page_title: Horten Ho 229
section_title: Variants
hierarchical_section_title: Horten Ho 229 / Variants
caption_attribution_description: Horten Ho 229 (Horten H.IX) at the Smithsonian Institution's Garber Restoration Facility. Photographed by Michael Katzmann, 2000
context_page_description: The Horten H.IX, RLM designation Ho 229 was a German prototype fighter/bomber initially designed by Reimar and Walter Horten to be built by Gothaer Waggonfabrik late in World War II. It was the first flying wing to be powered by jet engines.
  The design was a response to Hermann Göring's call for light bomber designs capable of meeting the "3×1000" requirement; namely to carry 1,000 kilograms of bombs a distance of 1,000 kilometres with a speed of 1,000 kilometres per hour. Only jets could provide the speed, but these were extremely fuel-hungry, so considerable effort had to be made to meet the range requirement. Based on a flying wing, the Ho 229 lacked all extraneous control surfaces to lower drag. It was the only design to come even close to the requirements, and received Göring's approval. Its ceiling was 15,000 metres.
context_section_description: H.IX V1
  First prototype, an unpowered glider, one built and flown (three-view drawing above).
  H.IX V2
  First powered prototype, one built and flown with twin Junkers Jumo 004B engines.
  Gotha developments:
  Ho 229 V3
  Revised air intakes, engines moved forward to correct longitudinal imbalance. Its nearly completed airframe was captured in production, with two Junkers Jumo 004B jet engines installed in the airframe.
  Ho 229 V4
  Planned two-seat all-weather fighter, in construction at Friedrichroda, but not much more than the center-section's tubular framework completed.
  Ho 229 V5
  Planned two-seat all-weather fighter, in construction at Friedrichroda, but not much more than the center-section's tubular framework completed.
  Ho 229 V6
  Projected definitive single-seat fighter version with different cannon, one captured in production at Ilmenau by US troops.
  Horten developments:
  H.IXb (also designated V6 and V7 by the Hortens)
  Projected two-seat trainer or night-fighter; not built.
  Ho 229 A-0
  Projected expedited production version based on Ho 229 V6; not built.
caption: Horten Ho 229 V3 prototype at the Smithsonian's Garber restoration facility (National Air and Space Museum)
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