One of Hitler’s Best-Kept Secrets to Be Unveiled
Air & Space Museum set to unveil Flying Wing
By VERONICA SPECK
Updated 11:39 AM EDT, Thu, Jun 25, 2009
The San Diego Air and Space Museum is set to display a replica of the legendary Flying Wing.
The intimidating plane designed by a pair of German brothers, Walter and Reimar Horton, resembles a cross between a bat and a stingray, and could have potentially altered the course of the war. According to the SDASM, the plane was, in fact, reconstructed to determine if Hitler’s Third Reich had stealth capabilities three decades before the United States stealth technology was developed.
The Horten 229 wooden plane with a 55-foot wingspan was discovered by U.S. troops toward the end of World War II in a top secret German facility. The aircraft's capabilities remained a mystery to the public for more than 60 years, warehoused in a Smithsonian site in Maryland. On Wednesday, the replica will become part of the SDASM’s new WWII gallery.
The plane's reconstruction was made possible by an experienced team of Northrop Grumman aeronautical engineers who worked with original plansin order to reconstruct the full-scale replica, reports the San Diego Union-Tribune.
So, did the plane have stealth capabilities? Tune into the National Geographic channel at 9 p.m. on Sunday for more details.
First Published: Jun 23, 2009 12:48 PM EDT on NBC San Diego
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