4 ▁never ▁left ▁the ▁experimental ▁stage . ▁By ▁contrast , ▁the ▁Empire ▁of ▁Japan ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁get ▁the ▁Y ok os uka ▁M XY 7 ▁Oh ka ▁kam ik aze ▁ro cket ▁plane ▁type ▁into ▁active ▁service , ▁typically ▁using ▁the ▁M its ub ishi ▁G 4 M ▁( B et ty ) ▁bom ber ▁class ▁to ▁carry ▁them ▁within ▁range . ▁However , ▁their ▁effect iveness ▁proved ▁minimal ▁in ▁part ▁because ▁Al lied ▁air ▁naval ▁defense ▁took ▁advantage ▁of ▁the ▁weight ▁of ▁the ▁par as it ical ▁aircraft ▁payload ▁slow ing ▁the ▁carrying ▁bom bers , ▁making ▁them ▁vulner able ▁to ▁inter ception ▁before ▁the ▁ro cket ▁plane ▁could ▁launch . ▁▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁Cold ▁War , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Air ▁Force ▁experiment ed ▁with ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁par as ite ▁f igh ters ▁to ▁protect ▁its ▁Con v air ▁B - 3 6 ▁bom bers , ▁including ▁the ▁dedicated ▁X F - 8 5 ▁G ob lin , ▁and ▁methods ▁of ▁either ▁carrying ▁a ▁Republic ▁F - 8 4 ▁Th under jet ▁in ▁the ▁bom ber ' s ▁bomb ▁bay ▁( the ▁F IC ON ▁project ), ▁or ▁attached ▁to ▁the ▁bom ber ' s ▁wing ti ps ▁( Project ▁Tom - Tom ). ▁One ▁configuration ▁studied ▁for ▁the ▁X F - 8 5 / B - 3 6 ▁combination ▁was ▁for ▁a ▁B - 3 6 ▁to ▁drop ▁the ▁X F - 8 5 ▁for ▁a ▁dash ▁across ▁enemy