HORTEN Ho Xb
PIERNIFERO II

Photos and Text Provided by:
Fernando Walter Siarez 
fws339@yahoo.com

     To my great surprise, the Museo Nacional de Aeronautica (National Aeronautics Museum) of Buenos Aires, restored another Horten wing, this time a small one, the Ho Xb Piernifero II ('Piernifero' means 'animal that has legs'). It can be considered a kind of ultralight glider, designed to take off on its pilot's legs, running against the wind or being towed by a car on a long rope.  After take off the pilot took a semi-prone position.
     This is the second in the Piernifero series: the first was Ho Xa Piernifero I, nicknamed " L'alita" (little wing) built in
Cordoba (Argentina); and the third, Ho Xc Piernifero III was built by Phillip Moyes (as I read in TWITT page).
Piernifero II hanging over the Urubu.  It has a thin but strong leading edge structure, made of wood layers, and all the rest was to be covered with fabric (but never was). The central section has transparent plastic panels for the prone position pilot.
                                                                                                (Full picture is:  45kb)
Close view of structure from below.  The center section has no floor, so the pilot could pass his legs down.  The ribs have a lattice work structure, and also the main spar, which has a 'K' shaped lattice.  Just behind it, is the prop of a Bleriot.
(Full picture is:  82kb)
Notice enormous elevon (white covered) with a big air gap of about 5 cm (2"), hinged near the upper surface.  The elevon has no rounded leading edge, and it looks like a cabinet door.  It was actuated by pushrods that the pilot moved directly, without stick, but with a ball shaped hand grip.                                           (Full picture is:  63kb)
Lateral view, shows dihedral and built-in wash out.  In fact, the pilot flew in a half-prone position.  Behind is an AVRO-La Cierva, and to the left, a Bleriot XI wing.
(Full picture is:  53kb)

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