Richard Hoffman

Curtiss F9c Sparrowhawk Airship Fighters (Naval Fighters, 79) Richard Hoffman

The F9C was the first fighter specifically designed to be dropped from mother airships. The plane would be lowered in the air stream hanging from a trapeze below the airship. The pilot would release the hook mechanism and fly to defend its airship. It would be retrieved inside the airship by hooking again on the trapeze. The Air Force also tried this and it is covered in this book.