We are pleased to introduce you to Luft-X experimental aircraft series! The Luft-X series is the world’s first collection of value-priced, 1/72 scale, resin models depicting the experimental aircraft proposed by the Wehrmacht’s leading scientists during World War II.

Luft-X is like nothing else on the market today! These beautifully assembled, newly tooled models resemble some of the war’s (and the 20th century’s) most aggressive, cutting-edge designs. Many designs of which, until now, have never been made available to collectors!

Historical Note:   

The Horten H.IX, RLM designation Ho 229 (often called Gotha Go 229 because of the identity of the chosen manufacturer of the aircraft) was a Germanprototype fighter/bomber designed by Reimar and Walter Horten and built by Gothaer Waggonfabrik late in World War II. It was the first pure flying wingpowered by jet engines.

The design was a response to Hermann Göring's call for light bomber designs capable of meeting the "3×1000" requirement; namely to carry 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb) of bombs a distance of 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) with a speed of 1,000 kilometres per hour (620 mph). Only jets could provide the speed, but these were extremely fuel hungry so considerable effort had to be made to meet the range requirement. Based on a flying wing, the Ho 229 lacked all extraneous control surfaces, lowering drag. It was the only design to come even close to the 3×1000 requirements, and received Göring's approval. Its ceiling was 15,000 metres (49,000 ft).

Since the appearance of the B-2 Spirit flying wing stealth bomber in the 1990s, its similarities in role and shape to the Ho 229 has led many to retrospectively describe the Ho 229 as "the first stealth bomber". A static reproduction of the only surviving Ho 229 prototype, the Ho 229 V3, in American hands since the end of World War II was later tested by the U.S. military who found the basic shape, paint and laminating adhesive composition of the mockup copy would provide for 37% reduction in detection range against the British Chain Home radar of the 1940s, but no significant stealth benefit against most other contemporary radar systems.

Info: Horton Ho 229 Luftwaffe, Germany, 1945