The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin, the smallest jet-propelled fighter ever built, was a "parasite" designed to be dropped from a bomber, perform its mission and return to the mother ship.
Juvat. Will try to. The time difference is a bit of a prob and my work commitments (that's a laugh) limit me to dumping a whole lotta stuff in the am and then more in the late pm.
As for the Little bitty plane. How was it supposed to re-dock with the 'mothership'?
On operational aircraft, there would be a small latch in front of the windscreen--basically, in the middle of the black anti-glare panel. The latch would engage a hook on a "trapeze" beam deployed from the bomb bay of the B-36. I believe that the B-36 could carry a Goblin and weaponry, due to its multiple, large bomb bays...
After WWI, the Navy experimented with fighters launched from airships. The final stage in that development was the USS Akron and USS Macon which had hanger bays for four Curtiss Sparrowhawk F9C-2 biplane fighters. Only six of the little Sparrowhawk fighters were built. One amazingly survives and is in the Smithsonian.
The Akron was lost in 1933 and the Macon in 1935 in a storm off California. The loss of the two airships ended the program.
I saw one of these at the USAF museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio 2 years ago. Theo, I hope you can make it to this side of the Atlantic and see that museum some day. DKDay
13 comments:
USAF Prototype Gremlin?
~M~
XF-85 Goblin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XF-85_Goblin
XF-85 Goblin Parasite Fighter
The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin, the smallest jet-propelled fighter ever built, was a "parasite" designed to be dropped from a bomber, perform its mission and return to the mother ship.
http://www.boeing.com/history/mdc/goblin.htm
Parasite Fighter for SAC.
Cancelled long ago.
The idea was to have some bombers carry these in place of bomb load and launch them as escorts when needed.
McDonnell XF-85 Goblin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XF-85_Goblin
An fighter to be dropped by B-36's to take on russian fighters. An Goblin.
They have one on display here in Nebraska at the SAC Museum. A little go-cart with wings.
http://www.sacmuseum.org/F-85.html
Theo, how about posting these a little later in the day, so us 6 hours behind folks get a chance? Course I'm only saying this because I knew this one.
Juvat. Will try to. The time difference is a bit of a prob and my work commitments (that's a laugh) limit me to dumping a whole lotta stuff in the am and then more in the late pm.
As for the Little bitty plane. How was it supposed to re-dock with the 'mothership'?
On operational aircraft, there would be a small latch in front of the windscreen--basically, in the middle of the black anti-glare panel. The latch would engage a hook on a "trapeze" beam deployed from the bomb bay of the B-36. I believe that the B-36 could carry a Goblin and weaponry, due to its multiple, large bomb bays...
After WWI, the Navy experimented with fighters launched from airships. The final stage in that development was the USS Akron and USS Macon which had hanger bays for four Curtiss Sparrowhawk F9C-2 biplane fighters. Only six of the little Sparrowhawk fighters were built. One amazingly survives and is in the Smithsonian.
The Akron was lost in 1933 and the Macon in 1935 in a storm off California. The loss of the two airships ended the program.
Regarding the Macon, the Monterey Bay Aquarium research institute, MBARI, found the Macon a few years ago on the bottom off Point Sur.
In the debris field , along with everything else, were all four of its Sparrowhawks.
I saw one of these at the USAF museum at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio 2 years ago.
Theo, I hope you can make it to this side of the Atlantic and see that museum some day.
DKDay
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