Skyhookers: An Illustrated History of Hook-on Aircraft and Their Dirigible Motherships

From the First World War's Zeppelins to the Second World War's large bombers, military aircraft were vulnerable to fast, manoeuvrable interceptors. To address this, fighter escorts were used, but their limited range often left bombers exposed. A solution was the use of Composite aircraft, where larger bombers carried smaller, short-range fighters, which could be launched and retrieved as needed.

Zeppelins, particularly vulnerable to interceptors, were ideal for this concept. During the First...