W
Wingknut
Guest
Put this under ‘Theoretical and Speculative’ because I cannot find a designer or aircraft manufacturer listed but here is an intriguing idea for parasite bombers, attributed to Germany, from the October 1916 Popular Mechanics:
“A ("destroyer") aircraft bomber is to be launched from a "battleship" aircraft for a one-two punch of carpet and strategic bombing. The large "mother ship" was to have a 143' wingspan, making it a monster of a plane for the time. It would enough fuel and oil to keep it aloft for 48 hours, and also have a 1000-pound payload "of bombs", and a crew of five, two of whom would be wingwalkers firing machine guns. And another plane. The smaller aircraft was "equipped with bomb-dropping devices" and was to be launched for a special raid and/or to ward off enemy attack planes. But the fly in the ointment, says the article, was getting the smaller aircraft back to the larger one--launching was no problem; landing was.”
http://longstreet.typepad.com/thesciencebookstore/2016/03/an-underwater-lighthouse-and-a-piggy-back-bomber-1916.html
“A ("destroyer") aircraft bomber is to be launched from a "battleship" aircraft for a one-two punch of carpet and strategic bombing. The large "mother ship" was to have a 143' wingspan, making it a monster of a plane for the time. It would enough fuel and oil to keep it aloft for 48 hours, and also have a 1000-pound payload "of bombs", and a crew of five, two of whom would be wingwalkers firing machine guns. And another plane. The smaller aircraft was "equipped with bomb-dropping devices" and was to be launched for a special raid and/or to ward off enemy attack planes. But the fly in the ointment, says the article, was getting the smaller aircraft back to the larger one--launching was no problem; landing was.”
http://longstreet.typepad.com/thesciencebookstore/2016/03/an-underwater-lighthouse-and-a-piggy-back-bomber-1916.html
