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The XF-85 Goblin

The very, very long range of the B-36 bomber meant it would far outstrip the range of any available fighter escort. And despite Air Force claims that the B-36 flew so high as to be invulnerable to interception, the Air Force also remembered the slaughter of unescorted bombers of the 8th Air Force over Germany.…

The very, very long range of the B-36 bomber meant it would far outstrip the range of any available fighter escort. And despite Air Force claims that the B-36 flew so high as to be invulnerable to interception, the Air Force also remembered the slaughter of unescorted bombers of the 8th Air Force over Germany.

And so, the question became, if we can’t build a fighter big enough to escort the B-36, can we build one small enough for the B-36 to carry into battle?

As it turned out, the answer was yes. The diminutive McDonnell XF-85 Goblin may not have had the best fighter performance, but it apparently flew quite well.

What it couldn’t do was successfully recover on a routine basis aboard the complex trapeze device in the bomb bay of the mothership. When it became clear that such a challenge would likely never be overcome, the program was cancelled.

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Responses to “The XF-85 Goblin”

  1. John in Philly

    During this summer’s visit to the Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, we saw both a B-36 and a Goblin. Great Museum and well worth the two days we spent there.

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  2. Casey

    Didn’t know the Goblins wings folded.
    The vortices twirling around the aircraft were a bear. If memory serves the FICON project faced similar issues.
    Separate thought: I wonder if we’ll ever see a flying B-50 again. Or is there one I never heard of? Also, did they ever use B-50s during these various tests, or just -29s?

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