This late-war flying-wing prototype paired jet propulsion with a low-drag tailless planform, anticipating configurations explored by later stealth aircraft. Only prototypes flew, so claims about its intended combat performance remain partly speculative, but the design remains an important example of aerodynamic experimentation under wartime pressure.
INTERACTIVE MODEL LOADS WHEN NEARBY
2016 / ModernAirframe B
F-35A Lightning II
Lockheed Martin · Conventional multirole fighter
HISTORICAL FIELD NOTE
The conventional-runway F-35A combines low-observable shaping, sensor fusion, and internal weapons carriage with the lightest airframe and largest internal fuel load of the three F-35 variants. It entered U.S. Air Force operational service in 2016 and is designed for both air-to-air and precision-strike missions.
PERFORMANCE
SPECIFICATION BREAKDOWN
METRICHorten Ho 229F-35A Lightning II
Top speed
590 mph projectedPROJECTED
Mach 1.6REFERENCE VALUE
Ceiling
52,000 ft projectedPROJECTED
50,000 ftREFERENCE VALUE
Range
620 mi projectedPROJECTED
1,200+ nmiAPPROXIMATE / PUBLISHED
Archive milestone
Powered flight · 1945REFERENCE VALUE
Service entry · 2016REFERENCE VALUE
Nation
GermanyDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
United StatesDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Primary role
Flying-wing fighter prototypeDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Conventional multirole fighterDESCRIPTIVE VALUE
Values are concise archive references and can vary by variant, payload, configuration, altitude, operating conditions, and source. Range may describe different published measures where a directly comparable figure is unavailable.
