Which country created the first stealth aircraft?

The first stealth aircraft Horten Ho 229 V3 was under production when the US entered Berlin in September 1945. Photo: Wikipedia

On June 18, 1981, when the F-117 Nighthawk bomber made its first flight, many people still believed that this was the world's first stealth aircraft and the US was considered the pioneer in manufacturing this type of aircraft.

However, few people know that the world's first stealth aircraft made its first flight 36 years before the F-117. In 1943, Field Marshal Hermann Göring, the second most powerful figure in Nazi Germany, requested the design of a new bomber. It must be able to carry 1,000 kg of weapons while flying 1,000 km at a speed of 1,000 km/h. This project was known as 3x1000.

The Horten brothers were put in charge of this ambitious project. They proposed the HIX prototype as the basis for the new bomber project. The German Air Ministry accepted Horten's proposal but ordered the addition of two 30mm cannons. The Luftwaffe commanders believed that this addition would allow the new aircraft to function as a high-speed attack aircraft, which they believed would be superior to allied aircraft.

To solve the problem of getting past the early warning radar barrier deployed along the British coast, the Horten brothers came up with a solution that would make the aircraft "invisible" to the radar of allied forces.

Simulation of the Nazi German Horten Ho 229 stealth bomber. Photo: Germany19001939.blogspot

The HIX prototype had a frame made of welded steel tubes and wooden spars. The wings were made of two thin plywood panels impregnated with carbon and a mixture of charcoal and sawdust glued together. The Horten brothers believed that this special material could absorb most of the electromagnetic waves emitted by radar, making the plane harder to detect.

The aircraft's aerodynamic design was also very "weird" in the "bat-wing" style without a vertical tail. At that time, HIX's design was considered unimaginable and even a bit crazy, but it was the most optimal design to help the aircraft become "invisible".

The HIX V1 prototype was produced in December 1944. It used two Junkers Jumo 004 engines. The HIX V2 prototype was built shortly after. Field Marshal Göring believed in the feasibility of the project and ordered the production of 40 aircraft. The aircraft was named Horten Ho 229 after the design team.

The Horten Ho 229 made its first flight in February 1945. It is reported that, during one of its tests, the HIX V2 simulated dogfights with a Messerschmitt Me 262 as the enemy aircraft. The HIX V2 proved superior to the Me 262.

There is reason to believe that the US B-2 Spirit stealth strategic bomber (front) was developed based on the Nazi German Horten Ho 229 (rear). Photo:Deutscheluftwaffe

Subsequent tests were less successful. One of the reasons is believed to be that the Horten Ho 229's design and technology were so advanced that it took time to adapt. Due to the urgency of the war, the Horten Ho 229 was put into an emergency fighter program to speed up production.

The Horten Ho 229's timeless design did not save the Nazis from defeat. The Horten Ho 229 V3, which was still being assembled on the assembly line, was captured by the Americans along with all its technical documentation in September 1945.

In 2008, the American corporation Northrop Grumman restored the Horten Ho 229 V3 prototype to evaluate its stealth capabilities against radar in the 1940s. The result was surprising, the Horten Ho 229 V3's radar reflection area RCS was only 40% of that of the Nazi Germany's main Messerschmitt Bf 109 aircraft at that time.

If the Horten Ho 229 approached the coast of England and France at a speed of 885 km/h at an altitude of 15-30 m above sea level, the British air defense system would have only 2 minutes to react. Northrop Grumman engineers believe that if the Horten Ho 229 had been deployed in combat, it could have changed the situation on the battlefield.

It is believed that the US B-2 Spirit stealth bomber was designed based on the Horten Ho 229 that Washington captured after the war ended.