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Luft´46...1/48 Horten H IX/Ho229


Reini78

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I totally get the fascination with this aircraft; it looks astonishing - futuristic, beautiful, exotic.  So I’m looking forward to the build.

 

How far did the real thing get through its development before the war ended?  I know the Allies captured one partial prototype (the one in the Smithsonian), but how far had the Germans got with powered versions?  

 

The reason I ask is because I am reading “A Very British Sound Barrier” by Brian Rivas [very highly recommended].  This is a detailed account of the de Havilland DH108 Swallow research aircraft - which was also a swept-wing tail-less aircraft (though with a tail fin, unlike the Horten).  Three airframes built, all three eventually crashed, in each case killing the test pilot - and described by no less a test pilot than Eric Brown as “a killer”.  Though the DH108 had many qualities (it eventually went supersonic, albeit barely under control the first time it did so) and advanced aerodynamic research a long way (especially concerning compressibility and the region between Mach 0.85 & Mach 1.1), it also had some deeply unpleasant characteristics: a very nasty stall in certain conditions (e.g. a 60 degree left turn could immediately snap to 90 degrees right), and, particularly, uncontrollable vertical snaking several times per second, producing high + and - G forces sufficient for the structure to fail  (almost certainly what killed Geoffrey de Havilland in the first DH108 crash).  In the end, some of these characteristics proved insurmountable in a tail-less design, though the lessons learned had a huge influence on the DH110, which eventually evolved into the Sea Vixen.

 

There is a tendency in some to assume that the Germans would solve - or even had already solved - some seriously gnarly aerodynamic problems.  [Artistic box covers of Ho229s swooping triumphantly past burning American bombers may or may not support these assumptions....].  I strongly suspect that had the Horten continued development, it too would have proved a seriously challenging (aka lethal) aircraft to fly, just like the DH108.  

 

That is not to say that it wasn’t a viable design - the Swallow was eventually OK (never exactly easy) to fly, provided you kept below M0.85 and well above the stall.  But I wonder whether we are rather too quick to buy into the whole exotic “wonder-weapon” myth.  I know the Horten brothers had a lot of experience with flying wing designs - but gliders and 600 mph jet fighters are a whole world apart...

 

 

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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8 minutes ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

I totally get the fascination with this aircraft; it looks astonishing - futuristic, beautiful, exotic.  So I’m looking forward to the build.

 

How far did the real thing get through its development before the war ended?  I know the Allies captured one partial prototype (the one in the Smithsonian), but how far had the Germans got with powered versions? 

 

they made some successful testflight with the V2

on this site you find a nice summary of the Horten history

https://dodlithr.blogspot.co.at/2011/10/horten-ho-229-or-ix-construction.html

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Interesting - thanks... though I see he reports in full the “stealth” claims, which the Smithsonian has taken a lot of trouble to debunk comprehensively.  Which kind of backs up my point about people being quick to buy into “wonder-weapon” stories for which there is little evidence.

 

I’ll shut up now.  It is a fascinating subject, and a beautiful... let’s say “prototype”... that will make a great model.  Looking forward to watching it progress!

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This looks interesting, so I will pull up a chair and break out the popcorn.  Having built a ZM kit I found it a very good fit throughout, and the only issues were of my own creating.  The best advice I could give is trust the instructions. second guessing was my downfall, especially with the outer skin fit, it goes where ZM say, not where I thought.  Have fun and I await the finished result.

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Excellent work so far. That frame looks horrendously complicated - are there many seem lines on the parts?

I love this aircraft, but I'm concerned that this kit is more than I can tackle comfortably.  

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14 hours ago, Gorby said:

Excellent work so far. That frame looks horrendously complicated - are there many seem lines on the parts?

I love this aircraft, but I'm concerned that this kit is more than I can tackle comfortably.  

 

First my dad was afraid too, but meanwhile he likes the kit, it isn´t as complicated as it looks. The parts have no seems and the fit is very good. When you follow the instructions you shouldn´t have problems.

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Looks like great modelling here!

 

Maybe it way not "last hope"? More like dispair...,

maybe just one of the many  genious minds working for the wrong cause...

 

Great engineering though!

 

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31 minutes ago, exdraken said:

Looks like great modelling here!

 

Maybe it way not "last hope"? More like dispair...,

maybe just one of the many  genious minds working for the wrong cause...

 

Great engineering though!

 

yes, the Japanese model companies have some good engineers

 

sadly very often war is the father of all things...

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On 24.12.2017 at 7:38 PM, Ran said:

Hi

 

I have this kit in my stash and its a pleasure to follow this thread.

Could you share some info on what paints were used for the engines?

Thanks

Ran

black, Gunze RLM02 and Tamiya Chrome Silver

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