Click on this banner to see the site home page.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

v1.2.0 / TOC / 01 jan 03 / gvgoebel@earthlink.net / public domain

* 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.

[1.0] US Target Drones

• [1.1] REGINALD DENNY / RADIOPLANE Q2-A, BTT FAMILY
  
• [1.2] NORTHROP GAM-67 CROSSBOW, AQM-38, AQM-35 / NORTH AMERICAN MQM-42A
  
• [1.3] BEECH MQM-39A / MQM-61A CARDINAL
  
• [1.4] RYAN BQM-34 FIREBEE & FIREBEE II
  
• [1.5] BEECH AQM-37 / TELEDYNE-RYAN AQM-81 FIREBOLT / OSC SSST
  
• [1.6] NORTHROP CHUKAR I, II, & III
  
• [1.7] BEECH MQM-107 STREAKER / CEI SKEETER
  
• [1.8] US ARMY FQM-117 TARGETS / BATS
  
• [1.9] FULL-SCALE AIRCRAFT TARGETS
  

[2.0] International Target Drones

• [2.1] AUSTRALIAN GAF JINDIVIK
  
• [2.2] BRITISH MEGGITT DEFENCE SYSTEMS BANSHEE
  
• [2.3] BRITISH FLIGHT REFUELING (FRL) FALCONET
  
• [2.4] FRENCH AEROSPATIALE CT.20, CT.22, CT.41
  
• [2.5] FRENCH CAC SYSTEMES FOX-TS3, MINI-FOX, ECLIPSE
  
• [2.6] ITALIAN METEOR P.1, P.70, MIRACH 100
  
• [2.7] SOUTH AFRICAN KENTRON SKUA
  

[3.0] The Lightning Bug Reconnaissance Drones

• [3.1] RYAN MODEL 136 / FIRE FLY / RYAN MODEL 147A
  
• [3.2] LIGHTNING BUG / MODEL 147B
  
• [3.3] LIGHTNING BUGS IN COMBAT ASIA (1964:1965)
  
• [3.4] LIGHTNING BUGS OVER SOUTHEAST ASIA (1966)
  
• [3.5] LIGHTNING BUGS OVER SOUTHEAST ASIA (1967:1968)
  
• [3.6] THE LAST DAYS OF THE LIGHTNING BUGS (1969:1975)
  
• [3.7] LIGHTNING BUG SUMMARY
  

[4.0] Secret US Reconnaissance Drones / Soviet Reconnaissance Drones

• [4.1] RYAN MODEL 154 / COMPASS COPE
  
• [4.2] LOCKHEED D-21 TAGBOARD
  
• [4.3] SOVIET RECONNAISSANCE DRONES
  

[5.0] Decoys

• [5.1] ADM-20 QUAIL DECOY
  
• [5.2] BRUNSWICK DECOYS / TALD / ITALD
  
• [5.3] CHUKAR DECOYS IN THE GULF WAR / IMI DELILAH
  
• [5.4] NORTHROP GRUMMAN ADM-160A MINIATURE AIR-LAUNCHED DECOY (MALD)
  

[6.0] US Battlefield UAVs (1)

• [6.1] BATTLEFIELD UAVS
  
• [6.2] THE DASH HELICOPTER DRONES / SEAMOS
  
• [6.3] US BATTLEFIELD UAVS IN THE GULF WAR: PIONEER / EXDRONE / POINTER
  
• [6.4] FLOPS: AQUILA / BRAVE 200 / HUNTER / OUTRIDER
  
• [6.5] US ARMY SHADOW 200 / SHADOW 600
  
• [6.6] US NAVY RQ-8A FIRESCOUT
  

[7.0] US Battlefield UAVs (2)

• [7.1] BAI AEROSYSTEMS BQM-147 DRAGON DRONE
  
• [7.2] S-TEC SENTRY, SENTRY HP / LEAR ASTRONAUTICS SKYEYE
  
• [7.3] RYAN MODEL 324 SCARAB, BQM-145A MEDIUM RANGE UAV
  
• [7.4] SIKORSKY CIPHER / BELL EAGLE EYE / FREEWING SCORPION
  
• [7.5] BOEING X-50 DRAGONFLY / FRONTIER SYSTEMS A160 / UCAR
  

[8.0] International Battlefield UAVs (1)

• [8.1] ORIGINS OF ISRAELI BATTLEFIELD UAVS
  
• [8.2] ISRAELI IAI MALAT MASTIFF, SCOUT, SEARCHER, SEARCHER II
  
• [8.3] ISRAELI IAI MALAT EYE-VIEW / IAI MBD HARPY & CUTLASS
  
• [8.4] ISRAELI SILVER ARROW SNIPER, MICRO-V, HERMES 180
  
• [8.5] CANADIAN CANADAIR CL-89, CL-289
  
• [8.6] CANADIAN CANADAIR CL-227, CL-327, CL-427
  
• [8.7] FRENCH ALTEC MART SERIES
  
• [8.8] FRENCH SAGEM CRECERELLE & SPERWER / SPERWER HV
  
• [8.9] FRENCH MBDA DRAGON
  
• [8.10] FRENCH CAC SYSTEMS FOX, K100, HELIOT / TECHNO-SUD VIGILANT
  

[9.0] International Battlefield UAVs (2)

• [9.1] BELGIAN MBLE EPERVIER
  
• [9.2] ITALIAN METEOR UAVS
  
• [9.3] BRITISH BAE SYSTEMS PHOENIX / WATCHKEEPER
  
• [9.4] SWISS OERLIKON RANGER
  
• [9.5] GERMAN EURODRONE BREVEL / ATN TAIFUN & LUNA
  
• [9.6] AUSTRIAN SCHIEBEL CAMCOPTER
  
• [9.7] RUSSIAN YAK-61 SHMEL / KAMOV KA-37
  
• [9.8] MISCELLANEOUS BATTLEFIELD UAVS
  

[10.0] US Endurance UAVs

• [10.1] THE PREHISTORY OF ENDURANCE UAVS
  
• [10.2] CONDOR & AMBER
  
• [10.3] GENERAL ATOMICS GNAT-750
  
• [10.4] GENERAL ATOMICS PREDATOR
  
• [10.5] PREDATOR IN SERVICE
  
• [10.6] PREDATOR B DEVELOPMENT
  
• [10.7] DARKSTAR UAV
  
• [10.8] NORTHROP GRUMMAN RQ-4A GLOBAL HAWK / SENSOR CRAFT
  

[11.0] International Endurance UAVs

• [11.1] ISRAELI IAI MALAT E-HUNTER, HERON
  
• [11.2] ISRAELI SILVER ARROW HERMES 450, 450S, 1500
  
• [11.3] EUROPEAN ENDURANCE UAV EFFORTS
  

[12.0] The NASA ERAST HALE UAV Program

• [12.1] PRELUDE: THE NASA MINI-SNIFFER PROGRAM
  
• [12.2] THE NASA ERAST PROGRAM
  
• [12.3] AURORA FLIGHT SYSTEMS PERSEUS & THESEUS
  
• [12.4] GENERAL ATOMICS ERAST UAVS
  
• [12.5] SCALED COMPOSITES PROTEUS
  
• [12.6] THE BMDO RAPTOR UAVS
  
• [12.7] AEROVIRONMENT DEMONSTRATOR 2 / AEROVIRONMENT SOLAR POWERED UAVS
  
• [12.8] FOOTNOTE: INSITU AEROSONDE & SCANEAGLE MINI-UAVS
  

[13.0] UCAVs

• [13.1] UCAV ORIGINS
  
• [13.2] USAF / BOEING X-45 UCAV
  
• [13.3] US NAVY / NORTHROP GRUMMAN X-47A PEGASUS UCAV
  
• [13.4] INTERNATIONAL UCAV DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS
  

[14.0] Miniature UAVs

• [14.1] MAV ORIGINS & PROTOTYPES
  
• [14.2] MAV DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
  
• [14.3] MESICOPTERS
  
• [14.4] GUN-LAUNCHED & PARASITE UAVS
  
• [14.5] MAN-PORTABLE UAVS
  

[15.0] Miscellaneous Topics

• [15.1] NASA AERODYNAMIC TEST UAVS
  
• [15.2] NASA MARS UAVS
  
• [15.3] UAV REGULATORY ISSUES
  

[16.0] Comments, Sources, & Revision History