Horten brothers

The brothers Horten , Reimar and Walter, were two manufacturers of hang-gliders German in the years 1930 - 1940. Their hang-gliders do not have any vertical surface, a very marked arrow, and are almost all of the sailplanes. The Cockpit is generally integrated into the wings, as a cocoon in which the pilot is lengthened on the belly.

The third of the brothers, Wolfram, was cut down above Dunkirk on board a Heinkel He-111 during the Second world war.

History

They start to study the very young hang-gliders, whereas they are still at the school, and are enthusiastic for the designs of Alexander Lippisch. At that time, the Traité of Versailles obliges Germany not to have military aviation, and these restrictions gather the pilots in the aero clubs, around sailplanes. In 1933 they build their first machine, the Horten I . Other models follow, whose scales, smoothnesses and arrows of wing, are increasingly important. Diagrams to the maximum, their sailplanes were of a remarkable effectiveness for the time, with for example, a smoothness of estimated at 45 for the Horten VI of 1944. This figure is the same one as that of the standard sailplanes of today, built using modern materials. Another of their characteristic is the position of the pilot, semi-lengthened on the belly, which could give to the pilot the impression to fly with wings at the end of the arms.

In 1938, they take part in the Concours of Rhön, with two wings Horten III . A cumulus aspires many sailplanes, which go up at an altitude of approximately 7500 meters, of which Horten III. The two pilots engaged by the Horten brothers are constrained to leave their machines, one of them commits suicide with the landing, the other is hospitalized due to gelures.

During the world war, Reimar and Walters are engaged in the Luftwaffe, but their knowledge does not interest the army. In 1942, they will obtain all the same assistances to build the Horten Ho IX , officially named Gotha Go 229 , first hang-glider twin-jet aircraft, with futuristic appearance. The apparatus will show a great potential, but the German defeat, and the confiscation by the Allies of all the projects of Reich, will make it sink in the lapse of memory.

After the second world war, Reimar Horten leaves in Argentine, for the Aeronautical Institute of Cordoba, whereas his/her brother remains in Germany. Helped by the test pilot Heinz Scheidhauer, it builds I.Ae.34 Clen Antu single-seat and two-seater, sometimes indicated like the Horten XVa and Horten XVb , then I.Ae.41 Urubu , indicated like the Horten XVc .

Reimar remains in South America until its death in 1994, and Walter dies in Germany in 1998.

It remains very little of Horten wings, and more none in a position to fly. Two restored specimens of Horten III and one Horten IV are visible with the National Air and Space Museum of Washington, cd., a Ho IX v3 twin-jet aircraft is on standby of restoration in a hangar of the museum Planes off Famed of Chino, in California, and Horten IV is visible with the Deutsches Museum of Munich.

The Horten Wings

Horten Ho I

This wing is a Delta of 12,4 meters scale, of a lengthening of 7,3 meters, having a central elevator, ailerons, twisted profiles of wing symmetrical to 7°. Built by the Horten brothers whereas they were still young, without economic aid, it is presented to the contest of Rhön in 1934. It planed at altitudes from 150 to 300 feet, at a maximum speed estimated at 170 km/h. The sailplane had many problems of stability. Offered to Alexandre Lippish in exchange of a towing, the wing was finally burned.

Horten Ho II

This wing was built in 1935, in three specimens, of which one of them was motorized.

Horten Ho III

Two Ho III were built for the contest of Rhön in 1938, controlled by Rudi Blech and Heinz Scheidhauer. An accident during the contest of Rhon it, only due to a disturbance weather, will cost the life Rudi Blech. Several evolutions will be built, named Ho IIIb, Ho IIId (motorized), Ho IIIf and Ho IIIg (two-seaters). One of the specimens is with the National Air and Space Museum of Washington, cd.

Horten Ho IV

This wing, of a scale of 24 meters, was built between December 1940 and December 1941, in several specimens, of which one is visible with the Deutsches Museum of Munich.

Horten Ho V

This wing, first with being built using composite materials, like the Mipolan and the Astralon, was built in 1944. It was motorized by two pusher airscrew engines. Its single specimen was destroyed at the time of a takeoff, whereas an engine broke down, unbalancing it.

Horten Parabola

The shape of this wing, which flown forever, is inspired by the seed Zanonia Macrocarpia, which is found in Southeast Asia. When it is ripe, this seed is dropped and planed towards a new place. Parabolic sailplane formed made it very difficult to build, and, after being deformed during a storage of winter, it was burned.

Horten Ho VI

This wing was built in 1944 in two specimens. It was built for speed, and is very shaped. The second specimen, which did not fly, is with the National Air and Space Museum of Washington, cd..

Horten Ho VII

This wing, was a plane of test required by the Luftwaffe, mû by two pusher airscrews and a Pulsoréacteur to be tested. It is a derivative of the Ho V (proposed for the tests, but not solid enough for the engine), which flew in 1944, but which was finally never equipped with the engine. Versions Ho VIIe, Ho VIIf (with pilot lying) and Ho VIIg (two-seater) were built.

Horten Ho VIII

This wing, whose construction was stopped in 1945 by arrived of combined at Göttingen, would have being a bomber of 30 meters scale, with four engines, wheel to 900 km/h with 10 kilometers of altitude and an operating range of 3.000 kilometers.

Horten Ho IX

The wing Ho IX, also called Go 229, is the first hang-glider twin-jet aircraft. It was conceived like hunter bomber. March 1st 1944, the first version of Ho IX fact its first planed flight with Göttingen, but the construction of the following version which must receive engines takes delay: the delivered engines are 20 centimetres in diameter moreover than envisaged. The engines having to be integrated in the mass of the wing, this anomaly requires to re-examine the whole wing. The motorized model will steal on February 2nd, 1945, or on December 18th, 1944 following the sources.

Its construction materials, the wood cloth-lined with a special coating, could have made the first furtive Avion of it, but having flown very little, this forever checked allegation.

Horten Ho X

Ho X was a project of plane to the sweptback wings, with a vertical drift important, and propelled by a propeller, even an engine. The prototype sailplane was not completed.

Horten Ho XI

This wing was a lifting sailplane of 8 meters scale, built with a specimen.

Horten Ho XII

This wing was a light two-seater, motorized, of approximately 10 meters of scale for 700 kg.

Horten Ho XIII

Ho XIII was a sailplane designed to test the concept of a hang-glider out of arrow, for construction Ho X.

Horten Ho XV

This wing was a sailplane of competition

Horten XVa, Horten XVb, Horten XVc

They were conceived by Reimar when it was in Argentina.

I.Ae.34 Clen Antu wing single-seat built in 1949, with propeller engine from 20 to 30 HP.
two-seater I.Ae.34 wing built in 1951, of which a motorized version of 50 HP.
I.Ae.41 Urubu , four were built in Germany by Walter Horten.

Heinz Scheidhauer will carry out the first crossing of the Andes in sailplane, on October 30th, 1956, on board Urubu. The flight will be made in the two directions (Argentina and Chile): it starts from Bariloche, goes to Ensenada and returns in Bariloche.

Horten Ho XVIII

The construction of this wing will have hardly time to be started in 1945. It would have being a bomber with large range operating equipped with six engines.

IAME I.A.28

This named wing Naranjero is a large sailplane of transport built with only one specimen, in Argentina, between 1951 and 1953. It was a four-engined plane of a useful load capacity of 23 m3 or 6t, animated by engines of 750 HP each one enabling him to cross 1250 km at a speed of 215 km/h.

Horten Ho 33

Derived from Ho III, two specimens are built after war.

Notes and references of the article

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