▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁there ▁was ▁military ▁interest ▁in ▁par as ite ▁f igh ters ▁– ▁f ighter ▁aircraft ▁intended ▁to ▁be ▁carried ▁into ▁a ▁combat ▁zone ▁by ▁a ▁larger ▁aircraft , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁bom ber . ▁If ▁the ▁bom ber ▁were ▁threatened , ▁the ▁par as ite ▁would ▁be ▁released ▁to ▁defend ▁it . ▁Par as ite ▁f igh ters ▁have ▁never ▁been ▁highly ▁successful ▁and ▁have ▁s eld om ▁been ▁used ▁in ▁combat . ▁A ▁major ▁dis adv antage ▁of ▁a ▁par as ite ▁aircraft ▁was ▁that ▁it ▁reduced ▁the ▁payload ▁capacity ▁of ▁the ▁car rier ▁aircraft . ▁Project s ▁for ▁this ▁type ▁were ▁designed ▁to ▁overcome ▁the ▁great ▁dispar ity ▁in ▁range ▁between ▁bom bers ▁and ▁their ▁esc ort ▁f igh ters . ▁Development ▁of ▁aer ial ▁ref uel ing ▁has ▁made ▁par as ite ▁f igh ters ▁ob sole te . ▁▁ 1 9 1 0 s ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁par as ite ▁f igh ters ▁were ▁launched ▁and ▁recovered ▁from ▁tra pe zes ▁mounted ▁extern ally ▁to ▁military ▁air ships . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁Ne ville ▁Us bor ne ▁and ▁another ▁British ▁officer ▁worked ▁on ▁a ▁plan ▁to ▁lift ▁a ▁BE . 2 C ▁f ighter ▁under ▁a ▁SS - class ▁non - rig id ▁air ship . ▁This ▁would ▁allow ▁the ▁f ighter ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁height ▁of ▁a ▁ra iding ▁Ze ppel in ▁rapidly ▁while ▁also ▁conser ving ▁fuel . ▁In ▁the ▁first ▁experimental ▁flight ▁on ▁ 2