{"id":2834,"date":"2024-12-21T16:28:28","date_gmt":"2024-12-21T16:28:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=2834"},"modified":"2024-12-21T16:28:28","modified_gmt":"2024-12-21T16:28:28","slug":"mcdonnell-xf-85-goblin-the-air-forces-parasite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=2834","title":{"rendered":"McDonnell XF-85 Goblin \u2014 The Air Force\u2019s Parasite"},"content":{"rendered":"


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By Peter Suciu<\/a><\/p>\n

D<\/span>uring the Cold War, aviation firm McDonnell employed some colorful monikers for its aircraft, including \u201cBanshee\u201d and \u201cDemon,\u201d which did seem like apt names for the respective carrier-based fighters. While the Banshee is now considered among the absolute best straight-wing fighters of the era, the Demon isn\u2019t remembered so fondly, with some fleet pilots dubbing it a \u201clead sled.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin, a prototype \u201cparasite\u201d fighter jet, is shown attached to the belly of a B-29 bomber. This compact aircraft was designed to defend bombers on intercontinental flights. Image:\u00a0U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yet, the infamously problem-plagued Demon may have been a better design than another McDonnell aircraft of the early Cold War-era. That would be the fittingly named McDonnell XF-85 Goblin, which was designed as a \u201cparasite fighter\u201d \u2014 one that could be carried by a bomber.<\/p>\n

Just two prototypes were built before the program was canceled. Yet, the concept remains one that has earned almost mythical status among Cold War aviation buffs.<\/p>\n

Origin of the Parasite Fighter<\/h2>\n

In theory, the XF-85 Goblin likely made sense, at least at the time it was first conceived. One first needs to understand that during the Second World War America\u2019s long-range bombers often flew over enemy territory without any fighter escort. Even the long-range fighter escorts of the era \u2014 notably the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt<\/a> and North American P-51 Mustang<\/a> \u2014 often lacked the range necessary to escort most bombers, not to mention those then in development. As the range of bombers increased, development began on a compact fighter that could travel with it, by being carried inside the bomber\u2019s bomb bay.<\/p>\n

\"Test\n<\/picture>
In this 1948 photograph, test pilot Edwin Foresman Schoch stands next to the XF-85 Goblin. Four of the seven flights of the XF-85 ended with emergency landings. Image:\u00a0U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This could allow a \u201cparasite\u201d fighter to provide protection for a bomber well beyond the range of conventional escorts.<\/p>\n

Development of the XF-85 Goblin coincided with the bomber that would carry it: the Convair B-36 Peacemaker<\/a>. The thinking at the time was that the massive B-36 could penetrate enemy territory while carrying the parasite along for the ride. If attacked by enemy aircraft, the bomber would lower the Goblin on a trapeze and release it to engage the attackers.<\/p>\n

\"The\n<\/picture>
A McDonnell XF-85 Goblin at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. Image:\u00a0National Museum of the Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After the enemy had been driven away, the parasite could return to the B-36, hook on to the trapeze, fold its wings, and be lifted back into the bomb bay. It could even refuel and be rearmed. While the majority of B-36s in a Bomb Wing would carry the ordnance to drop on an adversary\u2019s cities or other targets, a few would be mini-flying aircraft carriers.<\/p>\n

The B-36 was designed to conduct missions that could see it flying a 10,000-mile round trip that could last as much as 20 hours. Thus, a small, stout aircraft like the Goblin seemed well-suited to the proposed task.<\/p>\n

\"This\n<\/picture>
Shown here is the second McDonnell XF-85 built for testing and development. Image:\u00a0National Museum of the Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The first test flights weren\u2019t ordered until after the World War II ended, but there were very serious (and valid) concerns that the U.S. could find itself in a war with the Soviet Union in the future and would have to deploy bombers from North America.<\/p>\n

Enter the Goblin<\/h2>\n

Two single-seat XF-85 prototypes were built for the testing. Each was powered by a single Westinghouse XJ-34 turbojet engine that provided 3,000 pounds of thrust, delivering a cruising speed of 225 mph and a maximum speed of 650 mph with a service ceiling of 48,186 feet.<\/p>\n

\"This\n<\/picture>
Shown here is the first McDonnell XF-85 Goblin that was built. At the end of each wing, you can see the vertical winglets. Image:\u00a0National Museum of the Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Goblins were unique aircraft and might have seemed to be a leap forward in aviation technology. It featured five tail surfaces, including one vertical, two angled, and two ventral. The aircraft also featured swept-back wings that could fold upward. Armed with four .50-cal. machine guns<\/a>, the Goblin would have been reasonably armed for its day.<\/p>\n

The initial tests of the Goblin were carried out with a modified Boeing B-29 Superfortress, as the B-36 was still in development. However, the Superfortress proved to be an ideal platform for the tests, which began in 1948.<\/p>\n

\"A\n<\/picture>
Front view of McDonald XP-85 model used for testing. At the time of its development, it was the smallest jet powered airplane in the world. Image:\u00a0NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Almost immediately it was determined that launching the XF-85 presented some problems, notably that turbulent air under the B-29 bomber made recovery of the Goblin difficult and at times even hazardous. The issue was that as the parasite approached the \u201cmother plane,\u201d the air compressed, creating stronger resistance \u2014 requiring additional power to overcome the air cushion. The higher speed actually made the air even more turbulent.<\/p>\n

Obviously, in real-world operations that would have been a serious problem as the Goblin wouldn\u2019t have the range to return to friendly territory if it failed to be recovered by the mother plane.<\/p>\n

\"A\n<\/picture>
A preserved McDonnell XF-85 Goblin parasite fighter at the U.S. Air Force museum. This compact experimental jet showcases post-WWII aviation innovation. Image:\u00a0National Museum of the Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During the test flights, nearly half of the Goblin flights ended with emergency ground landings \u2014 without landing gear \u2014 when the pilot couldn\u2019t hook up with the trapeze. In one final attempt, the fighter\u2019s hook missed the trapeze, but the canopy struck it and shattered.<\/p>\n

It should be noted that just a single test pilot, U.S. Navy aviator Ed Schoch, who had flown the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver during World War II, ever flew the XF-85. Fortunately, while he made several rough landings, Schoch walked away from each one.<\/p>\n

\"A\n<\/picture>
An interior view of the McDonnell XF-85 Goblin\u2019s cockpit reveals its compact design. The tiny workspace highlights the aircraft\u2019s advanced engineering for its role. Image:\u00a0Ken LaRock\/National Museum of the Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Testing was ended in late 1949 after just seven flights, totaling two hours and 19 minutes. Aerial refueling of conventional fighter aircraft was seen as offering greater promise, and the Goblin was grounded. No XF-85s were ever launched or even carried by a B-36, but the project cost was reported to total $3,210,664 \u2014 not an unreasonable amount today perhaps, but would equate to $40 million in 2024 dollars.<\/p>\n

Could It Have Worked?<\/h2>\n

While the XF-85 Goblin didn\u2019t progress very far, the U.S. Air Force did continue to conduct tests of parasite aircraft and how a small fighter could provide protection for a bomber on a long-range mission. None of the subsequent efforts proved any more effective, however.<\/p>\n

\"A\n<\/picture>
The XF-85 Goblin, designed for mid-flight deployment, is shown attached to a B-29 bomber during takeoff. Image:\u00a0National Museum of the Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Moreover, neither did some of the concepts that came before \u2014 which should have signaled that it wasn\u2019t going to be easy going.<\/p>\n

As early as the First World War, the Royal Air Force (RAF) had conducted tests to see if its Sopwith Camel fighters could be carried by its 23-class airships. The program ended with the conflict and was put on the back burner.<\/p>\n

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Then in the 1930s, the United States Navy briefly operated a parasite fighter \u2014 the Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk \u2014 from its airships USS\u00a0Akron<\/em>\u00a0(ZRS-4) and USS\u00a0Macon<\/em>\u00a0(ZRS-5). It showed limited promise, but the fighter was already bordering on being outdated and it is hard to imagine any World War II fighters could have operated from the airships. The U.S. Navy never got to find out, as both airships were lost in storms, and the sea service scuttled the program.<\/p>\n

By contrast, the XF-85 was a major leap forward in technology. Yet, many unanswered questions remain.<\/p>\n

\"The\n<\/picture>
The XF-85 Goblin is seen deploying from its housing beneath a B-29 bomber. This maneuver tested the feasibility of mid-air fighter deployment for bomber defense. Image:\u00a0National Museum of the Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the Goblin would have had just around 30 minutes of endurance, the parasite could have only been launched when trouble approached. The fighter would have been its most vulnerable during the launch and recoveries, while its limited flight time wouldn\u2019t have allowed it to perform other roles like scouting for enemy aircraft.<\/p>\n

If the issue of its recovery could have been addressed, the Goblin could \u2014 in theory \u2014 have been refueled, rearmed, and be readied to do it again. As testing didn\u2019t progress with the B-36, it remains unclear how any of this could have been accomplished.<\/p>\n

\"A\n<\/picture>
The XF-85 Goblin pilot is ready for action, seated in the compact cockpit as the aircraft awaits attachment to a B-29 bomber. Image:\u00a0National Museum of the Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The B-36 is a truly massive bomber, and plans called for the Peacemaker to carry three or four Goblins within its fuselage. The idea was that it would serve as a mother ship for the fighters while other B-36s delivered the bombs to the target. At one point, the U.S. Air Force even considered having 10% of the B-36 Peacemakers converted to fighter carriers, while as many as 100 Goblins would have been built to serve as fighter escorts. Yet, exactly how much fuel and extra ammunition could be carried on the modified bombers was an unanswered question. Likewise, refueling and rearming in flight was probably easier said than done, especially in the air.<\/p>\n

The Air Force would have also needed very select pilots to fly the Goblins \u2014 men that likely weren\u2019t much taller or bigger than the mythical creatures. According to TheAviationist.com, the Goblin\u2019s small size would have necessitated that pilots couldn\u2019t be taller than 5 feet 8 inches and couldn\u2019t weigh more than 200 pounds.<\/p>\n

\"A\n<\/picture>
A close-up view of the wing and hook controls inside the XF-85 Goblin cockpit highlights the precision engineering needed for mid-air deployment and retrieval. Image:\u00a0National Museum of the Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The final nail in the Goblin\u2019s coffin was the fact that Soviet fighter technology advanced at a truly rapid pace. While the XF-85 Goblin may have been able to hold its own against the early German jet fighters of the Second World War, it would have been outmatched by such warbirds as the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 and the aircraft that followed.<\/p>\n

Further Parasite Programs<\/h2>\n

Even after the end of the Goblin program, the U.S. Air Force didn\u2019t give up on the parasite fighter concept. The MX-1016 program (also known as Tip Tow) saw a modified B-29A carry Republic EF-84Ds on the wingtips. The program came to an end after a crash that resulted in the loss of five crewmen on the B-29 as well as the F-84 pilot.<\/p>\n

\"The\n<\/picture>
The YRF-84F flying underneath its B-36 carrier aircraft. FICON modifications included installing a hook in front of the cockpit and turning down the horizontal tail. Image:\u00a0U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A similar Project Tom-Tom, which also called for the parasites to be attached wingtip-to-wingtip, was canceled after it was deemed too dangerous, while inflight refueling offered greater promise.<\/p>\n

\"A\n<\/picture>
A Republic F-84E Thunderjet<\/a> in an extended parasite position under its host Convair B-36 Peacemaker. Image:\u00a0U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Yet, the Fighter Conveyor (FICON) program did move past the testing stage.<\/p>\n

FICON saw an RF-84K Thunderflash, a modified version of the RF-84F reconnaissance version of the F-84F Thunderstreak carried underneath a GRB-36 bomber \u2014 a Peacemaker converted to also serve as a recon plane. Unlike the Goblin, the Thunderflash was too large to be carried internally but hooked underneath the mother plane.<\/p>\n

\"The\n<\/picture>
View of the YRF-84F from inside the B-36 bomber. The pilot could enter and exit the cockpit from within the Peacemaker. Image:\u00a0U.S. Air Force<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A total of 25 RF-84K FICON aircraft were produced and fitted with a retractable probe for hooking up with the modified GRB-36 bombers \u2014 of which 10 were built. However, instead of serving as escorts for bombers, the RF-84Ks were employed as reconnaissance fighters from 1955 to 1956, serving with the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS). Though there were \u201cnear disasters,\u201d the program was only canceled with the introduction of the U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane.<\/p>\n

Fate of the Goblin Prototypes<\/h2>\n

Despite the rough landings, both XF-85 prototypes survived, and after being put in storage when testing concluded, the aircraft were sent to museums. One is in the collection of the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. It had been previously displayed next to the museum\u2019s Convair B-36, but since 2000, has been in the Research & Development Gallery. The museum is also home to one of three surviving RF-84K Thunderflash reconnaissance planes.<\/p>\n

\"The\n<\/picture>
A Bell X-2 rocket plane is dropped from the Boeing B-50 Superfortress mothership during testing in the mid-1950s. Image:\u00a0NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The other XF-85 Goblin is now on display at the Strategic Air and Space Museum in Ashland, Nebraska. It had been damaged following the test flights\u2019 final emergency landing and previously was exhibited at the Norton Air Force Base before being refurbished.<\/p>\n

Future of Parasite Aircraft<\/h2>\n

While it is unlikely that we\u2019ll ever see future manned parasite aircraft again, the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy are now developing the fittingly named \u201cCollaborative Combat Aircraft\u201d (CCA) program, which calls for the development of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) that could act as \u201cloyal wingmen\u201d for manned fighters and bombers.<\/p>\n

Though the details regarding the CCA still have yet to come into focus, there has been speculation the drones could include parasite aircraft \u2014 able to conduct reconnaissance missions, serve in an electronic warfare (EW) capacity, or if necessary even operate as decoys for manned aircraft.<\/p>\n

And perhaps a fitting name for those future drone parasites would be Goblin II!<\/p>\n

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By Peter Suciu During the Cold War, aviation firm McDonnell employed some colorful monikers for its aircraft, including \u201cBanshee\u201d and \u201cDemon,\u201d which did seem like apt names for the respective carrier-based fighters. While the Banshee is now considered among the absolute best straight-wing fighters of the era, the Demon isn\u2019t remembered so fondly, with some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2835,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2834"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2834\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}