An unfinished project masterminded by a German engineer has been put on show in Argentina

The Argentinian Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica (MNA/National Aeronautics Museum) has opened a new room dedicated to the work of German engineer Dr Reimar Horten.

The attraction’s central exhibit is the restored Horten Ho Xb ‘Piernífero’ a project undertaken by volunteer group GTRA. The wooden construction of the glider required special care, as many of its panels had suffered water or sun damage. To preserve the original material while removing previous coats of lacquer the team had to carefully grind the surfaces down using sandpaper.

“Our goal was to preserve the aircraft since it is 95% complete except for some missing or broken parts,” said project leader Marcelo Baldelli. “It was built with the best craftsmanship, like a Swiss watch.” Since ‘Piernífero’ was never actually completed, the team opted to leave it without a fabric covering. With thanks to Ramiro Piacenza