The 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐨 𝟐𝟐𝟗 (also known as the Gotha Go 229) - the precursor to the stealth aircraft

The 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐇𝐨 𝟐𝟐𝟗 (also known as the Gotha Go 229) - the precursor to the stealth aircraft, was a German fighter/bomber prototype developed at the end of World War II and the world's first jet-powered flying wing.

This revolutionary aircraft was designed by the Horten brothers (Walter and Reimar Horten) to fulfill Hermann Göring's "3x1000" ambition: to carry a 1,000 kg bomb 1,000 km at a speed of 1,000 km/h.

The aircraft had no fuselage or tail (vertical or horizontal), so its entire surface served as wings. This design closely resembles modern stealth bombers like the B-2 Spirit.

Powered by two Junkers Jumo 004B turbojet engines embedded within the wing structure.

Claimed Stealth Capability: Although often cited as the precursor, or even the first, stealth aircraft due to its unique shape and the use of a mixture of wood glue and charcoal in the nose to absorb radar, experts at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum state that this feature was likely not its primary design objective.

The aircraft never saw combat, as the war ended before mass production began. Only a few prototypes were successfully built and flight tested.

A third unfinished prototype (Ho 229 V3) was captured by US forces during Operation Paperclip and is currently stored and on display at the National Air and Space Museum.