During the early years of the jet age, between the end of World War II and the swinging ’60s, there were very few new ideas that were not worth a try.
While today’s latest jet fighter, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, has taken more than 20 years to bring to life, in those days it was not uncommon to go from radical idea to flying prototype in no time. One of the most amazing products of this period was the diminutive McDonnell XF-85 Goblin.
To understand the genesis of this little jet-powered hot rod, let’s understand the problem that faced the U.S. Air Force immediately following WWII.
When the 8th Air Force’s B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberators began bombing Germany in 1943, they suffered heavy losses because fighter planes could not escort them all the way to their targets. The solution was found in mating the legendary Rolls-Royce Merlin engine with the North American P-51 Mustang. Suddenly, the Allies had a fighter with the range to do the job.
However, as the war progressed, the range of bombing aircraft like the B-29 Superfortress doubled, and long-range fighter development worked hard to keep pace. By the end of the war, the immense Consolidated B-36, with its 10,000-mile range and 20-hour missions, was on the horizon, and the Air Force needed an escort fighter to match.
After some soul-searching and scientific inquiry, a seemingly radical idea…
Source www.planeandpilotmag.com
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