McDonnell XF-85 Goblin

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The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin was an American prototype fighter aircraft conceived during World War II by McDonnell Aircraft.

It was intended to be deployed from the bomb bay of the giant Convair B-36 bomber as a parasite fighter.

The XF-85's intended role was to defend bombers from hostile interceptors, a need demonstrated during World War II.

Two prototypes were constructed before the program was terminated.

The XF-85 was a response to a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) requirement for a fighter to be carried within the Northrop XB-35 and B-36, then under development.

This was to address the limited range of existing interceptor aircraft compared to the greater range of new bomber designs.

The XF-85 was a diminutive jet aircraft featuring a distinctive egg-shaped fuselage and a forked-tail stabilizer design.

The prototypes were built and underwent testing and evaluation in 1948.

Flight tests showed promise in the design, but the aircraft's performance was inferior to the jet fighters it would have been facing in combat, and there were difficulties in docking.

The XF-85 was swiftly cancelled, and the prototypes were thereafter relegated to museum exhibits.

The 1947 successor to the USAAF, the United States Air Force (USAF), continued to examine the concept of parasite aircraft under Project MX-106 "Tip Tow", Project FICON and Project "Tom-Tom" following the cancellation.

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 14 ft 10 in (4.5 m)
Wingspan: 21 ft 1 in (6.4 m)
Height: 8 ft 3 in (2.5 m)
Wing area: 90 sq ft (8.3 m²)
Empty weight: 3,740 lb (1,700 kg)
Loaded weight: 4,550 lb (2,050 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 5,600 lb (2,500 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Westinghouse XJ34-WE-22 turbojet, 3,000 lbf (13.3 kN)

Performance

Maximum speed: 650 mph (estimated)[N 10] (565 knots; 1,069 km/h)
Service ceiling: 48,000 ft (14,600 m)
Rate of climb: 12,500 ft/min (3,800 m/min)
Wing loading: 51 lb/sq ft (247 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.66

Armament

4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns