Parasite Fighter
Parasite aircraft (mutatis mutandis: parasitic fighter ) is a fixed term in the American US military aviation . It refers to fighter aircraft that are docked on a carrier aircraft or airship and can be uncoupled in the event of an attack. The peculiarity compared to the “ parasite aircraft ” (German: “parasitic aircraft”) is not only in the ability for air combat , but also in being able to dock again with the carrier after their use.
Developments worldwide
In 1918 there were attempts in Great Britain to drop Sopwith Camel fighters from airships. The rigid airship R23 and in 1925 the R33 with a De Havilland DH.53 Humming Bird were used with attempts at coupling . In this way, the airships, which were vulnerable to enemy aircraft, were to receive effective escort protection. In 1926 tests with machines of the Gloster Grebe type followed . However, when British airships were given up after the accident with the R101 in 1930, the construction of other Parasite Fighters was also stopped.
In the early 1930s, attempts began in the Soviet Union to use fixed-wing aircraft as carriers ( Sweno ). Combat missions followed after successful tests. However, the fighter planes carried were not used as escort fighters , but as fighter bombers . The last mission took place in 1941.
Parasite Fighter of the USA
Airships as carriers
In December 1924, a Verville-Sperry M-1 Messenger docked with a US airship.
In 1931 an aircraft type was sought for the airships USS Akron and USS Macon , which should be suitable for being carried by them. The Curtiss F9C was chosen . The machines should protect the airships, but primarily support them in their role as reconnaissance aircraft. The compact double-deckers had a massive hook on the upper wing with which they could hang on a trapeze under the airship for “landing”. Then the plane was pulled into the hangar of the airship with the trapeze.
The process of launching and picking up an aircraft was tested by the US Navy as early as 1929 with the Zeppelin USS Los Angeles, which was built in Germany for the USA . However, after the era of the rigid airships in the USA came to an end in 1935, there were initially no more efforts for new Parasite Fighters.
The XF-85
Long-range bombers such as the Convair B-36 realized that such an aircraft could not possibly be escorted for the entire duration of the flight. The range of the fighters was too short and air refueling was not yet established. In the 1940s and 1950s, various concepts were developed and tested specifically to protect the B-36.
The McDonnell XF-85 was the first Parasite Fighter that was developed exclusively for this function. The hunter, known as the "Goblin", was supposed to be locked in place on a retractable device in the bomb bay of the B-36; the pilot did not have to remain in the cockpit. In the event of an enemy attack, the bomb bay was opened, the device lowered the XF-85, the wings folded into the horizontal position and the fighter could be dropped. However, the performance of the XF-85 was not satisfactory, so the project was discontinued in 1949.
The FICON program
On March 30, 1953, the maiden flight of a similar combination took place. A specially modified version of the Republic F-84 (correct designation: YF-96A, later renamed YRF-84F) hung in a docking device in the fuselage of a GRB-36F. This combination of fighter (" Fi ghter") and transporter (" Con veyor") gave the project its name. In this program, the Parasite Fighter was not only intended to play the role of the escort hunter, but was supposed to take on its own tasks in enemy territory, such as reconnaissance and the fight against secondary targets .
The YRF-84F was too large to be retracted fully. So the wings and the lower fuselage section of the fighter could be seen. A total of ten RB-36D and one RB-36F were converted to a GRB-36 carrier aircraft, but only one FICON fighter is documented (YRF-84F Ser.-Nr. 49-2430).
Since the YRF-84F was a converted conventional fighter, the performance was sufficient for this purpose. In addition, she was able to land even if the carrier aircraft was lost. The end of the program was sealed by the rapid advance in air refueling. It was discontinued at the end of 1956.
The tom-tom program
The "Tom Tom" project was also started in the 1950s. The same aircraft types were involved as in the "FICON" program. The difference was that not one fighter was carried in the fuselage of the bomber, but two on the wings. The fighters were equipped with a pincer-like coupling on a wing tip that could dock with a device on the wing tip of the bomber. The cargo hold remained free, but the pilots of the accompanying aircraft had to remain in the cockpit. The machines took off and landed separately, as the couplings were not designed for these high loads and the span would have been too large at almost 100 meters in the coupled state.
Several successful docking maneuvers took place during the test series. The disadvantage, however, was that the fighter pilots had to control their aircraft manually even when they were coupled. An automatic control system, which took over control after docking, should help. This system did not manage the necessary control maneuvers, so that both escort aircraft tore down. The pilots were killed in this accident.
The information from the US military suggests that the program ran around the same time as "FICON" and was discontinued together with it.
present
No Parasite Fighters are currently in use. However, there are still calls for a modern system of "flying aircraft carriers". The reasons for this are:
- The demand for the possibility of attacking targets from the air around the world. This should be able to be done without the use of allied facilities from the USA. The other reasons result from this.
- Individual long-range bombers (including stealth aircraft ) are vulnerable. Escort protection is technically possible, but the long-range missions of the US bombers hardly provide for stopovers and a tanker is also vulnerable if it is close enough to enemy airspace.
- The “ human factor ”: A single fighter pilot can hardly survive such a mission for many hours. A parasite fighter concept based on the “FICON” model enables the fighter pilot to be deployed shortly before reaching the target area.
- By taking several Parasite Fighters with you, one bomber can fight several targets at the same time.
At this point in time, however, it cannot be foreseen that a new Parasite Fighter concept will be realized.
See also
Web links
- Publication by Col. George D. Kramlinger ( USAF ) on the necessity and feasibility of parasite fighters in the present
Individual evidence
- ^ The Short-Mayo Scheme Recalls Experiments in the Past, published in Flight; Issue of November 11, 1937, No. 1507; Pp. 480-484; Online archive accessed on October 9, 2016
- ↑ https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/verville-sperry-m-1-messenger?object=nasm_A19580040000 accessed on October 10, 2016