• nBodyProblem@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    The US built the XF-85 goblin parasite fighter, which was supposed to be deployed using a robotic arm from the bomb bay of a B-36. The idea came from ww2 when we had escort fighters for most major bombing missions to keep the bombers safe.

    It wasn’t practical to build a fighter with enough range to escort strategic bombers into the Soviet Union so they thought, “why not carry the fighter inside the bomber?”

    • Mirshe@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      We also tried to do parasite fighters off a dirigible, but it turned out they were finicky and the carrier was too big and obvious a target.