The History of Aviation is full of curiosities, and with the advancing of the years several experiments in order to create something new were made, or at least the attempt was made.
During the 1st World War (1914-1918) and the 2nd World War (1939-1945), aviation was one of the key points of the war and defined many victories and defeats. In the 1st World War, the plane was the novelty of the time and since then some changes and curiosities have started, such as the famous triplanes, one of them the most famous, the Fokker DR.1 of the famous German pilot Barão Vermelho.
In the Second World War, monoplanes were the novelty, speed and agility were the main characteristics, if we were to list it, we would need to have an article only for the main planes of the 2nd Great War.
However, even within this scenario of the 2nd world conflict, technologies began to migrate to another level, 'The Jet Age', being able to fly higher and at a higher speed was a great novelty.
We know that the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) created the ME-262, the first jet to enter combat in the world, even fighting with the classic P51 Mustangs from the USA. However, the Germans were creating and experimenting with new aircraft, one of which is the Ho 229, a wing-shaped aircraft that was being produced by the Nazis.
Ho 229/Go 229
This strange HO 229 aircraft was never actually used in the war, but there were some flights to test the prototype. Altogether there were two versions of the flying wing, the V1 and the V2.
His project took place already at the end of the war. But it becomes one of the curiosities of military aviation that could at the time take a new step in air wars, due to its speed that could exceed 900 km/h.
The V1 model made a successful test flight in 1944, its main feature was the use of wood to reduce weight.
The other version, the V2, incorporated Jumo 004B turbojet engines nested on either side of a cockpit and like the V1 had a sort of ejection seat. The specimen even flew in 1945 and in simulated combat won the then famous German jet, the ME 262.
Subsequent flights ended the project, as on a flight in July 1945 one of the engines caught fire and in a failed attempt at an emergency landing the test pilot ended up dying.
Even with this tragic test, the Nazi authorities ordered 40 copies to be used as one of the last attempts to face the allies who were closing the siege against Berlin every day.
Among its characteristics was the speed that could exceed 960 km/h, which was a great advantage. Another feature of this experimental aircraft was its firepower. It is believed that the Ho-229 (or Go-229 as they are also known) could carry atomic bombs and could reach the east coast of the USA.
The Ministry of Air, of the then Nazi government, even tried to use some Ho-229 equipped with two heavy 103mm Mark 30 cannons and began the construction of some models with the nominations V3 and V6, which would have two-seat capacity, that is, they could fly with two pilots.
A Possible Stealth Trait
When the Ho 229 was designed, there was an idea that it would not be detectable to radar, which was another innovative technology at the time. As the flying wing never took off for real missions, there are no records of whether it was effective or not.
With everything much later, second The National Interest websiteIn 2008, Northrop Grumman teamed up with the National Geographic Channel to rebuild a mockup of the Ho 229, and they tested it to reflect radar and then tackled a simulation of the British Chain Home radar network. Their findings were less than impressive – the flying wings would have been detected at a distance of 80km.
For the Horten brothers, the wooden t in the fuselage could make it difficult for radars to identify the flying wing.
But in a real conflict scenario its speed was the great advantage and could leave the enemy, in this case the allies, a little lost because until then there was nothing that flew at this speed.
The influence of the Ho 299 on other projects
Even though this flying wing was not used in combat, it is part of aviation history and it can be said that it was one of the precursors of famous aircraft today that resemble the design of the Ho 229, such as the ultra secret and very expensive B- 2 Spirit, as well as its successor the B-21 Rider.
