HISTORY

• Jack Northrop's interest in flying wing aircraft can be traced back to the 1930s. However, Northrop was not the only aeronautical engineer to appreciate the advantages of all-wing aircraft. The Horten brothers in Germany were also experimenting with all-wing designs. At the end of World War II, construction of a twin engine fighter, the H.IX, was underway and plans were made to build an all-wing bomber capable of reaching New York City.
• Four Horten IV gliders were built in Germany in 1941. Construction consisted mainly of plywood and steel covered in fabric, except for the last six feet of each wing which were made of aluminum and were detachable. The aircraft had no vertical control surfaces. Takeoffs were made using a droppable wheel housed under the pilot and landings were accomplished using a retractable skid. Controls were a "rams horn" yoke and foot cups for rudder-like control.
• After World War II, the Museum's Horten IV  fell into the hands of the British. In 1950 it was awarded a civilian airworthiness certificate in the UK. Shortly thereafter it was sold to Hollis E. Button and shipped to Valley City, ND, where it received its U.S. airworthiness certificate. After it was rebuilt in 1952, it was entered in the Midwest Championship in Tulsa, OK, and won Distance and Gold Medal awards. Shortly after the competition, it was sold to Mississippi State University.
• The Horten IV came to California when it was sold in 1966 to John Cayler of North Hollywood. In 1967 it was sold again, to Professor John Groom of Redlands, from whom it was acquired by Ed Maloney in 1970.

SPECIFICATIONS