20 radical military aircraft that didn’t make the cut
McDonnell XF-85
In the interim period between World War II and the Korean War, fighter escorts could not come close to matching the range necessary to protect their bombers. Mid-air refueling hadn’t yet matured into a dependable practice, so the Air Force experimented with attaching tiny parasite fighters to the bombers. McDonnell’s XF-85 was just 14 feet long and had a 21-foot unfolded wingspan. The egg-shaped Goblin was intended to be carried in the bomb bay and released from a trapeze hook when enemy interceptors appeared, then return to the flying aircraft carrier. However it couldn’t compete with conventional aircraft and the program was cancelled in 1949.
As soon as I finish my “slideshow” on Cold War-ERA TAC warplanes — which has become more of a full-length article with 1,500 words and counting — I’ll jump right on that, Colonel!
Thanks for your service,
Chris
Excellent article and fascinating pictures. Would like to see a similar one for pre-ww1, ww1 and post-ww1 aircraft. Thanks, Colonel Buzzsaw, USAF-ret. Retired SADO/13B/DO for 601 AOC.