Mistel was the larger, unmanned component of a composite aircraft configuration developed in Germany during the later stages of World War II. The composite comprised a small piloted control aircraft mounted above a large explosives-carrying drone, the Mistel, and as a whole was referred to as the Huckepack ("Piggyback"), also known as the Beethoven-Gerät or Vati und Sohn.
A captured example of a Mistel trainer. United States Army personnel examined the aircraft.
Ju 88H and Fw 190 combined to form a model 3B Mistel
Model of the proposed Mistel Heinkel He 162 with an Arado E.377a glide bomb at the Technikmuseum Speyer
A Focke-Wulf Fw 190, equipped to be attached to a Mistel drone aircraft, RAF Museum Cosford, 2018
A composite aircraft is made up of multiple component craft. It takes off and flies initially as a single aircraft, with the components able to separate in flight and continue as independent aircraft. Typically the larger aircraft acts as a carrier aircraft or mother ship, with the smaller sometimes called a parasite or jockey craft.
Sopwith 2F.1 Camel suspended under airship R23
F9C Sparrowhawk on the Akron's trapeze
Bristol Scout on Porte Baby
Boeing EB-29 with FICON trapeze and McDonnell XF-85 Goblin parasite fighter