The Horten name and flying wing concept was on show last week at the Aero Friedrichshafen show in Germany.
![B&W photo of a flying wing being prepared on the tarmac](https://mechtraveller.com/wp-content/uploads/Horten_H.IX_V1.jpg)
(Photo: US Army Public Domain)
Seventy-five years after the Horten brothers designed a flying wing in response to Herman Goering’s demand for a bomber that could carry a 1,000 kg bomb load for 1,000 kilometres at 1,000 kph, a new startup aircraft manufacturer bearing their name, Horten Aircraft, has developed a flying wing light aircraft.
The Horten HX-2 is a 2-seater aircraft with a 10 metre wingspan and a 100 hp Rotax engine powering a pusher propeller. It has been developed over three years and now has just 15 flights (6 hours) on its logbook.
The point about blended wing designs is efficiency – all surfaces generate lift – resulting in less drag and greater fuel efficiency. So far, they have been used primarily by the military for stealth bomber (U.S. B-2 Spirit) and UAV roles.
Despite the attraction of fuel savings, the civil aviation industry has been reluctant to adopt flying wing designs for a number of practical reasons. Passengers like windows, are likely to get airsick if they are not seated on the centreline, and can’t be evacuated quickly enough with limited emergency exits.
![White painted flying wing taxiing on tricycle undercarriage](https://mechtraveller.com/wp-content/uploads/Horton-HX2-on-the-ground.jpg)
The HX-2 is expected to have a range of up to about 3,500 km (2,175 miles), a cruise speed of 270 km/h (167 mph). It has been designed to accommodate alternative propulsion technologies.