Major progress is being made on a rebuild of a famous German glider
The Grupo Técnico de Restauraciones Aeronáuticas (GTRA), a group of volunteers that collaborate with the Argentinian Museo Nacional de Aeronáutica (MNA/National Aeronautics Museum), have recently finished restoring a German Horten Ho Xb glider.
Known as ‘Piernífero’, it was designed in 1954 by Horten as a member and founder of the glider club Club de Planeadores Urubú, located in Córdoba. With a span of 32ft 8in, the single-seat glider was configured as a tailless delta and used the strength of its pilot to get airborne – this could only be achieved with a headwind of at least 8kts, or done downhill.
The Ho Xb was the second ‘Piernífero’ designed by Horten. Although by 1958 the wooden components had been manufactured, the glider was not assembled until a group of enthusiasts began work on it in 1982. It was still incomplete when it was donated to the MNA. Late last year, GTRA carried out a thorough inspection and made some repairs. They don’t plan to apply any fabric covering and will preserve the glider as it is.
