What ever happened to Flying Aircraft Carriers?
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- Опубліковано 18 чер 2024
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0:00 - Introduction
2:04 - The mission behind the carriers
4:19 - First attempts at building them
8:39 - Choosing the carrier craft
12:55 - Building the parasite fighter
18:13 - How would it work inside the carrier?
22:23 - How the flying carrier would be used
25:44 - What happened to flying carriers?
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The INSANE history of FLYING AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
in 1983 the Soviets shot down a 747 carrying 269 people.., men women and children. Their excuse, that it was an American top secret spy plane.
A unforgivable, horrible mistake… but as it turns out, the Americans were planning to turn a 747 into just that... a top secret, weapon of mass destruction.
High above the Indian ocean flies an insane new aircraft.
What looked like a simple Boeing 747 is quickly revealed to be much more. Ten small parasite fighter interceptors launch from the bays and fly forward, engaging in enemy aircraft and securing the local airspace.
And then like their arrival, they vanish into the middle of the ocean - starting the new age of flying carrier aircraft.
Airborn Aircraft Carriers would allow fighter jet sorties to get into the action in one third of time of a battle group, carry more firepower than a ground-based fighter squadron, and be used for everything from bomber defense, deep strike attacks or interception. It was such a revolutionary concept that air force predicted that it would make sea-based aircraft carriers obseulte by the year 2000.
But what you might not know, is that this 747 concept isn’t the only design…
Both Lockheed and Boeing were given the impossible challenge to make a mothership aircraft and design an advanced fighter jet that could go toe to toe with russias best, and keep the entire project top secret.
This is the incredible tale to build the worlds most insane weapon - the flying aircraft carrier!
In the fall of 1973, the US government commissioned an impressive study called “INVESTIGATION OF A -MICRO-FIGHTER /AIRBORNE AIRCRAFT CARRIER CONCEPT”
and boy this is a long and detailed document with strategies, plans for operation, alternative nuclear-powered prototypes and a heck of a lot more
The study had three objectives
Decide on the carrier craft
Choose the parasite aircraft that would go inside them
And how the airborn aircraft carrier would be used in Europe, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean.
The first, choosing the actual carrier aircraft, was harder than you might think.
Flying Aircraft carriers were not a new concept at all by the 1970s. The US military had proposed such a design before using airships and biplanes flying underneath them,such as the Macon and Akron.
They could hold up to 5 curtis F9cs each and did successfully launch and recover them,
but the us navy found that weather conditions would render the airship useless - losing both airships with fatalities in such cercumstances.
As airships themselves were phased out, you know, Hindenburg, the idea was abandoned.
That is until the Russian’s started building flying carriers.
They converted a soviet TB-3 bomber from world war 2 into a mothership that could launch five fighter aircraft.
America being America, realised that the carrier race had begun and restarted the program.
They chose the Convair b-36 as a base aircraft. As it was a powerful bomber, it would have an excellent carrying capacity to carry jets as escorts.
But while the B-36 carrier was an easy choice, the parasite aircraft was harder to figure it out.
They concluded they would need to redesign a plane from the ground up -
and the Mcdonnell XF-85 was the result.
Called affectionately the goblin, this micro fighter would be the perfect escort fighter for the b-36 as it did bombing missions all over the world.
Alas - while the xf-85 performed well in tests, they never got them to work together.
The reason was the way that the carrier would recover its mini fighters after a mission.
Take-off was fine, but when pilots returned back to the bomber plane, they would have difficulting navigating the slipstream and hitting the tiny target on the landing trapeze. Factor in how tired the pilots would be after a combat mssion at 20,000 feet and you can see how this was a hard nugget to crack.
This idea makes a lot more sense with drones. Imagine how many ucavs you could stack in a C5...
They are basically working on it with c-130 carrying recoverable loitering munitions
@@camp002 UCAV and Loitering Munitions are different. LM cannot engange enemy aircraft
@@user-eq9xs5fz9u For now, but US really into it right now. Those launch and recovery system also can work with future system that can engage other aircrafts. But that is the future plan for now.
arsenal bird would like a word
Hey hold on there buddy dont give the americans or the chinese any ideas now.
Ace combat 7 vibes be chillin
Always has been, Belka didn't do wrong though
Ikr
ARSENAL BIRDDDDD
Those damn Belkans
@@generaltank6634 yes
I think its still crazy Japan built a submarine aircraft carrier in WW2...The l-400 class, fully operational being able to fit 3 attack aircraft inside, while also being able to launch them. Truly an engineering marvel. You never know whats possible!
At the end of the day, bureaucracy, profit margins, mission requirements and as well as some conservatism, is always a reason for many of these projects just never seeing more than paper. Also interesting fact, the I-400 class were just the largest of Japan's aircraft carrying cruiser submarines, Japan actually operated around 35 submarines that could launch and recover sea-planes. They ranged from carrying 1 to 2 and were mostly used for scout missions while the I-400s were purpose built to house attack aircraft. The aircraft carrying Submarines are basically the evolution of what happens when brilliant engineers with a vision and government officials actually align in thinking and push ahead with projects like these. Imagine if Japan actually continued with the aircraft carrying Submarines after WWII. You'd have some very interesting drone carriers now.
Problem was each Axis partner had a part that together would have made for a devastating weapon system, but they were so concerned with state security that they never told each other what they had.
Picture this, combining the Japanese I-400 submarine with the German V-1 (or better the V-2) rocket system. No pilot so no need to risk the sub to recover a pilot, just surface, launch the missile, then dive again. Basically what the US did when it built the first ballistic missile submarine.
@@STSWB5SG1FAN Ironically the German's actually had a plan like this for a V2 launching U-Boat but they didn't have the resources to build a large enough U-Boat to carry it. While Japan had the I-400 class which was large enough to actually carry V2s and could also easily be turned into V1 carriers as well. On the topic of the V1s.
Japan's Type AM to Type B4 Submarines could easily carry a few V1s and launch them, they had the catapults and everything for it. If Japan and Germany had combined their powers like the Allies had, the war might've actually lasted longer since the nations would then have been able to combine their economies as well.
@Bernard Gilbert That's essentially why we don't have submarine aircraft carriers today. A missile is more practical for a sub in terms of internal space requirements, launching time, and not needing recovery.
@AliMuHaHamPi Let's quote your Quran. "Respect the people of the Book". That means every Muslim must RESPECT the Jews, Christians and Muslims, (even those from different sects, so you MUST stop killing Sufi and other sect members who you just hate).
And another quote from the Quran. "In the end we are all but dust, and to dust we will return. And on that day Allah will reveal to us, the TRUTH on which we differ".
So therefore YOU cannot decide anything about other faiths, because you might be in error.
"By and by when each nation has 20,000 battleships and 5,000,000 soldiers we shall all be safe and the wisdom of statesmanship will stand confirmed."
- Mark Twain
Funny that the world wars saw armies of 5 million, but battleships never passed double digits. l
… this singular game, which is so costly and so ruinous and so silly, is called statesmanship.
Twain was being typically ironic, in case you couldn't tell.
@@WelcomeToDERPLAND A classic case of mixing apples and oranges.
Well, nations with weapons capable of sinking 20,000 battleships and killing 5,000,000 soldiers haven't fought each other directly...
When thumbnail mentioned "Arsenal Bird", I know at the moment, it can be a game changing.
Well, it's not the best idea
I feel like anyways
Anyone else thinking of Ace Combat?
@@alexlascu2136 yes
Yes
If possible you might also look at the Boeing 747 cruise missile carrier. Basically a flying arsenal ship
I'm 99% sure he's covered that already
ua-cam.com/video/Wko2Gh2Pugs/v-deo.html
@@CrispyPratt yeah he did
Is a better modern concept for ground strike
combine two carriers with the gunship in a triple boom setup to get the Boeing Battlestar
Concept is closer to something like the Aigaion from AC 6, but even acknowledging AC with the Arsenal Bird is more than good enough.
Yeah
the cl-1201 is much closer to arsenal birds than these micro fighter carriers
aigaion from ac6 and xb0 from ac0 would fit the bill much more precise
The only thing that I have trouble with this is that they presented these parasite fighter as being able to do more than just point defense, when they only had guns and aim-9s. Perhaps they could have swapped the aim-9s for bombs or rockets, but I don't think they could have taken much with how small they were.
Perhaps cas and strike bombing?
@@mondaysinsanity8193 Cas could be done with a2g missiles and gun, or they could have one equiped with targeting pods for cruise missile that a B-747 cruise missile launcher would deliver if you want strike without adding too much weight to these fighters ..
@@nemesis7774 better cost effectiveness to have a cruise missile dispenser on it than parasite fighters
@@nothingtoseehere1221 I think it's better to have both in case the enemy has some long range sams or interceptors, so the parasite fighter of the B-747 plane carrier can defend the cruise missile truck variant..
Yeah with the tech they had they were pretty useless. Midget fighters were built in the interwar years and WW2 and were proven to be useless since they werent that much smaller or that much cheaper than a full sized fighter but performed so terribly that they may be 50% the size but you'd need a handful just to win against 1 normal fighter. The idea might work in the future with drones though since we've got better power to weight ratios, lighter but more deadly weapons, and with the range of fighters today they can focus on ground attack missions rather than worrying about being intercepted
Hey gang! This is a special video, I've always wanted to cover the topic of flying aircraft carriers but only if I could bring something new to the table that wasn't discussed elsewhere! So enjoy a 30-minute video all about the 747 and its many other attempts to realize that incredible concept of a flying mothership! :)
LOL!
Thank you 😊
It will or is already done but with drones, just imagine, a swarm of drone lauch over a battlefied destroying all missile laucher, long randge canons, radard... Or an other version can be to lauch it in front of a fleet of fighters to clean the way...
X-38!!!!!!!
@@andreb.8266 I had an idea for a possible flying aircraft carrier that could carry manned fighters!!
I can see this being a legit concept with today's drone AI tech. Interesting and well done video!
Add in some AWACS capability and sat com and control and presto! You have a whole package standoff attack and reconnaissance platform
Already is
N-nohohoho oh oh nohohoho strider 1 would like to enter the chat
Man, I must congratulate you because to study such content and convert it into a perfectly structured video isn't easy at all!!! Thank you for this effort and keep on doing such great work!
A simpler design was also considered where they opened the top of the fuselage, filled it with sea water, and had a normal seafaring aircraft carrier floating in it.
...oh, you!
Yeah but it flew pretty low, could only skim the top of water
Drone Carrier might be the answer we all need
Here goes Belkan witchcraft
I WAS LOOKING FOR THIS🤣
With some Estovakian red Su-33s
@@TheMemeDynamics gonna need a bigger mothership than lc1201
Phenomenal episode! Your best yet. The production value was excellent from end-to-end. You brought fresh insight to historical events and the twists and turns of the development of competing projects while "flying" the never-flown flying aircraft carrier designs. You have a top-flight collaboration team. Congratulations!
I've always wondered if the Arkbird from AC5 : Unsung War and Arsenal Bird from AC7 : Skies Unknown would be feasible to be built and operated irl.
Arkbird is more of a flying battleship, while Arsenal Bird is a flying aircraft carrier.
What if they change the design of the aircraft itself let,s say we change it to Star wars Imperial Star destroyer.🗼🕌
I want this.
To be honest, I'd like to see a world where things like these are real.
You can fight against one as a boss battle in the game “Ace Combat 7” but it only carries UAVs
Together we can fight to increase the budget of the military industrial complex to make this a reality🫶👨❤️💋👨
I want to see this in DCS
@ThyPeasantSlayer cool and terrifying
@@thypeasantslayer3621 Also in Crimson Skies and Air Power.
You're quite the Daredevil for teasing Ace Combat fans like this. Hopefully a laser-spitting flying wing is down the road here.
I see what you did there…
Very good explanation and animation about the dubious concept of Flying aircraft carriers. Rearming in the cramped storage of the B-747 fuselage would be very difficult, also the wake turbulence of the engines will make docking of parasite fighters a serious hazard, etc.
Mid-air refueling has made all of this pretty unnecessary. The only problem is that you can’t re-arm. If they could crack that somehow with a system that feeds munitions into the internal rotary bomb bays it would be perfect
@@BackFromTheRoad Parasite fighters for the B-747 were too large for its interior, which means that after 2-3 successful boarding it will be an incident that destroys both carrier B-747 and parasite plane. The only solution is the fighter which is slightly bigger than Bede Microjet, but it is too small to be useful for the military.
air turbulence from big air craft makes this imposable and was proved with the a crush in the New York which was down to 747 air turbulence
Instead of a 'Flying Aircraft Carrier', a 'Flying Battleship' was created using a B-52. I remember thinking about this during the first Gulf War when precision weapons were being extensively used, especially stand-off weapons, and the idea of using a B-52 as a Battleship came to mind. I have been an aviation enthusiast since I was a kid, and having ADD can often be an asset when it comes to coming up with some interesting ideas. I had just turned 16 when the war started and I was in driver's training, and the teacher caught me listening to the news on my radio during the class. He was actually pretty cool with this response because he wasn't mad.
Anyways... It seemed like a perfect idea since a B-52 can loiter for several hours, carry an incredible assortment of weapons, including: laser guided bombs, cruise missiles, 'dumb bombs', and with newer weapons like the SDB, etc. We have seen pallets of cruise missiles being deployed from a C-130, and possibly a C17. With the decision to re-engine the B-52 there has to be a solid, long-term plan in place to justify its existence. Logistics, Logistics, Logistics.
This was the dream mod of the B52 in the Dale Brown "Old Dog" novels.
'Flying Battleship'; I think I have heard that before .
What would that mean in terms of it's role?
ua-cam.com/video/7lrfdzU8k4k/v-deo.html
That is literally an AC-130.
I really love this concept and seeing another video of the concert with a fully detailed 3D render of it makes me so happy for some reason. Love it
When the title said Arsenal Bird, the first thing that came to mind was the Arsenal Bird from ace combat 7, although its more of a p-1112 from Ace combat 6. Would love to see a TLS though.
The ark bird from ac5
Mustard did a video on the 747 Mothership a few years ago, but you covered different details so I consider this a worthy sequel. Good job.
For the first time I think you finally outdid mustard on one of his own videos (and I love both you guys)
You really researched the hell out of this one and had some clever comparisons and insights. Well done mate.
That said, your sponsorship read in made it sound like Star Trek Fleet Command was the reason why it was so hard for the military to choose. Which is hilarious.
Trigger is in the chat.
12:57 that's when you need the X-02 Wyvern with the switchable wings.
16:55 add some arms to that and we'll have a VF-1 Valkyrie.
Aside from the improbable Lockheed CL-1201, 4500 ton nuclear powered flying aircraft carrier version (done by this channel), my favorite was when Bartini worked his 5000 ton GEV into an aircraft carrier.
Probably the least noncredible version of his GEV
That said, the CL-1201 to 1203s were _magnificent_ dreams.
I like how you said it was harder to choose the carrier mothership… thanks to today’s sponsor.
Damn interesting, and I appreciate all the animations you had done to demonstrate it all. Cool stuff.
This is the most detailed breakdown of the parasite fighters for this beast I've seen so far. Thanks for the upload!
Glad it was helpful! I know there are other videos on the topic and I really wanted to find a way to do it and add as much detail as possible. A lot of the other videos skimp out on what I think is the coolest part!
Flying aircraft carriers have been around longer than sea-based aircraft carriers. Zeppelins that raided London during WW1 occasionally carried fighters for close air support. The US Navy also had flying aircraft carriers, the USS Akron and USS Macron, which carried F9C-2 Curtiss Sparrowhawks for ocean scouting. They were developed during the Interwar period in the 1920s.
You are exactly right
That can work with drones 100%
Nice to see Arsenal Bird and Alicorn being mentioned on this channel, keep up the great work!
Wait?
This made me realize could you make a big aircraft that is designed in such a way to give so much airlift from the back that other smaller aircraft can glide on that air like a surfer on a wave behind a boat?
Still this video is crazy and an badass idea.
P-1112 Aigaion has entered the chat.
Arsenal Bird Liberty has entered the chat.
Arsenal Bird Justice has entered the chat.
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Arsenal Bird Liberty has left the chat.
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@@TheMemeDynamics P-1112 Aigaion has left the chat
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@@TheMemeDynamics *Galm 1 has joined the chat*
With content like this, a million subs can only be months away my friend. Absolutely amazing work!! 👍👍👍
I love watching these stories about military aircraft. You should do some more foreign planes if possible. Japan, UK, South Korea etc..
Great video: informative, and great graphics! Thanks! 😊
The idea of a 747 being used as a flying aircraft carrier sounds insane until you actually step inside one. They're absolutely enormous.
Idea: UAVs instead of actual fighters. It could work.
@iamarizonaball2642 Oh, definitely. You could fit multiple Predator drones into a 747. The issue is the wings. They'd have to be modified to be able to fold before being deployed or returned inside the carrier without compromising aerodynamics. It's theoretically doable. The real question is the cost-to-benefit ratio.
@@ManiaMac1613 why not fit missiles instead then? A massive missile carrier with anti air Mach 3 or hypersonic missiles could work.
They have that as a plan actually. I think for the C-130?
@@FoundAndExplained The Air Force did successfully turn a C-130 into a missile truck, but I think that was only for testing purposes. A B-52 would be a better choice. Right now I don't think we have anything in our operational inventory that's specifically outfitted to accommodate hypersonic missiles, but I expect it'll be a requirement for our next generation of strategic bombers.
The “missile carrier” variant of the 747 would have been more effective in a deep strike role rather than the AAC
This is a cool and informative video series. I enjoy watching it and learning of things I didn't know about.
Btw, where was the intro from?
All of these concepts reminds me of Gerry Anderson's shows like Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet or UFO. Can't believe they were actually thinking about making these plans operational! Wow!
This channel keeps getting better and better. Awesome.
The Air Force is doing something similar with the Rapid Dragon program. The air craft the cargo plane will deploy is a cruise missile(s). I can imagine that somewhere down the road, the Rapid Dragon concept will be applied to strike drones as well. Instead of deploying multiple cruise missiles, multiple well armed drones could be deployed that could all be controlled by a F-35 that is in the area....
Seems like a big problem is getting the miniaturized jets into a larger jet. Perhaps a return to propeller planes with modern weapons, external mounting, or trying again but with helicopters would work.
Great video 👏🏻
this is the best video from you so far i enjoyed all of it
I wish the drone project would get more funding. I’d love to see some kind of long range variant where they do in fact use the C-5 and it can carry perhaps even hundreds of them.
Hundreds????
Together we can fight to increase the budget of the military industrial complex to make this a reality🫶👨❤💋👨
in case you don't why it's "Arsenal bird" it references the boss from ace combat 7
I love the idea of parasite fighters! I honestly think it’d be so awesome to be walking around a plane and within minutes, be in a cockpit and being dropped from a plane.
I had an idea for a flying aircraft carrier it's a high tech hybrid blimp!!
Outstanding and absolutely fascinating!
The animation is absolutely top notch. What program / render-engine was used for the Boeing solution? I loved both the black-line graphic renders and more realistic animations of this amazing system.
Ace combat moment
>
Imagine if the soviets learned about this program and decided to do the same with the An-225
Unfortunately, they destroyed the only one in antonov airport so the other alternative would be the 124
There was a second unfinished Mriya but they sold it to the Chinese anyways
Edit: also, I recall they have done it long before with slow ass Tupolev TB-3 against Japanese forces in Manchuria before *their friend* started operation Barbarossa
Love this channel don’t stop bro
An drone carrier would be really cool and good to have a c 130 deploying mini killers that would take on hard to reach/see targets. I can't wait to see what the airforce does with this concept.
You and Mustard need to do a full on collab for a few videos, he did this topic a while back and I'd love to see the both of you work together on something.
Actually that might help with some of the nattering nabobs of negativity that think you and mustard are too similar. A collaboration would put that right to bed.
Ace combat 7 vibe
Holy shit! This is a full half hour!! That's so awesome!
Very interesting mate. Thanks for sharing. 👍
Ah yes, the Amazon Drone Hub
Can only imagine the fireball this would create. It'd be like a 2nd sun ☀️😎
Some of those strike fighters are seriously cool! Beautiful little planes!
Even with Mustard's video, the inside 3d view is amazing. 10/10 video
You should do a video about the obscure Boeing 747 Gunship the Boeing AC-25A Banshee it was a Gunship proposal for the 747 in the 80s.
Do you literally mean a 747 as an ac130???
@@shanedoesyoutube8001 yes.
I made a drawing for a concept for a flying aircraft carrier that is basically just an AN-225 but with new wings and engines, is amphibious and can carry full sized fighters like the F-35 or SU-57
I want to see it
@@floofles9473 I do have afew drawings lying around but I moved onto other projects lately
This was a cool idea, And I'm glad they at least mentioned drones. They didn't mention a missive point in the video though. The US has at least 750 bases spotted all around the world that we know of, most with air strips and an air force ready to go. Also many of the 12 know massive US aircraft carriers stationed around the world ready to go. They are basically a city on the sea! Those are only the things we know about. Then with the drones that are almost impossible for radar to detect it's just not needed to have an airship like this. The US military is already in your back yard wherever you live in the world for the most part.
“Flying aircraft carrier-“
**ace combat fans have entered the chat**
Yes
Arsenal Bird 😂
Go Gunners! 😆
Love those starfighters in the background!
THANK YOU. Someone FINALLY recognizes the Arsenal Bird concept stealing from this real life attempt. Love Ace Combat 7 and it’s real life inspirations.
If you doesnt used ace combat 7 ost as the backsong, you just commit a warcrime
He actually made a Ace Combat reference. I feel very happy
Wow so complex!! That is nuts.
The B-36 did carry the RF-84K Thunderflash as a parasite reconnaissance platform. The GRB-36\RF-84K did become semi-operational as the 91st Strategic Reconnaissance Wing for about a year (sometime in 1955-1957). Boeing 747 was put forward as an ALCM carrier after the B-1A cancellation.
Man why da eruseans gotta come to life
I'm sure this is a project at area 51. It would be dumb not to be.
Fun Fact: The new US Bomber the B21 Raider is supposedly capable of launch drones that can assist in combat situations such as taking hits from missiles. As such if true its is a flying aircraft carrier
The miles o'brien thing was the most legit thing for an ad. "Save him from suffering"
Can you imagine of fleet of those 747 carriers hovering around a squad of CL-1201s with their own support jets what a fucking sight for the enemy
It’s fine. Trigger will take that thing down. Stick with Trigger, and you’ll make it.
I was almost expecting Daredevil from Ace Combat 7 being used somewhere in the video. Haha. Awesome topic. Thanks!
underrated channel, man you deserve more subs lmao
Great video as always
Nice complement to Mustard's video on this plane.
I would suggest the carrier to have a flat top, acting as a run way for the fighter to land. Collect the fighters back through the top hatch, and releasing the fighters from the bottom.
Fascinating and brilliantly put together, thank you.
Immediate Sub and Like.
Wow. Excellent video!
Too many too fast quality videos lately! I Just can't stop watching them. Fantastic work.
I can see the value for quicker refuel/rearm and go do a followup strikes faster than if they had to fly back to the carrier.
Most or all of my designs for a airborne carrier as a kid where massive flying boats. It might not have ever been a Aircraft carrier but the 747 was a Shuttle carrier.
The US Airforce and also the Navy I think, already used drone planes and drone helicopters during the Vietnam War.
These drones were more full size than today's miniature drones though.
Drones were used for target practice back in training but also for recon/photo missions where the airspace was too hot to risk a human pilot's life.
I feel like the optimal way to use this would be, make it so aircraft carriers could carry and launch it without hindering carrier operations and have fly routine patrols as a quick response, with its complement of fighters it could at least weaken the enemy before reinforcements arrive
Excellent video, but the B-36 parasite fighter was not an response to the Soviet flying carriers from before WW 2 as it was retired early in the war.
Granted it showed that this was doable with planes.
Puts me in mind of an Aircraft magazine article I read years ago " When Jumbo's go to War "..maybe now it would be Fighter unmanned Drones..
Excellent video
Mo from France
I read about this in British magazine called speed and power in the 1970's with the same plane's.
Also seems like the micro fighters could have been adapted to be ship based. They probably could have put a dedicated bay and launch system to accommodate a small micro fighter air group. With their shorter range, but much faster rearmament and refueling cycles, they might have been ideal for dedicated close in carrier group defense and protection. Their range would be perfect to provide cover for an aircraft carrier group, and the quick turnaround means once launched, you could maintain a constant air coverage. They may have even served a purpose of confusing inbound missiles by providing several dozen decoy targets swarming the actual aircraft carrier.
The Lockheed Very Large Plane could fulfill this role quite well, with the proper amount of testing experimentation. PS, the Folland Gnat would be great for this.
Now the trick is to take an in air tanker, fill it with small tube launched drones, have a bottom hatch with a net to catch the light drones as they return and just keep a flight of fighters alongside the fueler-carrier as the fueled can refuel the drones and its defensive screen for hours.
So weird -- just the other day, my roommate was all like, "Yo dude, you gotta do something with that C5 Galaxy taking up most of the garage, or finally get rid of it" Now that I know those patents are expired, I can finally put it to good use!
With the new VTOLs not needing a runway, a packable airfield that can be flown in unpacked quickly then repacked and moved would be more practical. It would also be harder to attack than a traditional static airfield.
This is almost the exact thing we are doing with drone fleets now especially for the B 21 and the F-35 only they're launched out of another aircraft or a carrier except for Nano drones which swarm your enemies there's plenty of videos on F-18 swarm drones even the White House anyway thanks for the video
Oh i see this one before it is a classic!