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The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin, the smallest jet-propelled fighter ever built, was a "parasite" designed to be dropped from a bomber, perform its mission and return to the mother ship.
The Goblin was egg shaped and its wings -- swept back 37 degrees -- could fold upward. It had no landing gear, but was launched from the bomber and recovered using a hook and a retractable trapeze under the parent airplane. For emergencies, the Goblin had a steel skid under the fuselage and small runners on its wingtips.-
The tiny fighter was stable, easy to fly and recovered well from spins. However, many pilots found it hard to hook the Goblin in flight to its bomber's trapeze.-
McDonnell built two Goblins, and one joined the collection at the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.-
Specifications
First flight:Aug. 23, 1948
Wingspan:21 feet
Length:14 feet 10 inches
Height:8 feet 4 inches
Weight:5,600 pounds
Ceiling:48,000 feet
Power plant:One J34 turbojet
Accommodation:1 crew
Armament:Four .50-caliber machine guns
source: boeing.com, strikefighterconsultinginc.com
The Goblin was egg shaped and its wings -- swept back 37 degrees -- could fold upward. It had no landing gear, but was launched from the bomber and recovered using a hook and a retractable trapeze under the parent airplane. For emergencies, the Goblin had a steel skid under the fuselage and small runners on its wingtips.-
The tiny fighter was stable, easy to fly and recovered well from spins. However, many pilots found it hard to hook the Goblin in flight to its bomber's trapeze.-
McDonnell built two Goblins, and one joined the collection at the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.-
Specifications
First flight:Aug. 23, 1948
Wingspan:21 feet
Length:14 feet 10 inches
Height:8 feet 4 inches
Weight:5,600 pounds
Ceiling:48,000 feet
Power plant:One J34 turbojet
Accommodation:1 crew
Armament:Four .50-caliber machine guns
source: boeing.com, strikefighterconsultinginc.com
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