Horton Ho 229 TV programme on now

[The Hypno-Toad]

Quick heads up. Programme on the Horton Ho 229 on National Geographic +1 just started. Not seen it before and looks quite good. Featuring Northrop engineers looking over the only one left.

[Eric Mc]

I wasn't too impressed with this programme.

It failed to mention to any great extent the fact that the Northrop company were flying their own all wing designs BEFORE the Horten brothers.

[FourWheelDrift]

They wouldn't need to since the Horten brothers first flying wing (glider) flew in 1933 and Northrop only started on flying wings in the 1940s.

[MartG]

IIRC the original used plywood stuck together with glue that had carbon mixed into it to reduce radar reflectivity, so the results gained with the replica which was built using commercially available plywood won't be representative of the original aircraft

[Eric Mc]

There was a thread on this somewhere when the show was originally shown a month or so ago.

The point I was trying to make back then was that stealth was not the original aim of these flying wing projects. Most of the basic research into all wing aircraft was carrried out in the 1930s and early 1940s before radar was really looked on as a serious issue. The main advantages of flying wings were improved performance - especially range.

Northrop were keen advocates of the idea and went on to build the giant XB-35 bomber - and its jet powered derivative, the XB-49. Neither of these projects owed much to what the Horten brothers had been doing.

I would highly recommend the video/DVD, "The Wing Shall Fly" which is a detailed and accurate history of Northrop flying wing projects - and which also covers the flying wing work of others, such as Horten.

[dr_gn]

Eric Mc said:

I would highly recommend the video/DVD, "The Wing Shall Fly"

Hesitate to correct you Eric, but I think it's called "The Wing WILL Fly"

Saw it a while back. Good video, but seemed to go on forever.

[Eric Mc]

dr_gn said:

Eric Mc said:

I would highly recommend the video/DVD, "The Wing Shall Fly"

Hesitate to correct you Eric, but I think it's called "The Wing WILL Fly"

Saw it a while back. Good video, but seemed to go on forever.

I fogot it was American - they don't use "shall".

It is a bit long - but pretty extensive - which I liked.