Horten H IV

The high-performance Horten H IV glider was built for comparative testing of ‘flying wing’ designs against conventional gliders.The brothers Reimar Horten (1915–1993) and Walter Horten (1913– 1998) were among the most determined and successful proponents of flying wing designs. After the basic development of the flying wing design with the H Ito H III models, the H IV was intended to utilise the lessons learned from those earlier efforts to demonstrate the possibilities of flying wing aircraft in the form of a high-performance glider. The first Horten IV was completed in 1941, and three more were built in 1943. The achievements of the H IV in the air were impressive.

The aircraft now on display at the Flugwerft Schleissheim was left in Germany after the Second World War. It was flown by British officers until 1950, and went into storage after a crash landing. When it became part of the Deutsches Museum collection in 1971, the mid-section was missing and was reconstructed during restoration work.  

• Manufacturer: Luftwaffen Inspektion 3, Sonderkommando Göttingen, 1943
• Wingspan 20.3 m
• Wing aspect ratio 21.8
• Tare weight 246 kg
• Best glide ratio 32 at 73 km/h
• Minimum sink rate 0.55 m/s at 55 km/h