Horten IX on the move

Years ago I was at the Garber facility and saw the Hurricane under restoration.
And though I’m sure folks here will disagree, I really don’t think a UK museum could have done any better.

Now that they’ve given the combat vet B-17D The Swoose (sole surviving early “small tail” Fortress) to the NMUSAF for restoration, I don’t have any complaints with the NASM.
I had complained for years that the B-17 should have been earlier in the restoration queue. It would have been nice to have had the fortress restored (before many obscure non-combat axis types) while more of the generation who designed, built and flew it were alive. And the fact that the museum doesn’t have a B-17 (arguably the most famous American aircraft of WWII) on display is nothing short of disgraceful.

Years ago I was at the Garber facility and saw the Hurricane under restoration.
And though I’m sure folks here will disagree, I really don’t think a UK museum could have done any better.

Now that they’ve given the combat vet B-17D The Swoose (sole surviving early “small tail” Fortress) to the NMUSAF for restoration, I don’t have any complaints with the NASM.
I had complained for years that the B-17 should have been earlier in the restoration queue. It would have been nice to have had the fortress restored (before many obscure non-combat axis types) while more of the generation who designed, built and flew it were alive. And the fact that the museum doesn’t have a B-17 (arguably the most famous American aircraft of WWII) on display is nothing short of disgraceful.

Regards the Ar234 their info on the aircraft on their website says:

‘Because all of the original German paint was stripped off the airframe before the aircraft’s transfer to the Smithsonian, restoration specialists applied markings of a typical aircraft of 8./KG 76, the first bomber unit to fly the Blitz’

I’ve a copy of the Robert Mikesh book on restoration and its covered in that. It’s interesting to see how it and other NASM restorations were tackled and I have to say I largely admire their approach, and the effort they go to.

I think the Horten is in good hands

Regards the Ar234 their info on the aircraft on their website says:

‘Because all of the original German paint was stripped off the airframe before the aircraft’s transfer to the Smithsonian, restoration specialists applied markings of a typical aircraft of 8./KG 76, the first bomber unit to fly the Blitz’

I’ve a copy of the Robert Mikesh book on restoration and its covered in that. It’s interesting to see how it and other NASM restorations were tackled and I have to say I largely admire their approach, and the effort they go to.

I think the Horten is in good hands

I just hope this rare item will escape the “wow, it’s cool” fake WII operational markings.

I just hope this rare item will escape the “wow, it’s cool” fake WII operational markings.

No-one can say that NASM rush their restorations/conservations!

It does sound like this is more like what the FAA Museum did with their Corsair than NASM did with, say, the AR234.

And Silver Hill still has so many treasures – including a Tarpon!

No-one can say that NASM rush their restorations/conservations!

It does sound like this is more like what the FAA Museum did with their Corsair than NASM did with, say, the AR234.

And Silver Hill still has so many treasures – including a Tarpon!

Interest in this airframe has peaked as national geographic made a programme a year or two ago about it called ‘Hitler’s stealth fighter’ where they made a replica of it and tested its stealth characteristics and found that it was not invisible to radar of the time but had very small RCS which might be missed or something similar.

Also they go on about Horten were working on a bomber to drop bombs on the USA.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/photogalleries/hitlers-stealth-fighter-plane-pictures/

curlyboy

Interest in this airframe has peaked as national geographic made a programme a year or two ago about it called ‘Hitler’s stealth fighter’ where they made a replica of it and tested its stealth characteristics and found that it was not invisible to radar of the time but had very small RCS which might be missed or something similar.

Also they go on about Horten were working on a bomber to drop bombs on the USA.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/photogalleries/hitlers-stealth-fighter-plane-pictures/

curlyboy

The link in post 1 contains a photo of two outer wings The text points out that they are not off V.2 (that the centre section is from) but the staff hope to be able to join the three sections together.

Surely you mean the Ho229V-3 Roger? The V-2 was destroyed in a crash on 18th Feb’45 at Oranienburg. The remains of the V-2 from this crash were eventually flown to the RAE in the back of an Ar232 in July 1945 appearing at the German Aircraft Exhibition in Oct/Nov displayed engineless and with one wing and the cockpit demolished. According to Eric Brown, these remains were then shipped to the US, but official confirmation of its fate is sadly lacking…

[Source: “Horten Ho229, Spirit of Thuringia” by A.Shepelev & H.Ottens, Classic, 2006]

Cheers
Pete

The link in post 1 contains a photo of two outer wings The text points out that they are not off V.2 (that the centre section is from) but the staff hope to be able to join the three sections together.

Surely you mean the Ho229V-3 Roger? The V-2 was destroyed in a crash on 18th Feb’45 at Oranienburg. The remains of the V-2 from this crash were eventually flown to the RAE in the back of an Ar232 in July 1945 appearing at the German Aircraft Exhibition in Oct/Nov displayed engineless and with one wing and the cockpit demolished. According to Eric Brown, these remains were then shipped to the US, but official confirmation of its fate is sadly lacking…

[Source: “Horten Ho229, Spirit of Thuringia” by A.Shepelev & H.Ottens, Classic, 2006]

Cheers
Pete

Thats good news, will be good to see it back in one piece.
I wish they would restore the Ta152 as well!

The Ta-152 is pictured further down the blog, so maybe it’s in the queue.
Although with a Sikorsky JRS-1, a Helldiver, Nakajima Kikka, and the Horten all in their restoration facility, the Smithsonian certainly have their work cut out for them.

Some interesting pictures of the 152 here, and still with RAF fin flashes!

http://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/fw190/ta152h.shtml

The Ju-388, ME-410, Arado-196 also await their turn..and countless other gems no doubt.

When will I go? is the next question 🙂

Thats good news, will be good to see it back in one piece.
I wish they would restore the Ta152 as well!

The Ta-152 is pictured further down the blog, so maybe it’s in the queue.
Although with a Sikorsky JRS-1, a Helldiver, Nakajima Kikka, and the Horten all in their restoration facility, the Smithsonian certainly have their work cut out for them.

Some interesting pictures of the 152 here, and still with RAF fin flashes!

http://www.cybermodeler.com/aircraft/fw190/ta152h.shtml

The Ju-388, ME-410, Arado-196 also await their turn..and countless other gems no doubt.

When will I go? is the next question 🙂

The link in post 1 contains a photo of two outer wings The text points out that they are not off V.2 (that the centre section is from) but the staff hope to be able to join the three sections together.

Roger Smith.

The link in post 1 contains a photo of two outer wings The text points out that they are not off V.2 (that the centre section is from) but the staff hope to be able to join the three sections together.

Roger Smith.

I did not think they had the outer panels – or at least, last time I saw it I never saw them.

I did not think they had the outer panels – or at least, last time I saw it I never saw them.

Thats good news, will be good to see it back in one piece.
I wish they would restore the Ta152 as well!

A sympathetic restoration, keep it as was?