Hitler's Stealth fighter

[Supercollider]

I searched and didn't see it posted already.

This looks like a fascinating program:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/090625-hitlers-stealth-fighter-plane.html

Wonder how something like that would have changed the war?

Would make a great WWWII project for someone?

[PeteMurray]

I saw the first 20 minutes of it and was interrupted. It was quite good. I'm hoping the article comes to the magazine soon.

Unfortunately the part I did see was the least informative as per the actual history of the craft and the outcome of the testing, and consisted mostly of "this is what 'stealth' means."

[Hauptgefreiter]

Interesting. That's the first time I've heard that this planes are meant to be stealth fighters. I own a book about them and the main theme is about their special aerodynamic capabilities. It seems, some chapters are missing

[PeteMurray]

I don't think they were meant to be stealth fighters. The upshot of Nat'l Geo's pitch was that the Luftwaffe did have interest in defeating radar, and the all-plywood Horton might have had some passive radar-resisting abilities (its shape, the recessed engines, the smooth lines, etc.) I don't think it was constructed especially to defeat radar, unlike modern stealth bombers which have resistance-to-detection as their primary design objective.

Basically "Hitler's Stealth Fighter!!!1" is better ad copy than "Demonstration platform for advanced design." Kind of a bait and switch but I like Nat'l Geo very much and so am willing to give them a pass.

[Cosmotiger]

The Horten brothers were basically obsessed with tailless flying wings.  If their design was stealthy as well, that was just a by-product.

[dadlamassu]

I built one of these in 1/72 for my nephews - I think it was by Revell(?).

The Horten and the Mosquito were made  largely of wood not for "stealth" reasons but IIRC to save strategic materials.  The "stealth" feature was a happy co-incidence in both.

[postal]

very nice find

[Schogun]

I was able to see it after the notice was posted. The team built a full size model for radar testing, but it was unpowered. (I thought it would be an actual flying model. Too bad.) Because of its design and wood construction, its radar image was decreased 20%. So with its low radar signature and high speed, and flying low, the conclusion was that it would be very difficult to detect with WWII-level radar and would be on its target before ground forces could react.

There are some bits of the show that can viewed on the Nat Geo website.

[scarabminiatures]

For folks in the UK, theres a programme this week on TV about this- probably this one!

Sorry I forget which day off hand, probably Tuesday

[panzerfaust200]

The Horten brothers were basically obsessed with tailless flying wings.  If their design was stealthy as well, that was just a by-product.

thats the bulk of the arguement - interestingly much later after the war, when the whole stealth thing cropped up, the Hortens began to mention this - but nothing of the wartime development mentions any anti-radar capabilities - it seems that the "stealth" aspect of the Horten flying wing was pure luck...

as someone stated already above, i think the "stealth" aspect is a cunning peice of spin by Nat.Geographic...

[Blackwolf]

Dragon 1/48



  

   And Just for fun......Nicking a 190

    

[former user]

now that's an awesome model for WWWII

guess I'll have to work my butt off to get one...

[Blackwolf]

Thanks former user,you have good taste .

[postal]

very nice