el McDonnell XF-85 Duende es un prototipo de avión de combate estadounidense concebido durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial por McDonnell Aircraft. Estaba destinado a desplegarse desde la bahía de bombas del bombardero gigante Convair B-36 como un caza parásito. El papel previsto del XF-85 era defender a los bombarderos de los aviones interceptores hostiles, una necesidad demostrada durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. McDonnell construyó dos prototipos antes de que la Fuerza Aérea (USAAF) terminara el programa.
Espera, buscando McDonnell XF-85 Goblin por ti ...
McDonnell XF-85 Goblin Camina alrededor
Fotógrafos
John Heck, Vladimir Yakubov
Localización
Museo Nacional de la USAF, Dayton
Fotos
96
Ver también:
General Characteristics and Role
The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin was an experimental jet fighter developed for the United States Air Force (USAF) in the late 1940s. Its highly unusual role was to serve as a “parasite fighter”—a defensive fighter that would be carried and launched from a bomber, specifically the massive Convair B-36 Peacemaker, and recovered mid-air. This concept arose because early jet fighters lacked the range to escort strategic bombers on long-distance missions, leaving them vulnerable to enemy interceptors deep inside hostile territory. The XF-85 was designed to be small enough to fit within the B-36’s bomb bay and featured a unique hinged nose assembly for hooking up to a trapeze system.
Property
Typical Value (XF-85)
Papel
Experimental Parasite Fighter
National Origin
Estados Unidos
Fabricante
McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
First Flight (unattached)
23 August 1948
Equipo
1 (Pilot)
Longitud
4.93 m (16 ft 2 in)
Envergadura
6.44 m (21 ft 1 in)
Gross Weight
2,540 kg (5,600 lb)
Powerplant and Unique Features
Engine: 1 x Westinghouse J34-WE-22 turbojet engine.
Thrust: 3,000 lbf (13 kN).
Armament: Proposed four .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns (never installed on the prototypes).
Unique Tail: It featured a distinctive cruciform tail and swept wings that folded upwards for stowage inside the bomber.
Recovery System: The plane used a retractable hook in its nose to latch onto a specialized trapeze lowered from the carrier aircraft (initially a modified B-29 Superfortress, later planned for the B-36).
Performance: The intended speed was over 1,000 km/h (620 mph), designed to intercept potential enemy fighters like the MiG-15.
Program Outcome and Legacy
Testing: The recovery phase of the test flights proved extremely difficult, due to the intense turbulence and buffeting behind the carrier aircraft. Pilots reported high difficulty in successfully mating the hook with the trapeze.
Cancellation: The program was cancelled in 1949 after only a few test flights. The mid-air docking procedure was deemed too risky for operational use. Furthermore, the rapid development of aerial refueling technology provided a more practical solution to the bomber escort problem.
Legacy: While unsuccessful, the XF-85 stands as one of the most unique and ambitious attempts in aviation history to solve the strategic bomber escort challenge. It remains a prime example of Cold War experimental aircraft design.
Preservation: Both prototypes built (AF Ser. No. 46-523 and 46-524) survive. One is displayed at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, and the other at the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska.