| Ho 229 | |
|---|---|
 Artist's concept of the aircraft in the air | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fighter/bomber |
| Manufacturer | Gothaer Waggonfabrik |
| Designer | |
| Primary user | Luftwaffe |
| Number built | 3 |
| History | |
| First flight | 1 March 1944 (glider) |
The Horten H.IX, RLM designation Ho 229 (or Gotha Go 229 for extensive re-design work done by Gotha to prepare the aircraft for mass production) was a German prototype fighter/bomber designed by Reimar and Walter Horten to be built by Gothaer Waggonfabrik. Developed at a late stage of the Second World War, it was one of the first flying wing aircraft to be powered by jet engines.[1]
The Ho 229 was designed in response to a call made in 1943 by Hermann Göring, the head of the Luftwaffe, for light bombers capable of meeting the "3×1000" requirement; namely, to carry 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb) of bombs a distance of 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) with a speed of 1,000 kilometres per hour (620 mph).[citation needed] Only jet propulsion could achieve the required speed, but such engines were very fuel-hungry, necessitating considerable effort across the rest of the design to meet the range requirement. The flying wing configuration was favoured by the Horten brothers due to its high aerodynamic efficiency, as demonstrated by their Horten H.IV glider. In order to minimise drag, the Ho 229 was not fitted with extraneous flight control surfaces. Its ceiling was 15,000 metres (49,000 ft).[2] The Ho 229 was the only design that came close to the requirements, and the Horten brothers quickly received an order for three prototypes after the project gained Göring's approval.
Due to the Horten brothers' lack of suitable production facilities, Ho 229 manufacturing was contracted out to Gothaer Waggonfabrik; however, the company allegedly undermined the project by seeking the favour of Luftwaffe officials for its own flying wing design.[citation needed] On 1 March 1944 the first prototype H.IX V1, an unpowered glider, made its maiden flight, followed by the H.IX V2, powered by Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet engines in December 1944. However, on 18 February 1945 the V2 was destroyed in a crash, killing its test pilot. Despite as many as 100 production aircraft being on order, none were completed. The nearly complete H.IX V3 prototype was captured by the American military and shipped to the United States under Operation Paperclip. It was evaluated by both British and American researchers before entering long term storage. The H.IX V3 is on static display in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.