Horten Ho 229
Posted by hssssst@reddit | WeirdWings | View on Reddit | 23 comments
Photo from my collection, don’t remember where I got it. That’s some nose gear
Posted by hssssst@reddit | WeirdWings | View on Reddit | 23 comments
Photo from my collection, don’t remember where I got it. That’s some nose gear
algarhythms@reddit
Well, some of it anyway.
NoobButJustALittle@reddit
Sub called weird wings
Looks at post
No wings
hssssst@reddit (OP)
They’re stealthy
Yoitman@reddit
Can’t detect the wings if they don’t exist 😏
falls out of the sky
the_friendly_one@reddit
Someone stole the wings. That's weird.
thewillz@reddit
You can’t have shit in Detroit!
Tenos_Jar@reddit
I've seen the one at the Smithsonian. I wish that they'd restore it.
Ornery_Year_9870@reddit
They aren't going to. To "restore" it would involve discarding pretty much all of the original wood, and what would be left would be more of a replica.
Atholthedestroyer@reddit
With all the conspiracy and wehraboo claims about it, I've always wondered, if it had gone into service would it have been worth a damn? It was never going to stop the Allies, but would it at least been better than the Me 262?
(I doubt it, but hey 'What Ifs' can be fun)
Ornery_Year_9870@reddit
I'm just waiting for some knob to chime in with the claim that Jack Northrop copied from the Hortens.
Varcolac1@reddit
Do have to say that the 229 did look cooler than jacks flying wings
Ornery_Year_9870@reddit
Nah. There's no need to say that.
series_hybrid@reddit
Before D-Day, it could have dropped a bomb on London with some stealthyness on approach, and then shot up some of the fighters as it returned, but it had the same benefits and drawbacks as the Me-262.
If you changed throttle suddenly, the engine might flme-out and need a restart by diving.
The skin was wood, and by the final year, the Germans had shortages of duralumin.
There were at least 1400 of the 262 bodies made, but strategic bombing limited the number of JuMo jet engines. These engines had a short life (*just a few hours of flying time), with the exhaust turbine being the biggest weak-link among several problems.
I dont think there were ever 100 of the 262's flying at the same time, and the Horten would have the same problem.
-Mac-n-Cheese-@reddit
the stealth is actually a myth, apparently post war tests with models showed that the 229 was detected at roughly ~80% the distance of a normal 109 due to the frontal jet intake fans. so while yes it was somewhat stealthier its hard to argue it wouldve been a substantial difference
pauldtimms@reddit
Thing is it was a very long way from going into service. Only one had flown with engines and it made 3(?I think ) flights before killing the pilot.
iamalsobrad@reddit
It used the same 'falls out the back in a ball of flames if you open the throttle too quickly' engines, so no.
wilmakephotos@reddit
There are two planes from WWII I really would love to fly, P51 and the Ho 229! (F4U is an honorable mention)
series_hybrid@reddit
The nose-wheel was a tail-wheel from a large bomber, and the two other wheels are the main landing gear from contemporary fighter.
The size of landing gear and resulting angle were not ideal, but it was a rush-job and they used what was readily available.
-Kollossae-@reddit
The nose wheel borrowed from He-177 iirc.
series_hybrid@reddit
Are you saying that Germany had lots of He-177 parts strewn about the countryside and available for use?
Flagon15@reddit
Well they made over a thousand of them, and already having the tooling and production set up was nice.
theArcticChiller@reddit
Why this huge tire? Haha
the_friendly_one@reddit
Love tricycle gear but miss the old tail-dragger feel? Got just the aircraft for you.
When the nose landing gear is the main landing gear:
It's like a Big Wheel sprouted wings.
Where did they plan on landing this thing, the cratered roads of Cleveland? Those tires have probably seen more off-road action than my truck.
They say when a bell rings, an angel gets its wings. Yeah, well, when a semi trailer flips, 18 of these things get new nose gear.
idk take your pick