Martin XF3M-1 'Mighty Mite'

In the immediate afterwar years, the U.S. Army Air Force and the U.S. Navy started a series of joint evaluation programs which for the most part proved unsuccessful. The Martin Model 233 Mighty Mite was the Navy's own parasite fighter, evaluated in parallel with the Air Force's McDonnell XF-85 Goblin under the designation XF3M-1. Slightly bigger and heavier than the Goblin, the Mighty Mite first flew in August 1948 and handled much better, but fell a victim of changing requirements. When the Navy's involvement in the program ceased abruptly early in 1949, some of the XF3M-1's successful features were incorporated in the Goblin, but this itself was canceled a few months later.


"Don't believe everything you read or see!!"

© Stéphane Beaumort / AviaDesign 2012