The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin came into being during the Second World War in response to the requirement for a ‘parasite fighter’ for the giant Convair B-36 bomber: the idea was for the bombers to deploy them as a means of selfdefence against enemy interceptors. Therefore, the jet had to be very small, to fit – at least partially – within the bomb bay. The prototypes were constructed and flight testing began only in 1948 but proved promising enough for the project to be continued. It was only once it became clear that the XF-85’s performance was poorer than that of the competition and there were difficulties with docking, that the project was cancelled. The USAF continued examining the concept of parasite fighter until the Boeing B-47 demonstrated performance that made them unnecessary. (Artwork by Goran Sudar)