Interest in extending the range of scout and fighter airplanes has ever been
the desire of the military. The ability to scout ahead of fleets in naval exercises,
and to engage the enemy in the air far ahead of the front has great advantages. The
desire for such abilities led designers to creative means. One of the most
interesting experiments involved carrying airplanes in the bellies of airships. As
early as 1915, tests were conducted in Great Britain to determine the viability of such an
arrangement. This early attempt proved fatal to the pilot however, and it was not
until the 1918 that the first successful deployment of an airship-launched fighter was
achieved.
Sopwith 2F.1 Camel attached to British airship R.23
On November 6, 1918, A British Sopwith 2F.1 Camel, flown by Lieutenant R.E.
Keys was launched from the obsolete airship R.23. This was later followed up with a
successful retrieval of two DeHavilland DH-54's using the British airship R.33.
Two DeHavilland DH-54's attached to the British airship R.33
It was the United States, however, that developed and refined the concept
throughout the 1920's & 1930's. The US Army Air Service experimented with
hook-ons in 1923-1924. Using a Sperry Messenger airplane and Army Corps blimps, the
TC-7 and TC-3, the Army conducted numerous flights.
Sperry Messenger
Sperry Messenger hooked onto the US Army's TC-7 airship
On December 15, a successful launch and recovery was finally achieved. Despite the success of the program, the Army did nothing more with the concept. However, the Navy department was very interested in the possibilities for fleet scouting.
Building on the experiences of the U.S. Army Air Service and its experiments
with aircraft hook-ons to its airships, the Navy by 1925 had become seriously interested
in the concept. Tests were conducted using the
USS Los
Angeles and an old UO-1 land plane. A rigid 'trapeze' was installed on the
airship and flights were conducted. Later flights were conducted using a
Consolidated N2Y-1.
Consolidated N2Y-1 is released from Los Angeles trapeze
A decision was made to design the next generation of airships to include
internal airplane hangars or bays.
USS Akron
In September 1931, the Navy's newest airship
USS
Akron (ZRS-4) made her maiden flight. This new airship's design included an
airplane hangar aft of the control car and crew's quarters. At the time of her early
flights, however, no airplanes were carried onboard. It was not until February of
the following year that the trapeze (required to retrieve the airplanes was
installed). Unlike the device installed on the Los Angeles, the new design included
a winch which allowed crews to hoist the hooked-on airplane into the belly of the airship
where the plane was then transferred onto an overhead x-shaped trolley system and rolled
into one of the four spaces provided in the hangar. The hook-on operations finally
commenced in May, 1932. On May 4, 1932 a Consolidated N2Y-1 successfully hooked on
to the Akron's trapeze and was hoisted inside the giant airship's hangar.
Consolidated N2Y-1 successfully "traps" on to the USS Akron's trapeze May 4,
1932
Following the tests aboard the Akron, the Navy ordered a new airplane designed
specifically for the role of airship 'parasite' -- the
Curtiss
F9C-2. This stubby little airplane was designed by Curtiss according to the
Navy's specs which required an airplane small enough to fit inside the airship. The
first model, designated XF9C-1 flew in 1931, and following the installation of the 'sky
hook' made the first successful hook-on using the trapeze installed on the Los Angeles in
October, 1931.
Curtiss F9C-2 "Sparrowhawk"
Following major design changes, six production models of the XF9C-2 prototype
were ordered and designated as F9C-2 "Sparrowhawks". Eight Sparrowhawks
were eventually produced in all at the at the Curtiss Aeroplane Company plant in Buffalo.
NY. The first production model of the F9C-2 arrived at Lakehurst, New Jersey, Naval
Air Station in June 1932. This was the home base for the airship Akron for its sea patrol
duties off the East Coast. The remaining six were delivered in September l932 and began
operating as scouts from the Akron.
A Flight of Sparrowhawks over the New Jersey countryside
The new planes were never truly able to demonstrate their effectiveness to fleet operations. Following the acceptance and delivery to Lakehurst, the planes were relegated to training and demonstration flights only. Even the great airship herself was never utilized to her fullest potential, despite the pleadings of her commanding officer L. Cmdr. Charles E. Rosendahl. Sadly, the Akron was destroyed in a thunderstorm off the coast of New Jersey on April 3, 1933. Because of bad weather, her planes were left behind at Lakehurst.
On April 20, 1933, the Navy's last airship
USS Macon
(ZRS-5) was launched, under the command of Lt. Cmdr. Herbert Wiley. The
remaining Sparrowhawks were assigned to the new airship. Still, the Navy brass
refused to allow the airship to demonstrate it full potential, and the assigned airplanes
with her. Finally, in October the Macon was transferred to the West Coast airship
base at Sunnyvale (NAS Moffit Field) to participate in fleet exercises. Thanks to
the developments in RDF (radio-direction finder) equipment, the little Sparrowhawks were
able to range well ahead of the airship. Their range was extended significantly by
removing the landing gear. Wiley was able to establish a 200-mile-wide scouting path
ahead of the fleet.
Rare photo of a Sparrowhawk operating without landing gear
On July 19, 1934, just how effective these new aircraft were was demonstrated in a well-publicized stunt. President Roosevelt was aboard the cruiser USS Houston steaming west across the Pacific towards Hawaii. At noon, to the astonishment of the ship's crew, two tiny aircraft were spotted diving toward the ship. As they were more than 1,500 miles from land it seemed impossible that any aircraft could have the range required to operate so far from any base. They also knew that no carriers were operating anywhere in the vicinity. The president enjoyed watching the airplanes as they circled the ship. Finally, the Macon appeared overhead. Following a series of exhibitions, during which the planes were recovered and winched into the airship's hangar, the planes dropped mail and messages before departing. The president radioed the airship's commanding officer congratulating him on a well executed maneuver. Wiley had proven that an airship with it's complement of airplanes properly deployed far surpassed the scouting capabilities of the fleet vessels.
Sadly, the Macon was destroyed on February 11, 1935. Following a successful fleet scouting exercise, the airship was returning to Sunnyvale when she encountered a rain squall. A violent wind gust wrenched the airship's top fin which tore away. The ship plunged into the ocean carrying her complement of Sparrowhawks with her. [Note: an interesting article which follows the exploration on the wreck of the Macon appeared in the National Geographic Magazine. Vaeth, Gordon. “U.S.S. [Macon:] Lost and Found,” National Geographic (January 1992), 114-127].
The era of airship parasite aircraft ended with the loss of the Navy's last airship. Interest in parasite aircraft remained however. Experiments involving one airplane carrying another were undertaken throughout the late 1930's and into World War II. Even as late as the 1950's tests were still being conducted involving parasite aircraft. By that time however, the advances in air-to-air refueling made the concept irrelevant.
