Move Back
![The Amerika Bomber]()
In late 1944, the Nazis were on the verge of losing World War II. But they had a diabolical plan in the wings: to deliver a radioactive bomb to New York. The "Amerika Bomber" project was planned, and three aerospace designers --Wernher von Braun, Eugen Sanger, and Reimar Horten -- each had a different solution.![The Amerika Bomber]()
Some promising proposals were based on conventional principles of aircraft design and would have yielded aircraft very similar to the Allied heavy bombers of the day. These included the Messerschmitt Me 264, the Focke-Wulf Fw 300 and Ta 400 and the Junkers Ju 390. Other proposals were far more exotic, including jet- and rocket-powered designs — essentially flying wings. The Horten brothers designed the Horten Ho XVIII, a flying wing powered by six turbojets based on experiences with their existing Ho X design. The Arado company also suggested a six-jet flying wing design, the Arado E.555.![The Amerika Bomber]()
The craft the Nazis eventually settled upon was designed by Eugen Sanger to slide along on a rail, taking off under the power of a rocket-fueled launch vehicle. It needed to be an exotic plane, since conventional multi-engine aircraft couldn't carry enough bombs or fuel. And refueling just wasn't an option, because the logistics of the plan -- a round trip to New York and back -- made it next to impossible. The payload was to be equally exotic: a dirty bomb, spreading radioactive sand or other elements across New York City. Such a bomb wouldn't destroy the U.S. so much as be an effective political weapon, a means to sue for peace perhaps.![The Amerika Bomber]()
The sled would have been powered with up to 15 of the V2 engines developed by another German engineer, Wernher von Braun. So the sled would have had to contain tankage for large amounts of fuel, to power the plane that was attached to it at speeds of up to 12,000 miles per hour. As the bomber reached a point near the end of the track, the vehicle would pull away from the jet-powered sled. It would remain unpowered for just a few moments before an on-board engine would kick in.![The Amerika Bomber]()
"It would have burned an on-board load of fuel weighing about 90 tons," notes historian Geoff Steele, "and pitched up to about a 60-degree climb angle and remained under powered flight for approximately 3 to 4 minutes until the fuel was exhausted." At that point the vehicle would pitch over, and because of its forward speed and centripetal force, would go into what is in effect a low-Earth orbit at approximately 115 to 120 mile altitude. It would also be a major technological milestone. At roughly 100 feet long and with a 140 foot wingspan, the craft was designed for hypersonic flight, which meant it could achieve a speed in excess of 3,800 mph.![The Amerika Bomber]()
The Sanger Sub-Orbital Bomber, as the Amerika bomber was officially known, was 100 feet long and had a range of 5,000 miles The bomber was unique in several ways: For one thing, it was reusable. And that revolutionary launch system was truly unusual. "The plan for a horizontally launched plane was revolutionary and fresh," says aviation historian David Myhra. And the plane's turnaround time was a matter of days, since it didn't require the dozens or hundreds of men that contemporary experimental vehicles required.![The Amerika Bomber]()
Somewhere over Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the dirty bomb was to be released in a ballistic arc designed to be detonated over New York City.![The Amerika Bomber]()
Unique and revolutionary, Sanger's design may have been too far ahead of its time. Unlike designs from contemporary German designers like Wernher von Braun, the Sanger Sub-Orbital Bomber didn't have the benefit of a proven working component like the V2. Curious to learn more? Buy the History Channel DVD to learn the full story.![Hitler's Stealth Bomber]()
Last summer,a U.S.-led team attempted to rebuild a different Nazi secret jet. Called the Horten 229, the radical "flying wing" fighter-bomber looked and acted a lot like the U.S. Air Force's current B-2 — right down to the "stealth" radar-evading characteristics. The Ho 229 replica sits in a hangar at Northrop Grumman's facility in El Segundo, Calif.![Hitler's Stealth Bomber]()
The Ho 229 replica with period-appropriate backdrop in a rented hangar used for historical-recreation scenes.![Hitler's Stealth Bomber]()
The front edge of the Ho 229 replica built by Northrop Grumman.![Hitler's Stealth Bomber]()
The rear of the Smithsonian's Horten Ho 229 fuselage at the Garber Restoration Facility in 2000.![Hitler's Stealth Bomber]()
The front edge of one the few remaining Horten Ho 229 fuselages at the Smithsonian Institution's Garber Restoration Facility in 2000.![Hitler's Stealth Bomber]()
Northrop Grumman engineers replicated the Ho 229's steel-and-wood frame.Nazi Germany's Secret Plan to Bomb New York
In late 1944, the Nazis had a diabolical plan: the "Amerika Bomber," a secret plane intended to deliver a radioactive bomb to New York.
Move Forward
- Nazi Germany's Secret Plan to Bomb New York
