The Hydra Parasit is a flying bomb designed for the 2011 Marvel feature film ‘Captain America’, carried by a large Flying Wing in a set of eight. The 2R marking on this early test version defined its spot in the wing, second right. Early concept drawings and models were created to explore the taste of director Joe Johnston. The simplistic teardrop shape on the right got picked (see first image left), with pusher props and a cockpit positioned far back. A futuristic forward facing cockpit was also considered (see second image with design models), but was difficult to film in particular scenes. So the front of the final design turned into the bomb device itself. Counter-rotating twin props were later dropped in favor for a more experimental drive.
The advanced prop-jet drive system consists of a three blade rotor spinning freely around the fuselage, and ram jets mounted on their tips. The rotor spins in the air speed of the traveling carrier plane, allowing the ram jet to fire up before the Parasit deploys. Fuel is guided from the fuselage through the blades. This reaction torque free system was in fact researched in the 40ies by German maker Focke-Wulf.
The white line through the middle of the craft marks the separation between plane and bomb. Once the massive shell is deployed, the stubby remains of the plane could return to the carrier, but that important feature was never tested before the first mission. Armament is poor due to its mission characteristics. Arbitrary coats of rough paint on the belly, and temporary chalk message on the front are proof of its hectic development.
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