Wolf, William Cold War Long-Range Jet Fighter Program

USAF Experiments for Bombers to Take Fighters into Battle

After World War II, the introduction of the six-engine Consolidated-Vultee B-36 Peacemaker bombercapable of intercontinental ranges of 8,000 kilometers or morereignited the perennial issue of fighter escort. Early U.S. jet fighters consumed vast amounts of fuel and lacked the range necessary to escort the B-36 over long distances. Developing a jet fighter with sufficient fuel capacity for such missions would have resulted in an aircraft far too large and unwieldy to effectively combat smaller, more agile enemy interceptors. In response, the U.S. Air Force explored two experimental methods to extend fighter range during the early Cold War. The first method involved wingtip-to-wingtip towing, where a fighter would latch onto the bomber's wing to receive fuel. The second method entailed carrying a fighter inside the bomb bay on a trapeze mechanism, allowing it to be launched and subsequently retrieved in flight. Because the B-36 program faced delays, the widely used Boeing B-29 Superfortress initially served as the test platform. Boeing ETB-29A bombers were paired with Republic EF-84D Thunderjet fighters to practice docking and undocking at the B-29's wingtips. Following these initial trials, the concept of a bomb-bay-mounted "parasite fighter" resurfaced with the small, jet-powered XP-85 Goblin. Designed exclusively as a parasite aircraft, the Goblin could launch from the B-36 to intercept enemy aircraft and later dock again in mid-air. Despite promising test flights, docking issues and the Goblin's performancewhich was inadequate compared to enemy jetsled to the project's cancellation. In 195253, the FICON (Fighter CONveyor) program tested carrying an RF-84F/K Thunderflash within the B-36's trapeze-equipped bomb bay. Although escort missions were originally planned, the program's focus shifted toward tactical reconnaissance and strike missions. The B-36 was intended to transport the faster, more maneuverable fighter-bomber close to a targetfor reconnaissance or a nuclear strikeand then retrieve it. The success of the U-2 spy plane and aerial refueling eventually rendered experiments with parasite fighters unnecessary. Featuring over 150 photographs, this book is the first to examine this extraordinary and unusual chapter of Cold War aviation history, shedding light on some of the most inventive and unconventional experiments of all time.