The ZEL Concept
When I was a kid and read about the Zero Length Launcher Trials it was a WOW idea.
Now I believe it was the product of the Cold War Bomber Gap era when it was assumed that a Soviet first strike would be wave after wave of Bombers and the Fighters launched against them would have no Airfields to come back to. So use them and the highly trained pilots as SAMs.
The ZEL took that 'logic' to its ultimate conclusion. By putting the Aricraft and unfortunate Pilot on a SAM Launcher.
If I am wrong, then the logistics of the ZEL don't make sense. The fighter would need somewhere to land (OK Motorway/Freeway etc) but then would need facilities to either be transported to another ZEL and refuelled, rearmed, or the ZEL and refuelling and ordnance would have to be taken to the Aircraft. Combat Turnaround would have been very slow.
.
Probably I am missing something, so I await a PPRune guru to provide the truth :-)
DIH