At the end of World War II, the Horton brothers designed and produced an experimental fighter-bomber called the HO-229. This aircraft was the first tailless jet fighter-bomber in human history and one of the apocalyptic designs of Nazi Germany.
Designated the HO-229 by the Luftwaffe, although often mistakenly referred to as the GO-229, the Luftwaffe was a favorite of Luftwaffe Generalissimo Goering because it was the only aircraft capable of meeting his so-called 3x1000 performance requirements, capable of carrying 1,000 kilograms of bombs at speeds of up to 1,000 kilometers per hour to destinations up to 1,000 kilometers away.
The HO-229 is estimated to reach speeds of up to 1024 km h and can climb to an altitude of 15,000 meters. The aircraft attracted much attention, and in the spring of 1945 production began at the plant of the Goda company. However, the defeat of Nazi Germany led to the fate of the HO-229.
On April 14, 1945, the U.S. 9th Panzer Division captured the Goda Corporation's factory, and 20 unfinished HO-229s fell into American hands along with their latest modifications, the Horton V3, V4 and V6. In addition, the entire production line, as well as the entire technical data of the "Holden" program, fell into the hands of the United States.
After the war, the United States and Britain conducted a detailed study of the materials of the captured "Houghton" program and the HO-229B, and they concluded that it was a revolutionary aircraft. The Ho-229 is a V3 test aircraft known as Project Horton, and it is said that only one of the world's only survived.
The aircraft was captured by the United States on April 14, 1945, and became the only Ho-229 aircraft that has survived to this day.