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Full document showing high-altitude rocket- powered interceptor said to have been designed MOIC, Hqs, CIC Region 1, File 1-1606, Subj: HORTEN, Reimar and by the Horten brothers. via Bill Rose Walter (brothers), Re: Operation HARASS, 6 January 1948. Photographs on the opposite page: Top left: Drawing of the Horten Parabola, which was built as a glider but never flew. US Army Top right: Horten Parabola glider, which was damaged during transit and never flown. This design may have led US Intelligence to conclude that the Horten Brothers were involved with flying disc design. Courtesy of David Myhra Left: Horten Parabola glider, deliberately set on fire at Géttingen after it was decided that the aircraft was beyond repair. Courtesy of David Myhra cusses UFOs in some detail. He goes on to suggest that the Horten Brothers might be responsible for designing some of the uniden- Rockets tified flying discs seen around the world. Schulgen said, ‘What is the present activity of the Horten brothers, Walter and Reimar? What is known of the whereabouts of the entire Horten family?’ He then asked, ‘[has there been] any interest shown by the Rus- sians to develop their [Horten] aircraft? Are any efforts being made to develop the Horten ‘Parabola’ or modify this configuration to | | bs are an oval or disc?” Rocket | Rocket y did the USAF continue to express Landing Skids great interest in the Hortens, when they were giving them the cold shoulder? There seems no clear answer to this strange situation. Suction Vents For Could there simply have been a total lack of Boundary Layer Control communication between different US agen- cies, or was something else taking place behind the scenes? According to official doc- | | uments, the 970th Counter Intelligence Com- mand finally located the Horten Brothers during March 1948, interviewed them and . ‘collected all the desired information’, bring- Airfoil Section ing their enquiries to an end! Whatever the (Becomes Relatively Thinner Near Wing Tips) truth about this mysterious episode, Reimar Horten then moved to Argentina, where he married a German glider pilot called Gisela Hilger. In the years that followed, he worked _ that the Soviets were preparing to builda huge _ of Soviet flying wing bombers never materi- on experimental aircraft for the Argentine fleet of flying wing bombers, based on the _ alised. On the other hand, several postwar US Government and completed a few proto- Horten XV111 design, which would rival the ‘Black Budget’ aircraft may have been devel- types, but the lack of funding and poor tech- forthcoming Northrop B-49 in performance. oped using the Horten Brother’s research: nical support made these endeavours a_ Perhaps there were good grounds for these one known proposal was the long-winged complete waste of time. fears because Dr Gunther Bock, who had been _ stealthy Gusto high-altitude spyplane that Throughout this period, US Intelligence spe- _ placed in overall charge of Germany’s special was conceived by Lockheed’s Skunk Works cialists continued to suggest that Soviet aircraft aircraft research groups (including Son- and progressed to model form. While Jack developed from Horten designs might explain derkommando 9), was captured by the Soviets Northrop was already established as Amer- anumber of recent UFO sightings and this the- on 29th April 1945 and put to work on secret _ ica’s leading advocate and designer of the fly- ory was discussed in Technical Intelligence _ military aviation projects for the Red Air Force. ing wing, there can be little doubt that his (T-2) Report No 100-203-79, dated 28th April Nothing is currently known about Bock’s _ postwar work was strongly influenced by the 1949. Another US Intelligence report suggested — work in the Soviet Union, although large fleets | Horten Brothers. Leading Edge Trailing Edge Full document showing high-altitude rocket- powered interceptor said to have been designed by the Horten brothers. via Bill Rose MOIC, Has, CIC Region 1, File 1-1606, Subj: HORTEN, Reimar and Walter (brothers), Re: Operation HARASS, 6 January 1948. Top right: Horten Parabola glider, which was damaged during transit and never flown. This design may have led US Intelligence to conclude that the Horten Brothers were involved with flying disc design. Courtesy of David Myhra Left: Horten Parabola glider, deliberately set on fire at Géttingen after it was decided that the aircraft was beyond repair. Courtesy of David Myhra toe Rocket | Rocket Landing Skids Suction Vents For Boundary Layer Control SF ng Edge Trailing Edge Leading Edge Airfoil Section that the Soviets were preparing to build a huge fleet of flying wing bombers, based on the Horten XV111 design, which would rival the forthcoming Northrop B-49 in performance. Perhaps there were good grounds for these fears because Dr Gunther Bock, who had been placed in overall charge of Germany’s special aircraft research groups (including Son- derkommando 9), was captured by the Soviets on 29th April 1945 and put to work on secret military aviation projects for the Red Air Force. Nothing is currently known about Bock’s work in the Soviet Union, although large fleets of Soviet flying wing bombers never materi- alised. On the other hand, several postwar US ‘Black Budget’ aircraft may have been devel- oped using the Horten Brother’s research: one known proposal was the long-winged stealthy Gusto high-altitude spyplane that was conceived by Lockheed’s Skunk Works and progressed to model form. While Jack Northrop was already established as Amer- ica’s leading advocate and designer of the fly- ing wing, there can be little doubt that his postwar work was strongly influenced by the Horten Brothers. 53 Photographs on the opposite page: Top left: Drawing of the Horten Parabola, which was built as a glider but never flew. US Army (Becomes Relatively Thinner Near Wing Tips) German Wartime Flying Discs