Horten Ho-229-A1 "Gotha" (1944)

Scale: 1/48
Initial Release: 1992
Medium: Styrene
Kit Rarity: 3

About the Design

The Horten Brothers, who had experimented with drag-reducing "flying wing" designs since the early 1930s, hit the Big Time with this twin-jet-powered beauty.  Although it's known that the airframe was completed just prior to the end of WWII, whether or not it actually flew remains the subject of some controversy.  Some reports claim that the engines needed to power the 229 were assigned to other programs, and therefore it never left the ground.  Others contend that the 229 did, in fact, make several powered flights, reaching speeds of nearly 500 mph before crashing in May 1945.

What is known is that a partially completed prototype was captured by the Allies in May 1945 and is now in the possession of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

_

About the Kit

This super-detailed 1/48-scale kit included exposable engines and a visible internal wing structure.  Here the model is shown with its starboard wing removed to reveal the internal detailing.  It's a helluva kit.

This model was built from an original issue.