RE: Re: Fighters

On Tue, 14 May 2002 06:51:29 -0700 Brian Bilderback 
<bbilderback@hotmail.com> wrote:

>>From:  KH.Ranitzsch@t-online.de
>>> There have even been various experiments with heavy bombers 
carrying fighters for their own defence. Technically feasible, but of 
dubious tactical value. <<<

>>Zeppelins with biplane fighters. I don't know how well they worked, 
though. <<
 
> Not sure, but KH may also have been referring to experiments by the 
USAF in the late 40's and the 50's involving release and recovery of a 
small fighter known as the Goblin (IIRC) which was specially designed 
for the mission, and later with a modified F-100. The project was 
abandoned, but the bombers (Mostly 52's) that were used in the 
experiments found their true calling as launch beds for the X series. <

Actually, there have been several attempts at this kind of thing, 
mostly by the USN and USAF, who have this thing about fighting over 
someone else's territory... ;-)

The earliest attempt I know of was the XF9C-2 Sparrowhawk, a 
Curtiss-Wright biplane that operated from the airships USS Macon and 
Akron. It worked, but not well enough to be more than a curiosity.

The next program was the McDonnell XF-88 Goblin, a fat little parasite 
fighter (looked like one of thise Hasgawa "eggplane" models that 
were around a few years ago, but this was for real <g>) that was 
intended to be carried in the bomb-bay of a Convair B-36 Peacemaker, 
the biggest bomber of them all (10 engines -- 6 turnin', 4 burnin'). 
Later, after the Goblin idea was dropped, the '36 was used for a series 
of experiments known as FiCON -- Fighter In CONvair -- in which a 
slightly modified F-84 Thunderstreak was mounted in the bomb-bay. I 
didn't know that they tried a Hun as well, but why not?

All these ideas worked -- after a fashion -- but they all suffered from 
the same flaws: the weight of the fighter is a massive drain on the 
bomber's performance, and what happens to the "escort" after it's 
launched? Re-docking with the mother aircraft is possible, and has been 
done, but it's a fairly risky procedure, and I'd hate to have to depend 
on it, especially in a combat situation.

Phil
----
"We gotta get out into Space / If it's the last thing we ever do!"  
   -- Return to the Forbidden Planet