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| Reginald Denny & The Radioplane Oq-2 | ] | ||
| Radioplane Btt Family (Shelduck) | ] | ||
| Northrop Ventura Gam-67 Crossbow, Aqm-38 | ] | ||
| Early Us Mach 2 Targets: Aqm-35, Aqm-60, Mqm-42a | ] | ||
| Beech Mqm-39a / Mqm-61a Cardinal | ] | ||
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Revision as of 20:39, 25 December 2005
Unmanned aircraft, known variously as "drones", "remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs)", and now "unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)", have been a feature of aviation for much of its history, though in limited or secondary roles. In the 21st century, the technology seems to be headed towards greatly expanded use. This document outlines the history, current technology, and future prospects of UAVs.
Early US Target Drones
The first important use of robot aircraft was as targets for anti-aircraft gunnery training. Target "drones" were introduced into wide-scale service for this application during World War II, forming a basis for their widespread use after the war. This chapter provides a survey of American target drones of World War II and the postwar period.
Reginald Denny & The Radioplane Oq-2
Radioplane Btt Family (Shelduck)
Northrop Ventura Gam-67 Crossbow, Aqm-38
Early Us Mach 2 Targets: Aqm-35, Aqm-60, Mqm-42a
Beech Mqm-39a / Mqm-61a Cardinal
Modern US Target Drones
Early target drones were not much more sophisticated than hobbyist's radio controlled (RC) model airplanes. The only payload they could handle was a towed target sleeve. In time, target drones became more sophisticated, carrying countermeasures, scoring devices, active or passive radar enhancement devices, and tow targets.
Modern target drones are usually launched by aircraft; or off a rail using solid-fuel rocket assisted takeoff (RATO) boosters; or hydraulic, electromagnetic, or pneumatic catapult. Very small target drones can be launched by an elastic bungee catapult. Few target drones have landing gear, and so they are generally recovered by parachute or, in some cases, by a skid landing. This chapter provides a survey of modern US target drones.
Ryan Bqm-34 Firebee I
Ryan Bqm-34 Firebee Ii
Beech Aqm-37 / Teledyne-Ryan Aqm-81 Firebolt / Osc Ssst
Northrop Chukar I, Ii, & Iii
Beech Mqm-107 Streaker / Cei Bqm-167 Skeeter
Us Army Fqm-117 Targets / Bats
Full-Scale Aircraft Targets
International Target Drones
Target drones are not particularly difficult to build, and though US-manufactured target drones are in service over much of the world, such drones are manufactured by other countries. However, given the obscurity of the subject, it is difficult to find information on non-US targets. This chapter summarizes what is available.
Australian Gaf Jindivik
British Meggitt Defence Systems Banshee
British Flight Refueling (Frl) Falconet
French Aerospatiale Ct.20, Ct.22, Ct.41
French Cac Systemes Fox-Ts3, Mini-Fox, Eclipse
Italian Meteor P.1, P.70, Mirach 100
South African Kentron Skua
The Lightning Bug Reconnaissance Drones
The success of drones as targets led to their use for other missions. The well-proven Ryan Firebee was a good platform for such experiments, and tests to evaluate it for the reconnaissance mission proved highly successful. A series of reconnaissance drones derived from the Firebee, known generally as "Lightning Bugs", were used by the US to spy on Vietnam, China, and North Korea in the 1960s and early 1970s. This chapter discusses the Lightning Bugs.
Ryan Model 136 / Fire Fly / Ryan Model 147a
Lightning Bug / Model 147b
Lightning Bugs In Combat (1964:1965)
Lightning Bugs Over Southeast Asia (1966)
Lightning Bugs Over Southeast Asia (1967:1968)
The Last Days Of The Lightning Bugs (1969:1975)
Lightning Bug Summary
Secret US Reconnaissance Drones / Soviet Reconnaissance Drones
The Lightning Bugs were not the only long-range reconnaissance drones developed in the 1960s. The US developed other, more specialized reconnaissance drones: the Ryan "Model 154", the Ryan and Boeing "Compass Copes", and the Lockheed "D-21", all of which were more or less cloaked in secrecy.
The USSR also developed a number of reconnaissance drones, though since everything the Soviets did was cloaked in secrecy, details of these aircraft are unclear and contradictory. This chapter outlines the history of the Model 154, the Compass Cope, and the D-21, and surveys what is known about Soviet reconnaissance drones.
Ryan Model 154 / Compass Cope
Lockheed D-21 Tagboard
Soviet Reconnaissance Drones
Decoys
While drones were evolving from simple targets to long-range reconnaissance platforms, they were also being developed as decoys, a logical extension of their role as targets. This chapter describes the evolution of decoy drones.
Adm-20 Quail Decoy
Brunswick Decoys / Tald / Itald
Chukar Decoys In The Gulf War
Northrop Grumman Miniature Air-Launched Decoy (Mald)
US Battlefield UAVs (1)
The usefulness of robot aircraft for reconnaissance was demonstrated in Vietnam. At the same time, early steps were being taken to use them in active combat at sea and on land, but battlefield UAVs would not come into their own until the 1980s. This chapter covers early US efforts to acquire a battlefield UAV capability.
Battlefield Uavs
The Dash Helicopter Drones / Seamos
Us Battlefield Uavs In The Gulf War: Pioneer / Exdrone / Pointer
Flops (1): Aquila / Brave 200
Flops (2): Hunter / Sky Owl
Flops (3): Outrider
US Battlefield UAVs (2)
After some fumbling, the US military now seems to be acquiring a effective fleet of battlefield UAVs. The US military is entering a new era in which UAVs will be critical to SIGINT payloads, or ECM systems should be in widespread use following 2010, with the UAVs controlled and relaying data back over high-bandwidth data links in real time, linked to ground, air, sea, and space platforms. The trend had been emerging before the American war in Afghanistan in 2001:2002, but was greatly accelerated by the use of UAVs in that conflict. This chapter describes contemporary American tactical UAV systems.
Us Army Rq-7a Shadow 200 / Shadow 600
Rq-8a / Rq-8b Fire Scout
Bai Aerosystems Bqm-147 Dragon Drone
Bell Eagle Eye
US Battlefield UAVs (3)
This chapter completes the discussion of US battlefield UAVs by describing systems that have seen relatively limited service, or are currently highly experimental.
S-Tec Sentry, Sentry Hp, Neptune
Ryan Model 324 Scarab, Bqm-145a Medium Range Uav
Sikorsky Cipher / Aurora Goldeneye / Aerovironment Skytote
Freewing Scorpion
Boeing X-50 Dragonfly & A160 Hummingbird / Ucar
Insitu Aerosonde & Scaneagle Mini-Uavs
International Battlefield UAVs (1)
Battlefield UAVs are now in use or development all over the world. This chapter discusses battlefield UAV developments in Israel, Canada, and France.
Origins Of Israeli Battlefield Uavs
Israeli Uavs: Mastiff, Scout, & Searcher Series
Israeli Uavs: Eye-View & Harpy
Israeli Uavs: Sniper, Micro-V, & Hermes 180
Canadian Uavs: Canadair Cl-89, Cl-289
Canadian Uavs: Canadair Cl-227, Cl-327, Cl-427
French Uavs: Mart, Crecerelle, & Sperwer
French Uavs: Fox, K100, Heliot, & Vigilant
International Battlefield UAVs (2)
Italian Uavs: Meteor & Mirach Series
British Uavs: Phoenix & Watchkeeper
Swiss Uavs: Ranger
German Uavs: Kzo, Taifun, & Luna
Russian Uavs: Yak-61 Shmel, Kamov Ka-137
Eads Orka 1200, Scorpio, Surveyor
Other International Battlefield Uavs
The Prehistory Of Endurance UAVs
The idea of designing a UAV that could remain in the air for a long time has been around for decades, but only became an operational reality in the 21st century. Endurance UAVs for low-altitude and high-altitude operation, the latter sometimes referred to as "high-altitude long-endurance (HALE)" UAVs, are now in full service. This chapter describes the evolution of the endurance UAV concept.
Beamed Power Uav Experiments
Compass Dwell & The Xqm-93
Solar-Powered Uavs: Halsol & Solar Happ
Condor & Amber
General Atomics Gnat-750
Modern US Endurance UAVs
After a slow emergence, endurance UAVs are now an important military asset. This chapter describes modern US endurance UAV technology.
General Atomics Predator
Predator In Service / Mq-1 Armed Predator
Mq-9 Predator B Development
Rq-3a Darkstar Uav / Classified Darkstar Follow-On
Northrop Grumman Rq-4a Global Hawk / Sensor Craft
International Endurance UAVs
Endurance UAVs are now being built around the world. This chapter provides a short review.
Israeli Iai Malat E-Hunter, Heron
Israeli Silver Arrow Hermes 450, Hermes 450s, & Hermes 1500
International Endurance Uav Efforts
The NASA ERAST HALE UAV Program
The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration has been a particular focus of HALE UAV development, though the agency's "Environmental Research Aircraft & Sensor Technology (ERAST)" program, outlined in this chapter.
Prelude: The Nasa Mini-Sniffer Program
The Nasa Erast Program
Aurora Flight Systems Perseus & Theseus
General Atomics Erast Uavs
Scaled Composites Proteus
The Bmdo Raptor Uavs
Aerovironment Demonstrator 2 / Aerovironment Solar Powered Uavs
UCAVs
One of the latest trends in UAVs is the "uninhabited combat air vehicle (UCAV)", or robot strike aircraft. This chapter outlines current developments in UCAVs.
Ucav Origins
Usaf / Boeing X-45 Ucav
Us Navy / Northrop Grumman X-47a Pegasus Ucav
Us Joint Unmanned Combat Air System (J-Ucas)
Minion Ucav / Hunter-Killer
International Ucav Development Efforts
Miniature UAVs
Another growth field in UAVs are miniature UAVs, ranging from "micro-aerial vehicles (MAVs)" that can be carried by an infantryman to man-portable UAVs that can be carried and launched like an infantry anti-aircraft missile. This chapter outlines developments in miniature UAVs.
Mavs & Mesicopters
Mavs Rethought
Gun-Launched & Parasite Uavs
Man-Portable Uavs
Miscellaneous Topics
This chapter covers a variety of topics that didn't fit neatly into the rest of the document
Nasa Aerodynamic Test Uavs
Nasa Mars Uavs
Uav Regulatory Issues