Flying Forever - FICON

With the failure of the XF-85 Goblin parasite fighter design, SAC turned to a combination consisting of a B-36 bomber and a 'real' fighter, the Republic F-84, under the FICON (Fighter Conveyor) project.

The parent aircraft, modified and renamed GRB-36F, was tested with the straight-winged F-84E Thunderjet, swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak and the RF-84K Thunderflash. Apart from an obvious escort role, the potential for use of parasite aircraft in a reconnaissance role was appreciated.

Various techniques, including 'towing' the fighters from wingtip attachments, to carrying one in the bomb bay, were tried. The towing method required the fighters to use some of their own fuel and was discarded. A GRB-36 had the capability to carry an RF-84K below its fuselage up to 2,810 miles (4,522 km).

Another little-known experiment was Project "Tom Tom", the wing tip coupling of RF-84Fs with the giant B-36 (refer middle picture, above).

FICON was no mere experiment. Ten B-36 aircraft were converted to GRB-36 standard. A single SAC squadron of FICON aircraft, the 348th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron of 99 SRW at Fairchild AFB, Washington, was active for about a year, in 1955-56.

Ultimately, SAC turned to in-flight refuelling as a means of lengthening the range of its aircraft. In 1959, coincident with the end of B-36 service, SAC divorced itself from the operation of fighter aircraft.