Radioplane XKD4R
XKD4R | |
---|---|
Role | Target drone |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | Radioplane
|
First flight | January 1958 |
Primary user | United States Navy |
Developed into | AQM-38 |
The Radioplane XKD4R, known by the company designation RP-70, was an American
Design and development
The XKD4R was an air-launched target drone, powered by a single Aerojet solid-fuel rocket engine which exhausted through nozzles located at the trailing edges of the wing.[1] Constructed largely of molded plastic,[1] it utilized an unconventional control configuration, consisting of three canard control fins located forwards, one on top of and one on either side of the fuselage, and fixed horizontal fins at the rear. An autopilot controlled the drone after launch; at the end of an approximately nine-minute flight, a parachute was deployed for recovery.[2]
Operational history
Conducting its first flight in January 1958,
Specifications (XKD4R-1)
Data from Parsch[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: None
- Length: 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m)
- Wingspan: 5 ft (1.5 m)
- Gross weight: 305 lb (138 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Aerojet 530NS35 solid-fuel rocket, 37 lbf (0.16 kN) thrust burn time 530 sec
Performance
- Maximum speed: Mach Mach 0.95
- Endurance: 9 minutes
- Service ceiling: 60,000 ft (18,000 m)
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
- Citations
- Bibliography
- ISBN 9780870216466.
- Parsch, Andreas (2003). "Radioplane KD4R". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles Appendix 1: Early Missiles and Drones. designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2011-01-28.