Key Points and Summary – The Horten Ho 229 was a German flying-wing jet prototype developed in the final days of World War II. National Security Journal was given a guided tour of the plane’s remains at the Smithsonian.
-Often called the “Nazi stealth fighter” for its resemblance to the modern B-2 bomber, the aircraft was a radical design that was decades ahead of its time.
-However, it was also a tragic failure. A new analysis from the Smithsonian, where the last surviving prototype is stored, reveals the Ho 229 was dangerously unstable and nowhere near combat-ready.
-After a few short test flights, the second prototype crashed, killing its pilot, and the project was abandoned.
German Horten Ho 229 V3 Sets a World War Two Standard of Flight
This is one of the most interesting World War II airplanes you have never heard of.
Our story features the Nazis, Luftwaffe chief Hermann Göring, two brothers who were intrepid airplane inventors ahead of their time, and a budget of half a million Reichsmarks.
This is the tale of the German Horten Ho 229 V3.
And we just visited the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia to get as close to this piece of aviation history as possible.
Horten Ho 229 National Security Journal Photo.
The Horten Ho 229: It Sort of Looks Stealth
The Horten Ho 229 was a flying-wing jet designed to be a fast fighter-bomber. The brothers Reimar and Walter Horten configured a handful of prototypes, but they encountered numerous technical problems while engineering the project.
The shape of the all-wing airplane resembled an early design for other flying wings that would emerge decades later, such as the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 Spirit and the new B-21 Raider.
Some have even called it the Nazi stealth fighter. However, that is a stretch.
What Was the Inspiration for the Horten?
The Ho 229 overcame the challenges to fly on a jet-powered test flight, but then it crashed in 1944.
Walter Horten conceived the original idea for the Ho 229 while serving in the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain in 1940.
NSJ Smithsonian Visit with the Horten Ho 229 Warplane. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
Horten flew the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and found that it lacked the kind of range needed for victory. The Bf 109 was often shot down when it ran out of fuel or had to turn around and head back to base without escorting the German heavy bombers for their air raids.
Bf 109 engines were also vulnerable – even one round of gunfire from British fighters would cause the powerplant to overheat.
Horten’s Creative Juices Started Flowing
The young Reimar started pondering an all-wing jet in late 1940. He was considered a novice and worked outside the established aviation community.
Walter gave his brother, Reimar, some preliminary drawings. The jet-wing was coming alive. Walter had heard that Göring wanted a new two-engine deep penetrating bomber. He was frustrated with the Nazi military fleet that had 17 different dual-engine airplanes, and none of the parts were interchangeable.
Göring Surprisingly Said, ‘Yes, But Do It Fast’
Reimar leapt at the opportunity to pitch his flying wing. Göring was enthralled and told the brothers they had three months to build it with a massive budget for the era. Reimar said he could get the prototype ready in six months. Göring wanted it faster, but he finally agreed.
National Security Journal Horten Ho 229 Smithsonian Visit. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
What the Smithsonian Told National Security Journal About the Horten Ho 229
For more on the story, I interviewed Russell Lee, the chair of the Aeronautics Department at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.
I ventured over to the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, near Dulles Airport, to see the wreckage of the Horten with my own eyes.
Background on Nazi Jet Airplanes
“The Nazis were ahead of the Allies in fielding small numbers of practical and successful military jet aircraft, but they were too few and became operational too late to affect the outcome of the war. The Nazis had flown experimental jet aircraft in the 1930s,” Lee said.
“They designed and built the first mass-produced jet engine, the Junkers Jumo 004, beginning early in 1944. Almost 6,000 engines were made before the war ended. The Nazis also designed and built the first operational jet fighter, the Messerschmitt Me 262. A test pilot made the first Me 262 takeoff in July 1942, but there were never enough of them to affect the war. The Ho 229 did not fly until mid-December 1944. It made one short flight and was damaged upon landing. After repairs, it flew again in February 1945 and crashed. The pilot died and the airplane was destroyed.”
Horten Ho 229 Warplane Wreck at Smithsonian. Image taken on 7/31/2025 by National Security Journal.
Lee explained how the Horten brothers had their work cut out for them, and the results were unsatisfactory at best.
“To be effective in combat, a fighter aircraft should be a stable gun platform. The Ho 229 was not because it lacked a stabilizing tail. The second prototype completed two short flights before crashing on the third flight and killing the test pilot. The flying time was too limited to learn any useful data, and three months later, the war ended. The Ho 229 was a long way from becoming a practical military aircraft. The design would have required months and months of testing, redesign, and more testing, before it was ready to fly missions and begin factory production,” Lee said.
Lee shared the specs of the Horten with me.
The Horten 229 would carry a 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) bomb load a distance of 1,000 km (620 miles) at a speed of 1,000 km/h (620 mph). The Ho 229 V2, which made two short flights, was not equipped to carry bombs, and it is extremely unlikely that it could have flown 620 miles at 620 mph. The specifications for the Ho 229 V3 (the Museum artifact) are:
Wingspan: 16.8 m (55.4 ft)
Length: 7.47 m (24.6 ft)
Height 2.81 m (9.3 ft)
Weights: Empty 5,067 kg (11,198 pounds); Gross 8,999 kg (19,887 pounds, projected, V2 prototype did not fly at gross weight)
Engines: (2) Junkers Jumo 004 B-2 turbojet, 900 kg (1,989 pounds) of thrust.
I asked Lee if the Horten could have made a difference in the war, helping the Germans win.
Close Up Shot of Horten Ho 229 Wreckage. Image taken by National Security Journal on 7/31/2025 at the Smithsonian.
“If [big, big if] the war had continued for several years, and if the Nazis had been able to shield the test program from Allied air attacks, it might have had some impact. The twin-jet Messerschmitt Me 262 was a much more capable aircraft and already in production. It was conventional in layout, not a highly experimental all-wing design. Its impact would probably have been greater, if [always big ifs] numerous other factors had turned in the Nazi’s favor,” Lee said.
How the Smithsonian Acquired the Horten Ho 229
Lee also shared the story of how the Smithsonian was able to acquire the Horten.
“The U.S. Army found the Ho 229 V3 at war’s end and shipped it to the U.S. for study. U.S. designers were already working on jet aircraft with conventional layouts (fuselage, wings, and tails) with swept wings. These aircraft were much more practical than all-wing jets and just as fast. The Ho 229 was quickly forgotten except as a museum artifact. The U.S. Air Force transferred the airplane to the Smithsonian in the 1950s.”
A Nearly Forgotten Piece of Aviation History
There you have it. The Horten was a historic airplane that was undoubtedly ahead of its time.
It showed the Nazis were not going to give up the war easily and wanted to bring the fight to the enemy any way possible.
They cooked up inspirational designs for experimental aircraft, and they were going to pull out all the stops.
The Ho 229 may not have made a considerable difference in the war, but give credit to the Horten brothers for bringing a new era to fighter jet designs – feats of engineering that happened so many decades ago during the dawn of the jet age.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
Editor’s Note: We wish to thank the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, for their time and access to the Horten H0 229 warplane. All embedded photos were taken on July 31, 2025, by Dr. Brent Eastwood.
Hypersonic Weapons In-Depth
Russia’s Hypersonic Missiles Summed Up in 4 Words
403Forbidden
August 1, 2025 at 8:20 am
Help !
Tindmish
August 1, 2025 at 8:22 am
Professor, please help.
When I try to post my comment based ON FACTS, not on phobias, I get locked out.