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Germany - Horten Aircraft |
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Horten Ho III Variants
Horten H.IIIa
Original version, flown by Heinz Scheidhauer in the 1938 Rhön Gliding Competition. Scheidhauer entered a cumulonimbus cloud during a competition altitude flight and was next seen descending by parachute, presently followed by the hail shattered remains of his H.IIIa. Scheidhauer was suffering from frostbite and lost several fingers.
Horten H.IIIb
Similar to the H.IIIa, but with outer elevon not extending to the wing tip. Selected for production, nine were completed by 1941.
Horten H.IIIc
Identical to the H.IIIa, but with a canard surface mounted above and in front of the cockpit. One H.IIIc was built, to be flown by Werner Blech at the 1938 Rhön contest. The intention of the canard surface was to improve CLmax, but actual results were inconclusive. Blech flew the H.IIIc well and was leading Scheidhauer in the competition. On the same day as Scheidhauer's disastrous flight, Blech entered the same cloud as Scheidhauer after telling other pilots not to enter it after him. Blech's H.IIIc was next seen fluttering slowly to the ground without a canopy and trailing Blech's parachute bag. Blech's ice-covered body was discovered later on a rocky outcrop of the Wasserkuppe.
Horten H.IIId
A motorglider version of the H.III was produced by attaching standard H.IIIb wings to a special centre section housing the cockpit and a 32hp Volkswagen engine driving a folding propeller.Performance as a powered aircraft included:
Horten H.IIIe
H III glider with variable sweep and dihedral of the outer wing panels for research into control systems.
Horten H.IIIf
A H.IIIb built with a prone-position cockpit and modified control systems. Three built, One on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
Horten H.IIIg
Special two-seater centre section with tandem seats for training purposes. Four aircraft were built with one being converted to the sole H.IIIh.
Horten H.IIIh
A single H.IIIg modified with the a second cockpit filled with test equipment, survived the war with the remains held by the Smithsonian Institution and displayed at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
Original version, flown by Heinz Scheidhauer in the 1938 Rhön Gliding Competition. Scheidhauer entered a cumulonimbus cloud during a competition altitude flight and was next seen descending by parachute, presently followed by the hail shattered remains of his H.IIIa. Scheidhauer was suffering from frostbite and lost several fingers.
Horten H.IIIb
Similar to the H.IIIa, but with outer elevon not extending to the wing tip. Selected for production, nine were completed by 1941.
Horten H.IIIc
Identical to the H.IIIa, but with a canard surface mounted above and in front of the cockpit. One H.IIIc was built, to be flown by Werner Blech at the 1938 Rhön contest. The intention of the canard surface was to improve CLmax, but actual results were inconclusive. Blech flew the H.IIIc well and was leading Scheidhauer in the competition. On the same day as Scheidhauer's disastrous flight, Blech entered the same cloud as Scheidhauer after telling other pilots not to enter it after him. Blech's H.IIIc was next seen fluttering slowly to the ground without a canopy and trailing Blech's parachute bag. Blech's ice-covered body was discovered later on a rocky outcrop of the Wasserkuppe.
Horten H.IIId
A motorglider version of the H.III was produced by attaching standard H.IIIb wings to a special centre section housing the cockpit and a 32hp Volkswagen engine driving a folding propeller.Performance as a powered aircraft included:
- Ground run 70 metres
- Rate of climb 2 m/s.
- Cruising speed 110 km/hr
- Max. speed 130 km/hr
Horten H.IIIe
H III glider with variable sweep and dihedral of the outer wing panels for research into control systems.
Horten H.IIIf
A H.IIIb built with a prone-position cockpit and modified control systems. Three built, One on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.
Horten H.IIIg
Special two-seater centre section with tandem seats for training purposes. Four aircraft were built with one being converted to the sole H.IIIh.
Horten H.IIIh
A single H.IIIg modified with the a second cockpit filled with test equipment, survived the war with the remains held by the Smithsonian Institution and displayed at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.