Radioplane Q-1
Q-1 | |
---|---|
Radioplane YQ-1B | |
Role | High-speed target drone |
Manufacturer | Radioplane Company |
First flight | 1950 |
Primary user | U.S. Air Force
|
Number built | 34 |
Developed into | GAM-67 Crossbow |
The Radioplane Q-1 was an American
Design and development
Shortly after its formation in 1948, the United States Air Force issued a specification calling for a new type of high-speed target drone. Required to be jet-powered to provide the most realistic training, the contract for the development of the drone was given to the Radioplane Company, later a division of Northrop.[1]
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Operational history
The first flight of the XQ-1 prototype took place in 1950; 28 aircraft of the type were built.
Known by the company as RP-50 and designated by the USAF as YQ-1B, the revised drone flew for the first time during 1953, being evaluated by the Air Force later that year. Using the YJ69 engine, the air intake for the jet was relocated to the nose of the aircraft, while the airframe overall was modified to increase the streamlining of the craft.[1] The rocket-sled launch was abandoned in favor of air launching, with the Douglas DB-26 being the most common carrier aircraft.[1]
Six YQ-1Bs were built for evaluation; they proved trouble-free, no production order for the type was undertaken, the competing
Variants
- XQ-1
- Initial pulsejet-powered prototype with single tail; later refitted with twin tails. 28 built.[1]
- XQ-1A
- Turbojet-powered version. One modified from XQ-1.[1]
- YQ-1B
- Definitive turbojet-powered version, six built.[1]
- XQ-3
- Variant planned to be constructed of fiberglass, none built.[1]
Specifications (YQ-1B)
Data from [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: None (UAV)
- Length: 18 ft 4 in (5.59 m)
- Wingspan: 14 ft 4.5 in (4.382 m)
- Height: 4 ft 5 in (1.35 m)
- Max takeoff weight: 1,800 lb (816 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Continental YJ69-T-3 turbojet, 880 lbf (3.9 kN) thrust
Performance
- Maximum speed: 345 mph (555 km/h, 300 kn)
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
- List of military aircraft of the United States
- List of unmanned aerial vehicles
References
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Newcome, Laurence R. (2004). Unmanned aviation: a brief history of unmanned aerial vehicles. Reston, Virginia: ISBN 1-56347-644-4. Retrieved 2010-04-15.
- Parsch, Andreas (2003). "Radioplane Q-1". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles Appendix 1: Early Missiles and Drones. designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2010-04-15.
- Yenne, Bill (2004). Attack of the Drones: A History of Unmanned Aerial Combat. St. Paul, MN: Zenith Press. ]