• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Scale Modelling Now

Scale Modelling Techniques

  • HOME
  • CONTENTS
    • What’s New
    • MODELLING WORKSHOPS
    • Techniques Bank
    • Aircraft
    • Classic Kit Builds
    • Armour
    • Podcasts
    • Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Space
    • Vehicles
    • Maritime
    • Figures
    • Dioramas
    • Gift Certificate
    • Book Reviews
  • WHAT WE OFFER
  • AREAS
    • Techniques Bank
    • Aircraft
    • Armour
    • Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Space
    • Vehicles
    • Maritime
    • Dioramas
    • Figures
  • FREE SAMPLES
  • EVENTS
  • ABOUT
  • TRADERS
  • CONTACT
  • LOGIN

Zoukei Mura Ho229 Horten 1:32 (GJ) – build review

May 8, 2019 By Francis Porter

Feature Article with George Johnson

The Horten 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 (2,200 lb) of bombs a distance of 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) with a speed of 1,000 kilometres per hour (620 mph). 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 3×1000 requirements and received Göring’s approval. Its ceiling was 15,000 metres (49,000 ft).

The airplane was comprised of a steel tube frame for the central section that housed 2 Jumo 004 jet engines, and the pilot who sat in an air-powered ejection seat. The wings were of wood construction and the entire plane with the exception of a few parts, was clad in plywood. The Horten Brothers also experimented with radar absorbent materials consisting of carbon particles mixed in the wood glue.

The only surviving Ho 229 airframe, the V3—and the only surviving World War II-era German jet prototype still in existence-has been moved to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Seven F. Udvar-Hazy center and is on display in the main hall, alongside other WWII German aircraft.

This project

I started this project back in February of 2018 not knowing where it was going to lead. I had seen a couple of photos on the web of the finished model and immediately felt like it was the the type of challenge I like. The models I especially liked were the ones showing unpainted plywood. The only problem, I thought was that they looked like they had been varnished to either look like furniture or WWI airplanes. I wanted mine to look as though it had been under construction years ago and had sat around collecting dust.

References were few and I found a few photos taken at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum while the plane was being preserved. These provided a good starting point. I also found a few period pictures on various websites, but everything was grainy and fuzzy. But, at least I had a direction.

Little did I know at the time the direction I’d be heading in.

Construction…

Primary Sidebar

Login

You are not currently logged in.








» Lost your Password?

All the completed Aircraft builds.
Click on a Manufacturer below to see a list of all SMN's completed builds from their range.

BACK TO AIRCRAFT MAIN PAGE


SEARCH THE WEBSITE

Search




More results...




Generic filters

Exact matches only

Search in title

Search in content

Search in excerpt


Finished Aircraft

Academy
Accurate Miniatures
Aeroclub
AFV Club
Airfix
A-model
Airmodel
AlleyCat
AMK
AMT.ERTL
ARII
Arma
Attack Squadron
Bronco Models
Classic Airframes
Czechmaster
Dragon
Dynavector
eduard
Fisher Model
Frog
GasPatch
Grand Phoenix
Great Wall Hobby
Hasegawa
Halinski
Heller
HGW Models
HpH Models
High Planes Models
HK Models
Hobby Boss
ICM
Ideal Toy Corporation
IsraCast
Italeri
Khee Kha
Kinetic
Kitty Hawk
Lukgraph
MPM
MRC/Academy
Mach 2
Meng
Mirage Hobby
Monogram
Pacific Coast Models
RS Models
Rareplane
Revell
Roden
SBS Model
Silver Wings
Scratch-builds & Specials
Special Hobby
Sword
Takom
Tamiya
Tanmodel
Trumpeter
Valom
Vector
Vintage
Whirlybird
Wingnut Wings
Xtrakit
Zoukei Mura
Zvezda

Copyright © 2023 · Scale Modelling Now · Online Scale Modelling Magazine · Scale Modelling Techniques and Tips · Privacy Policy