[Log In] []

Exploring the science and magic of Identity and Access Management
Friday, March 29, 2024
 

Mcdonnell XF-85 Goblin

Aircraft
Author: Mark Dixon
Friday, May 8, 2015
9:39 am

I have long been fascinated with airplanes of all kinds. This post is the first of a series of photos of wacky and wonderful aircraft.

We start first with one of the coolest airplanes I have every seen, the Mcdonnell XF-85 Goblin. Only two were built and I saw one of them in the Wright Patterson Air Force Base museum back in the mid 1980’s.

From the Nation Museum of the Airforce site:

The McDonnell Aircraft Corp. developed the XF-85 Goblin “parasite” fighter to protect B-36 bombers flying beyond the range of conventional escort fighters. Planners envisioned a “parent” B-36 carrying the XF-85 in the bomb bay, and if enemy fighters attacked, the Goblin would have been lowered on a trapeze and released to combat the attackers. Once the enemy had been driven away, the Goblin would return to the B-36, hook onto the trapeze, fold its wings and be lifted back into the bomb bay. The Goblin had no landing gear, but it had a steel skid under the fuselage and small runners on the wingtips for emergency landings.

Pretty neat little airplane!

Xf85

Comments Off on Mcdonnell XF-85 Goblin . Permalink . Trackback URL
WordPress Tags:
 

Comments are closed.

Copyright © 2005-2016, Mark G. Dixon. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by WordPress.