhis two upper front teeth). Following the accidentthe Dynamit AG collected the remains of the H Vato carry out tests on the materials used in itsconstruction.

The H Vb ready for takeoff; below: the aircraft with landing flaps extended.

Below:Cologne 1937: the propeller shape has beenchanged from that of the H Va.

ROTten Vb, W-NT. 9The H Vb was a research aircraft built at Cologne­Ostheim using conventional constructionmethods (wood and steel tube) on instructionsfrom Major Dinort with the approval of ErnstUdet. As a result of the accident with the H Va, themovable wingtip controls were dispensed withand the designers turned to more conventionalelevons. The Hirth engines of the unlucky H Vawere used again, but were positioned furtherforward and drove their propellers via shortextension shafts, resulting in a more favorableweight distribution. The H Vb's pilots sat uprightnext to each other and were provided with indi­vidual raised canopies. Like the H Va, the H Vbhad a fixed tricycle undercarriage. The aircraft's

I •

The aircraft seen from ahead with landing flaps extended, and ready for takeoff at Cologne-Ostheim (below).

first flight took place at Cologne-Ostheim inautumn 1937 with Waiter Horten at the controls.From the beginning of the war in 1939 until 1941the aircraft was parked in the open at Potsdam­Werder airfield, which was not altogether bene­ficial for an aircraft built largely of wood.

Horten Vc, W.-Nr. 27Efforts by the Luftwaffe-Inspektion 3 (Lln 3, orLuftwaffe Inspectorate for Fighters, whoseTechnical Department Head was Waiter Horten)succeeded in convincing Genera'f'ugzeugmeisterErnst Udet that it was advisable to return the H Vto flying status. In August 1941 a special detach­ment of Lln 3 was formed in Minden to oversee thereconstruction of the aircraft by the Peschke Firm.

Below:Side view of the H Vb, which was built usingconventional materials.

/-~.,./'-',

i ! 1./.1111.',1.1 !!I.IIIIII.II-t-J~; ; J-§=:,~'.[1-=·=====;;;;:;;==-

~"U;""

- _._:--.:::.............~\,,:--

_.L::W= A three-view drawing of the H Vc. The series ofphotographs on this page depict the Peschke­built aircraft at Minden. In the photo, above left,is Dtto Peschke (extreme left), seen while beingshown an H IV glider.

The photo on the right\ provides an idea of therelative sizes of the H Vc (left) and the H IV. Inthe photo below, Wal ter Horten is seenexamining the recently completed aircraft.

The photograph on the following page showsWaiter Horten climbing into the cockpit of thisaircraft. Visible is the forward-folding hood, aswell as the window on the underside of theaircraft which provided the pilot with adownward view.

Peschke, a former WW I fighter pilot, hadestablished a flying school at Hangelar and lateran aircraft repair facility at Minden. The latterfacility repaired aircraft such as the Fw 44 Stieglitz,He 72 Kadett, Fi 156 Storch and the RK Schwalbe.Peschke and the Horten brothers knew each otherfrom Hangeiar. In charge of the Lln 3 detachmentwas Luftwaffe Leutnant Reimar Horten. Histeam consisted of three designing engineers andfive other men, including Heinz Scheidhauer, anexperienced all-wing glider specialist. Later thespecial detachment was moved to Gottingen andenlarged to thirty men (soldiers, engineers,craftsmen and so on).

The Horten Vc was converted from the H V h,which had been badly damaged hy the elements.In Minden the two-seat H Vb hecame a single-seataircraft. The pilot was accommodated in a normal

seated position. The H Va's Hirth engines wereretained, as were its steel tube and wood con­struction and fixed undercarriage. As property ofthe military, it was finished in standard Luftwaffecamouflage and was assigned the code PE + HO(PE for Peschke and HO for Horten).

The H Vc made its first flight on May 26, 1942.Waiter Horten later flew the machine toGottingen, where Luftwaffenkommando IX wasbeing formed.

Flugkapitiin Prof. Dr. Josef Stiiper, thenDirector of the Instituts fur Forschungsflugbetriebund Flugwesen (Institute for Flight Research andAviation) at the Aerodynamischen Versuch­sanstalt (A VA) Gottingen (Gottingen Aero­dynamic Research Institute), carried out test flightsin the H Vc. Late in the summer of 1943 anincident occurred involving the H Vc. Stiiper took

I/

... _--

Above: The H Vc in flight over the Gottingen area. Below: The aircraft lands in the evening twilight.

•

The Horten Vc in flight. The photograph belowprovides a view of the underside of the aircraft,revealing the military code PE+HO. PE stoodfor Peschke and HO for Horten - the RLMraised no objections to the use of thiscombination.

Flugkapitiin Prof. Dr. JosefStiiper of the GottingenAerodynamic ResearchInstitute was involved in acrash in the :PI Vc. Theairfield fire-fighters dousedthe aircraft with foam as aprecautionary measure.

The aircraft was certainlydamaged in the crash, butnot so badly that it could nothave been rebuilt.

The professor (center)inspects "his" crash. Hewears an unhappyexpression, which is notsurprising in view of thecircumstances surroundingthe accident.

off from the center of the airfield with the aircraft'sflaps in the down position. The aircraft's under­carriage struck the roof of a hangar and the H Vccrashed. Stiiper escaped without serious injury,but the aircraft was badly damaged. It was sub­sequently stored at Gottingen in anticipation ofrestoration following the end of the war. Eventswere to prove differently, however, as all of theaircraft held there were assembled at the edge ofthe airfield and burned following Germany'ssurrender. A projected glider tug based on the HVc was not built.

16

Left: A three-view drawing of the H VII, andabove an artist's concept of the aircraft, drawnbefore construction began. The aircraft in thedrawing features pointed propeller spinners,similar to those used by the H Va.

Horten VII, W.-Nr. 29Construction of the H VII took place at theGottingen Bureau. The aircraft's wings, whichwere of wooden construction, were built by theLln 3 workshop, while the center section, whichwas of welded tube steel construction with Duralskinning, was manufactured by the Peschke Firmin Minden. The aircraft made its first flight inMay 1943 with Heinz Scheidhauer and WaiterHorten on board. The aircraft had originally beenconceived as a flying test-bed for the Argus­Schmidt pulse-jet engine after the H V had proved

unsuitable for the role. When this plan wasabandoned it was proposed as a fighter trainingaircraft. The H VII was powered by two ArgusAS-lO-e engines driving two-bladed constant­speed propellers via extension shafts. The aircraftfeatured a fully retractable twin nosewheel under­carriage. So-called "wingtip rudders" were usedin place of a conventional rudder. The aircraft wasassigned the RLM-Number 8-226. The aircraft'spilots were Heinz ,Scheidhauer, Erwin Ziller andWaiter Horten. In autumn 1944 Oberst Knemeyerdemonstrated the H VII to Hermann Goring atOranienburg, after the Reichsmarschall hadexpressed a desire to see a Horten aircraft inaction.

Knemeyer was the RLM flight-test chief andwas favorably disposed toward the aircraftdeveloped by the Horten brothers. Goring, aformer WW I fighter pilot, had not participated inthe later gliding boom and was unfamiliar withthe aircraft which emerged from the program. Hewanted to see the aircraft fly on one engine, which

The photographs on this page depict the H VIIV2, which was largely similar to the VI, whileunder construction. The two photographs,below right, show the starboard wingtip rudderin the extended and retracted positions, whilethe one below shows one of the aircraft's engineswith cowling removed. Visible are the extensionshaft and the propeller brake.

Details of the H VII: Above, the retractable twinnosewheel undercarriage; below left, thestarboard propeller with automatic pitchcontrol; below right, one of the aircraft'slanding flaps, which were of metal construction,in the extended position.

Right: The wing of the H VII V3 underconstruction - the V3 dispensed with the so­called "wingtip rudders." Below: The H VII VIin final assembly. The VI was the only aircraftof the H VII series to be completed and flown.

Heinz Scheidhauer ~id without any hesitation.The Reichsmarschall was impressed; the PeschkeFirm received an order for twenty examples.

Construction of the H VII V2 began in 1944, butthe aircraft had not been completed when the warended. The V3, which was to see the "wingtiprudders" replaced by spoilers above and below thewings, as on the H IX, progressed no farther thanthe manufacturing of various components.

In February 1945 Heinz Scheidhauer flew the HVII to Gottingen. Hydraulic failure preventedhim from extending the aircraft's undercarriage,and he was forced to make a belly landing. Theresulting damage had not been repaired when, onApril 7, 1945, US troops occupied the airfield. Theaircraft presumably suffered the same fate as the HV and was burned.

Rorten IX VI, W.-Nr. J8Waiter Horten was aware of the performanceachieved by the DFS 194 rocket-powered researchaircraft, and thus knew that wooden constructionmethods were suitable for high-performanceaircraft. After seeing the Me 262 in March 1943 heset out to acquire information on the Jumo 004turbojet engine. Further work on the H VII wasabandoned and all efforts were concentrated onthe H IX, which originated from Goring's1000xlOOOxl000 demand, in which the Reichs­marschall specified that no new project would beconsidered unless it achieved the following per­formance figures: a speed of at least 1,000 kph andthe ability to carry a 1,000 kg bomb load 1,000 kminto enemy territory. Justifiable deviations fromthese figures would be accepted. At that time

Stress tests being carried out on the H VII VI.

Waiter Horteb was a Hauptmann on the staff ofLln3. He managed to obtain a transfer to Got­tingen, where he took over command of Luft­waffenkommando IX. Soon afterward, however,the Kommando was officially disbanded, and as aresult Lln3 ceased to be the office responsible fordevelopment of the Horten projects. New life wasinjected into the Horten Firm, when, in August,Hermann Goring informed the company thatwork on the H IX turbojet fighter-bomber was toproceed with all urgency and that it was toconstruct a flyable, but unpowered, example assoon as possible.

Luftwaffenkommando IX, which officially nolonger existed, continued to be funded and carriedon its work, but without direct influence from theTechnischen Amt of the RLM. The H IX VI wasan unpowered research glider and received, theRLM-Number 8-229. The aircraft was of mixedconstruction (welded steel tube and wood) andwas covered with several layers of plywood ofvarious qualities, the outer layer being of the bestquality. This method of construction made radardetection of the aircraft extremely difficult. Thepilot was accommodated in a normal seatedposition. The first flight of the VI took place onMarch I, 1944, at Gottingen with Heinz Scheid­hauer at the controls. Following several towed

Gottingen 1943/44: The H VII carries out itsinitial taxiing trials (the aircraft's retractablenosewheels, together with the wheel forks andshock absorbers, were taken from a wrecked Me210). The military personnel in the photo areFeldwebel Knopfle (left) and Major WaIterHonen (right). The pilot is Oberleutnant HeinzScheidhauer.Following page: This view from below revealssome interesting details.

Various views of the H VII in flight and (below)in the hangar at Gottingen with extension shaftfairings removed. .

o

takeoffs, the aircraft was sent to Oranienburg nearBerlin for flight testing, with Scheidhauer aspilot. A brief report submitted by the DVL onApril 7, 1944, indicated that the aircraft providedan excellent gun platform.

In order to simulate the stabilizing effect of theengines, which were absent from the VI, theaircraft's main undercarriage legs were fairedfrom the outset; only the aircraft's nosewheel wasretractable. On March 5 the nose gear failed after itdeveloped a wobble on Oranienburg's concreterunway. A special pressure suit was to havereplaced the absent cockpit pressurization, butwas never used in practice.

24

On the left is a three-view drawing of the H IXVI research glider. In the photograph above theaircraft is seen under construction in theAutobahnstrasenmeisterei hangar in Gottingen.

The machine was sent to Brandis, where it wasto be tested by the military and used for trainingpurposes. It was found there by soldiers of the US9th Armored Division at the end of the war andwas later burned in a "clearing action."

Horten H IX, Werk-Nr.J9, 1944/45The H IX V2 was a test machine powered by twoJumo 004 turbojets and was assigned the RLMnumber 8-229. It was the world's first turbojet­powered all-wing aircraft. The V2· had a fullyretractable undercarriage and was unarmed. Thepilot was accommodated in a conventional seatedposition.

The wings are loaded for transport to Gottingen airfield.

The center section of the H IX VI at Gottingen before transport to the airfield. Visible in the photoabove is the compartment for the aircraft's braking parachute.

The main undercarriage was not retractable and was fitted with streamlined fairings to compensate forthe stabilizing effect of the missing power plants. The aircraft's retractable nosewheel was in fact thetailwheel from a wrecked He 177 heavy bomber.

Above: The center section about to betransported to Gottingen airfield. Clearly visibleare the two glazed panels on the underside of theaircraft. The photograph below shows the wingsarriving at the airfield.

Serious difficulties and delays in constructionarose when the planned BMW 003 engines had tobe replaced by more powerful J umo 004s. Thediameter of the J unkers engine was greater thanthat of the BMW product, requiring redesign ofthe engine bays. Like its predecessors, the aircraftwas of mixed construction. The V2's undercarriageconsisted of the tailwheel from a wrecked He 177bomber, which was used as nosewheel, and themain undercarriage from a Bf 109 fighter.

The first test flight was made from Oranienburgon February 2, 1945, with Leutnant Erwin Ziller atthe controls, and lasted about 30 minutes. TheHorten brothers had known Ziller from the com­petitions at the Wasserkuppe. Ziller had familiar­ized himself with all-wing aircraft in December1944 and January 1945, making several flights inthe Horten H IX VI glider (an He III served asglider tug) and the twin-engined Horten H VII atOranienburg.

The completed H IX VI at Gottingen airfield, 1944. Below: Visible in this view from above is theoutlined walkway for access to the aircraft's cockpit, also the braking parachute in its stowagecompartment. Following page: A comparison with the H IIIe.

Ziller spent the last three days of December 1944at Erprobungsstelle Rechlin, where he made atotal of five flights in the Me 262. These flightsprovided Ziller with an opportunity to becomefamiliar with the operation and characteristics ofthe Jumo 004 turbojet engine.

At the end of a second successful test flight onFebruary 3, 1945, Ziller deployed the aircraft'sbraking parachute too soon on his landing ap­proach. The result was a hard landing whichdamaged the aircraft's main undercarriage. Con-

sequently, the third test flight in the Horten H IXdid not take place until February 18, 1945.Returning after about 45 minutes in the air, Zillerwas seen to dive the aircraft and pull up severaltimes at an altitude of about 800 meters, apparentlyin an effort to relight an engine. The undercarriagewas lowered unusually early, at an altitude ofabout 400 meters. The V2's speed decreased and,accompanied by increasing engine noise, its nosedropped and the aircraft entered a right-handturn. The H IX completed a 360 degree turn with

Previous page: The H IX VI seen with its eIevons and flaps in various positions. This page: Theaircraft at Gouingen airfield.

;

The H IX VI in flight; the pilot is Heinz Scheidhauer (below left). In the photo, below right, theaircraft is pictured being prepared for takeoff.

Above left: Heinz Scheidhauer climbs into the aircraft, and the signal is given for the He III glider tugto begin its takeoff. Below: After a flight - the braking parachute has been rolled up loosely andplaced on the aft section of the aircraft.

Facing page: A view of the aircraft'sinstrument panel, from left to right: turnand bank indicator, altimeter, verticalspeed indicator (variometer), airspeedindicator and below it the compass.This page: A pressure suit was to have tohave taken the place of cockpitpressurization, but was not used inpractice.Following page: The H IX VI as foundby US troops at Brandis.Subsequent page: An RLM specificationsheet depicting the original design.

attempt to use his ejection seat and parachute tosafety, and the aircraft's canopy was not jettisoned.It seems certain that he was attempting to save thevaluable aircraft.

What had happened? The empty compressed airbottle in the wreckage confirmed that the under­carriage had been lowered with compressed airafter a loss of hydraulic power following thefailure of an engine. Had there been a stall,beginning at the right wingtip? Had the test pilotbeen rendered unconscious and unable to react bycarbonizing oil from the remaining engine, whichhad eventually overheated? (There were no bulk­heads separating the cockpit from the enginebays.)

Unfortunately, only Leutnant Ziller could haveanswered these questions, and he had failed tosurvive. In the opinion of the investigating expertssabotage could not be ruled out.

Horten H IX VJ, RLM-Number 8-229The H IX V3 was an unarmed, twin-jet, single­seat aircraft. Further production of the fighter­bomber was assigned to the Gothaer Waggon­fabrik (GWF). Well-known for its Go 241 cargo

glider, Gotha was considered the company bestsuited to manufacture Horten aircraft. The 'air­craft's turbojet engines were installed splayed 15degrees left and right of the aircraft centerline and4 degrees nose down. The new installation wastested in a center section mock-up. Constructionof the H IX V3 was nearly complete when theGotha Works at Friederichsroda was overrun bytroops of the American 3rd Army's VII Corps onApril 14, 1945. The aircraft was assigned thenumber T2-490 by the Americans. The aircraft'sofficial RLM designation is uncertain, as it wasreferred to as the Ho 229 as well as the Go 229. Alsofound in the destroyed and abandoned works wereseveral other prototypes in various stages of con­struction, including a two-seat version.

The V3 was sent to the United States by ship,along with other captured aircraft, and finallyended up in the H. H. "Hap" Arnold collection ofthe Air Force Technical Museum. The all-wingaircraft was to have been brought to flying statusat Park Ridge, Illinois, but budget cuts in the lateforties and early fifties brought these plans to anend. The V3 was handed over to the present-dayNational Air and Space Museum (NASM) inWashington D.e.

37

RLMBildl1<lzze

Flugzeugtypenblatt

Uailsfab 1: too

I~ n It>,

\ /;Q, 6 I~

.f}rov,Nlc!J/-

Baumusfer: .1I001Pn11­!Jauau${{jhl'~.: Yl, YJ.

Boureihe:

I

~-'=--'~-'-' ~.- .._.-~~~ I ::====..:....:._:::;:.:_:===::';"':::;'-:=----. _. .. ,O\::./~I-G .. c

crT~f oUr

!Jfjf~

-_._.~_._---~-- ~ -

39

The men of the Strassenmeisterei Gottingen before the steel tube center section of the H IX V2 (seealso below). On the left is the rebuilt H 11 D - 10 -125, modified as a flying test-bed for the H IX.Right, a three-view drawing of the V2.

The V2's nosewheel was in fact a tailwheel froma wrecked He 177, including retraction cylinderand hydraulics. The parts were provided by theGottingen salvage organization. Right: TheJumo 004-B turbojet, which powered the H IXV2; below is the BMW 003, which was originallychosen. Below left: Moving the wings "byhand."

The first all-wing fighter-bomber, the H IX V2, under construction.

Assembly took place in a three-car garage.

The H IX V2 is prepared for takeoff on the runway at Oranienburg, February 1945.

'/_~"-...-.-

L-...-........

The V2 at Oranienburg: Pilot Leutnant ErwinZiller in the aircraft's cockpit. His last flight inthe V2 on February 18, 1945, ended in a fatalcrash. Right: Erwin Ziller, far right:Unterojjizier WaIter RosIer, who witnessed thefatal crash. Below: This test flight wascompleted without incident.

• •

Facing page: Three-view drawing of the H IXV3, now also known as the Ho 229. Later, afterproduction had been assigned to the GothaFirm, it was also designated Go 229. Thedrawing does not represent the aircraft actuallybuilt, which had a slightly different flaparrangement. The engine installation was testedin a mock-up. This page: The Ho 220 V3following its capture by US forces.

The center section in the USA, and finally instorage in the annex of the National Air andSpace Museum, Silver Hill, Maryland, where theaircraft still resides today.

Below: The Ho 229's speed brake, seen in theextended position.

The aircraft at Silver Hill. Below: The cockpitwith a view of the instrument panel. From leftto right: Undercarriage control panel, ignitionswitches, vertical speed indicator, turn and bankindicator, airspeed indicator, fuel warning light;2nd row: flap control panel, altimeter (removed),master repeater compass, clock, two fuelindicators; 3rd row: injection pressure indicator(left), gas temperature indicator (left), RPMindicators (left and right), gas temperatureindicator (right), injection pressure indicator(right), outside temperature indicator; below,oxygen valves.

Sketch of the planned two-seat Ho 229 V6 andthe H 11 modified as a flying test-bed withextended nose.

When US troops arrived they found the V6 under construction.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ iJ

Above: The H XVIII project reached far into thefuture: a six-engined, turbojet-powered, long­range bomber. The project was given to theHorten brothers by Hermann Goring on March12, 1945.

Three-view drawing of the V7.

The steel tube center section was very probablythe initial construction phase of this aircraft.

.. ..o 0

ilj ilj

~ ~

'"I- -l l

52

Horten H IX V-3 (Ho 229) at Silver Hill, Maryland.

Forty-five years lie between these two photographs! Above H VII, below B-2.

9

ISBN 0-88740-357-3