Japanese Horten 229 Flying Wing Fighter

[seadude]

An excellent job, and very quickly done too. 

The fact that the nosewheel is on a slight slant is overwhelmed by the sheer SIZE of the thing, why ever did they make it so huge?

Well, I guess if the Horten ever ditched in the ocean, the overly large nose gear tire could serve as a flotation device for the pilot.      (Just kidding.)

[jcf]

Equipment, operational requirements, and consequent weight, dictated the size, just as with
a regular aircraft.

[PR19_Kit]

Well yes, I appreciate that, but it does seem overly large, and it'd be interesting to know what those requirements etc. were.

Looking in side view, the two engines, presumably the heaviest part of the aircraft at that stage of aviation's evolution, were pretty well centrally located, and the main wheels were around the same distance aft of the engines as the nose wheel was forward of them. So that may be just one reason for such a large nosewheel, it had to take twice the load of the individual main wheels.

[jcf]

Oops, you were referring to just the nose wheel, not the airframe. So much for multi-tasking. 

The big wheel is unique to the V3 prototype in the Smithsonian, the V2 wheel was smaller, evidently the
change was made by Gotha without consulting the Horten's, Reimar posited it was to do with the projected
1,000kg bomb-load, however he didn't think the mod necessary.

[PR19_Kit]

Ok, that makes some sense too.

Is the one in the Smithsonian the only one left anywhere?

[Leading Observer]

An excellent job, and very quickly done too. 

The fact that the nosewheel is on a slight slant is overwhelmed by the sheer SIZE of the thing, why ever did they make it so huge?

It's obviously pre-planning for the extra weight of the long wing version

[Squizzette]

I've used to wonder if the big forward gear was to give it a bit of a nose up attitude on the ground to perhaps help on the takeoff run and they decided on a big solid wheel instead of an extended gear leg.

[jcf]

Ok, that makes some sense too.

Is the one in the Smithsonian the only one left anywhere?

Yep, four under construction prototypes V3 to V6 (two-seater) were found, the V3 was closest to completion,
about half done, so it was recovered, the wings were not recovered at the same time, they were found in a
village 121 km away, and those might be the wings now with the V3 centre section. Evidently there is
no definite paper trail.

[seadude]

Just had an idea.    I don't think I've ever seen a model of a Soviet Ho-229? What if the Russians had captured one instead? Maybe someone else can do a whif of a Russian 229? 

[Cobra]

Awesome Job on the 229 You Really gave me the Impression it Was an Alternate History Acutal! Keep up the Superb Work Dan

[Old Wombat]

Big nose-wheel for soft, unprepared field operations?

[PantherG]

This BIG nosewheel was simply tailwheel from He-177 Greif .... in real....

[PR19_Kit]

This BIG nosewheel was simply tailwheel from He-177 Greif .... in real....

You learn something new every day, thanks so much for that PantherG. 

[NARSES2]

That's come out really well 

[seadude]

I forgot to ask this earlier, but what would have been the purpose of the two black parts (One on either side of the nose at the front leading edge.) on the leading edge of the model? They are parts that came with the kit and were shown in the instructions. Could they have been flash suppressors for when the guns were firing? What are they?