Horten Ho 229
Spirit of Thuringia

By Andrei Shepelev & Huib Ottens
Classic Publications, ©2006
ISBN 1-903223-66-0
Hardbound, 128 Pages
Available from Specialty Press for $44.95

Reviewed by Chris Banyai-Riepl

The flying wings of Horten offer a very interesting subject of study, and this latest book from Classic Publications presents what is probably the most thorough examination of the most famous Horten, the Ho 229. To tell the story of the Ho 229, though, one has to develop quite an extensive back-story, and the authors do just that. Starting in the early 1930s with the first Horten gliders, this book follows their though processes through various stages to the final jet-powered Ho 229 in 1945. This was a heady time to be an aircraft designer, as construction, propulsion, and design all changed at a rapid pace, as demonstrated in the Horten aircraft.

The well-written text is supplemented by an incredible collection of photographs. These show some of the early designs in exquisite detail and are of immense value to the historian and modeler alike. In addition to these period photos, there are several specially commissioned photos of the surviving Ho 229 example at the National Air and Space Museum, showing quite a few details not seen before. As if that was not enough, the book also contains a set of scale drawings that are easily the most detailed and thorough in existence, showing internal structures, cross sections, plywood skinning, and just about anything else you could hope for.

With the recent release of the Revell 1/72 Ho 229 kit, this is a timely reference, one that will really help detail that model. The wealth of information presented in this book will also appeal to the general aviation historian. My thanks to Specialty Press for the review copy.