v1.6.0 / chapter 3 of 19 / 01 mar 10 / greg goebel / public domain
* 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.
* One of the longest-established jet target drones is the "Jindivik", developed in Australia, and used for decades in Britain and Australia. Over 400 were built, and small numbers were also supplied to the US Navy and to Sweden. The name is Aborigine for "that which is hunted".
Development was begun in 1948 by the Australian Government Aircraft Factory (GAF). Two piloted prototypes, named the "Pika", were built, the first flying in 1950, leading to the initial flight of the first "Jindivik Mark 1" in 1950. 14 Mark 1s were delivered, leading to the "Mark 2", which first flew in 1953. 190 Mark 2s, 2As, and 2Bs were built, leading in turn to the "Mark 3", with first flight in 1961, and the improved Mark 3A and Mark 3B subvariants. A total of 327 Mark 3s, 3A, and 3Bs was built, for a total of 517 Jindiviks of all variants.
They were operated in training roles by Australia until 1999 and are still in use by the British, who bought 283, or half the production. The Swedes bought ten and it appears that the US also bought 42, though since they had the roughly comparable Firebee, it's a little puzzling as to what the need for the Jindiviks was.
The Jindivik Mark 3B, or "Mark 103B" as it is known in British service, is a simple aircraft, with a low-mounted straight wing and a conventional straight tail arrangement. It is powered by a Bristol / Rolls Royce Viper turbojet with 11.1 kN (1,135 kgp / 2,500 lbf) thrust, and is unusual in having its jet intake above the nose. It is also unusual among target drones in that it is not launched by a RATO booster or catapult, taking off under its own power from a runway off a tricycle trolley, and landing using skids.
The Jindivik is radio-controlled. Cameras can be carried in wingtip pods to
observe training attacks, and the Jindivik can also tow targets.
JINDIVIK:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 6.32 meters 20 feet 9 inches
length with probe 8.15 meters 26 feet 9 inches
height with skid down 2.08 meters 6 feet 10 inches
empty weight 1,315 kilograms 2,900 pounds
max loaded weight 1,655 kilograms 3,650 pounds
maximum level speed 908 KPH 564 MPH / 490 KT
service ceiling 18,900 meters 62,000 feet
endurance > 1.5 hours
launch scheme Conventional takeoff on trolley.
recovery scheme Skid landing.
guidance system Autopilot with radio control.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
There is an "extended span" Jindivik with a wingspan of 7.92 meters (26 feet
6 inches) that is capable of flight up to 20,100 meters (66,000 feet).
* One of the world's most popular small piston-powered target drones is the British Meggitt Defence Systems (originally Target Technology LTD) "Banshee". The Banshee was first flown in 1983. It is a small delta-winged drone, made mostly of plastic, with a pusher prop and powered by a small rotary engine. It floats, allowing recovery at sea.
The target can be fitted with radar enhancement devices, or a flare or chaff
dispenser, and can tow a target sleeve. It can be fitted with a "sea
skimming module" to allow it to simulate an antiship missile, and can also
carry a small color imager for reconnaissance missions. Over 5,000 Banshees
have been built, and the target is in service with dozens of countries all
around the world.
MEGGITT DEFENCE SYSTEMS BANSHEE:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 2.49 meters 8 feet 2 inches
length 2.84 meters 9 feet 4 inches
height 0.86 meters 2 feet 10 inches
empty weight 38.5 kilograms 85 pounds
launch weight 72.6 kilograms 160 pounds
maximum speed 322 KPH 200 MPH / 174 KT
service ceiling 7,000 meters 23,000 feet
endurance 1 hour 15 minutes
launch scheme Bungee or pneumatic catapult.
recovery scheme Skid landing or parachute.
guidance system Autopilot with GPS, and radio control.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
* Meggitt has now introduced a larger piston-powered target named the
"Voodoo". It's of more conventional configuration, with a straight wing and
a vee tail, and is powered by a 108 kW (145 HP) piston engine. Its airframe
is made mostly of carbon-epoxy composite. It's launched by a pneumatic
catapult and recovered by parachute, with an optional airbag system. The
Voodoo is compatible with the Banshee control system, as well as Banshee
payloads.
MEGGITT DEFENCE SYSTEMS VOODOO:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 3.90 meters 12 feet 10 inches
length 3.65 meters 12 feet
height 1.03 meters 3 feet 5 inches
empty weight 155 kilograms 340 pounds
launch weight 210 kilograms 465 pounds
maximum speed 610 KPH 380 MPH / 330 KT
service ceiling 7,000 meters 23,000 feet
endurance 1 hour 30 minutes
launch scheme Pneumatic catapult.
recovery scheme Parachute, with optional airbag.
guidance system Autopilot with GPS, and radio control.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
Meggitt also sells the "Snipe" and "Imp" small target drones, along the lines
of the US FQM-117.
* Another popular British target is the Flight Refueling (FRL) "Falconet", which has some similarities to the Beech Streaker, though is only about half the weight. The Falconet is designed for low cost of purchase and operation.
The original Falconet was developed in the 1980s and introduced in 1986, and success of the target led to development of an improved "Falconet II". The Falconet II has straight mid-mounted wings, a conventional tail arrangement, and a Microturbo TRS 18-242 turbojet engine with 1.62 kN (165 kgp / 360 lbf) thrust mounted in an underbelly pod. It is launched by twin RATO boosters or a pneumatic catapult. The original Falconet also had an interesting "rotary launch" scheme, in which it was tethered to a rotating hub to build up speed on the ground until it lifted off and was released, something like a control-line model airplane. However, the rotary launch scheme implies fixed-site operation and most customers have required mobile operations, so for the time being FRL is not offering rotary launch for the Falconet II.
The drone is recovered with a cruciform parachute and has a crushable nose to
take up the shock of impact. The wingtips are also easily replaced. It has
a programmable autopilot with GPS-INS navigation and radio control backup.
FRL FALCONET II:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 3.1 meters 10 feet 2 inches
length 3.8 meters 12 feet 6 inches
height 4.9 meters 4 feet 11 inches
empty weight 160 kilograms 352 pounds
launch weight 275 kilograms 606 pounds
maximum speed 778 KPH 483 MPH / 420 KT
service ceiling 9,000 meters 29,500 feet
endurance 25 to 75 minutes, depending on configuration
launch scheme RATO or pneumatic catapult.
recovery scheme Parachute.
guidance system Autopilot with GPS, and radio control.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
The target can carry an optional payload pod with four possible
configurations:
* Aerospatiale, previously Nord, of France, now part of the European Aerospace & Defense (EADS) conglomerate, has developed a series of targets. The early Nord "CT.20" was built in the 1960s, and was a turbojet-powered RC target with some similarities to a Firebee, a noticeable difference being a vee tail. The CT.20 was built in some numbers.
NORD CT.20:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 3.6 meters 11 feet 10 inches
length 5.45 meters 17 feet 10 inches
launch weight 650 kilograms 1,490 pounds
maximum speed 950 KPH 590 MPH / 513 KT
service ceiling 15,000 meters 50,000 feet
endurance 1 hour
launch scheme Twin RATO boosters.
recovery scheme Parachute.
guidance system Autopilot with radio control.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
The CT.20 was eventually replaced by the "CT.22", which first flew in 1980
and is more in the class of a Streaker target. It is powered by a Microturbo
TRI-60 turbojet engine, mounted in a pod on the back between the wings. The
CT.22 is launched by twin RATO boosters and recovered by parachute with
airbag landing aids. The drone can carry radar enhancement devices or
countermeasures systems, and can tow two targets.
AEROSPATIALE CT.22:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 2.50 meters 8 feet 2 inches
length 5.25 meters 17 feet 3 inches
height 1.15 meters 3 feet 9 inches
empty weight 300 kilograms 661 pounds
launch weight 650 kilograms 1,433 pounds
maximum speed 1,113 KPH 691 MPH / 600 KT
service ceiling 14,000 meters 45,900 feet
endurance 2 hours
launch scheme Twin RATO boosters.
recovery scheme Parachute.
guidance system Autopilot with radio control.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
* Nord / Aerospatiale also developed a supersonic target drone, the "CT.41",
with development beginning in 1957 and the drone going into service in 1960.
The CT.41 was somewhat unusual in appearance, with a long spindle-shaped
fuselage, canard foreplanes, and a rear-mounted rectangular wing with big
ramjet engines on the wingtips.
The CT.41 was launched using twin RATO boosters, and to complete the unusual
appearance of the machine, the RATO boosters were mounted on the fuselage
ahead of the wing, with split rocket exhausts diverting the blast.
The CT.41 could carry radar enhancement devices and thermal flares.
AEROSPATIALE CT.41:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 3.66 meters 12 feet
length 9.78 meters 32 feet 1 inch
height 2.18 meters 7 feet 2 inches
launch weight 1,300 kilograms 2,860 pounds
maximum speed Mach 2.7
service ceiling 20,000 meters 65,000 feet
endurance 14 minutes
launch scheme Twin RATO boosters.
recovery scheme Parachute.
guidance system Autopilot with radio control.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
Launch weight is without RATO boosters.
The Bell company of the US acquired a license to build the CT.41 and produced
a small number under the designation "PQM-56A", with these machines serving
with the US Navy for a few years in the 1960s.
* The Italian Meteor firm was founded in 1947, and built light private aircraft and sailplanes until the late 1950s, when the company decided to go into drones. Early Meteor targets were piston-powered, roughly in the class of the Northrop BTT, and in fact along with its own designs Meteor built the Shelduck under license, selling it to the Italian Navy as the "NVM-1".
The original Meteor target design was the "P.1". This was a typical small
piston-powered target, the only unusual feature being that it had a twin-fin
tail. It was powered by a two-stroke air-cooled X-configuration piston
engine with 75 kW / 100 HP, hidden in a blunt cowling that gave the P.1 the
appearance of a carrot with wings. It was available in a purely
radio-controlled version and a version with an autopilot as well.
METEOR P.1 (BASIC VERSION):
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spec metric english
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wingspan 3.68 meters 12 feet 1 inch
length 3.39 meters 11 feet 2 inches
height 0.65 meters 2 feet 2 inches
empty weight 148 kilograms 326 pounds
launch weight 210 kilograms 462 pounds
max speed, sea level 400 KPH 250 MPH / 218 KT
service ceiling 9,150 meters 30,000 feet
endurance 1 hour
launch scheme RATO booster, hydraulic catapult, air launch.
recovery scheme Parachute.
guidance system Autopilot with radio control.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
There were other versions of the P.1 with more powerful engines and different
guidance, and a "P.2", which was similar but larger, with one P.2 variant
having a launch weight of 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds). Photo-reconnaissance
versions of both types, designated the "P.1/R" and "P.2/R", were built, but
appear to have seen little operational service.
The P.1 and P.2 led to the "P.X", which used a similar airframe but was
fitted with a 54 kW / 72 HP McCulloch flat-four two-stroke engine, giving it
a strong resemblance to a Shelduck drone, except for the twin-fin tail. The
P.X was refined into the similar "P.70", which is still being sold.
METEOR P.70:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 3.66 meters 12 feet
length 5.4 meters 17 feet 8 inches
launch weight 238 kilograms 525 pounds
maximum speed 350 KPH 218 MPH / 190 KT
service ceiling 3,350 meters 11,000 feet
endurance 1 hour
launch scheme RATO booster.
recovery scheme Parachute.
guidance system Autopilot with radio control.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
The first turbojet drone built by Meteor was a license-built copy of the Nord
CT.20. In the 1970s, Meteor established their own "Mirach 100" series of
turbojet drones. These are roughly in the same class as the Northrop Chukar
drones, and in fact Meteor built at least limited numbers of Chukars under
license, even designing a photo-reconnaissance variant of the type. The
latest in the Mirach 100 line are the Mirach 100/4 and the Mirach 100/5.
The Mirach 100/4 has a cylindrical fuselage somewhat like that of the Chukar
III, but with a low-mounted wing, a top-mounted jet intake, and top and
bottom vee tailfins. It is powered by a Microturbo TRS 18-1 turbojet, and
can pull tow targets.
METEOR MIRACH 100/4:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 3.96 meters 13 feet
length 4.12 meters 13 feet 6 inches
launch weight 269 kilograms 594 pounds
maximum speed 979 KPH 608 MPH / 529 KT
service ceiling 9,150 meters 30,000 feet
endurance > 1 hour
launch scheme RATO booster.
recovery scheme Parachute.
guidance system Autopilot with radio control.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
The improved Mirach 100/5 is more similar to a Chukar III, with an underslung
jet intake and high mounted wings. It also has two downward-facing vee
tailfins and top-mounted tailplanes, and is powered by a Microturbo TRS 18-1
turbojet. The Mirach 100/5 offers substantially better performance than the
Mirach 100/4, and has been obtained by the Italian military and the British
Royal Navy.
METEOR MIRACH 100/5:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 2.10 meters 6 feet 11 inches
length 3.96 meters 13 feet
launch weight 320 kilograms 705 pounds
maximum speed 1,050 KPH 650 MPH / 565 KT
service ceiling 12,200 meters 40,000 feet
endurance 1.8 hours
launch scheme RATO booster.
recovery scheme Parachute.
guidance system Autopilot with radio control.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
Meteor also sells a reconnaissance derivative of the Mirach 100 designated
the "Mirach 150", developed into the improved "Nibbio" variant, but it is
unclear if anyone has acquired it. Incidentally, the Meteor firm became part
of the Finmeccanica SELEX Galileo group in 2005 as the culmination of a
series of consolidations, but the Meteor name is retained here as an informal
division name.
* The Avartek company of Finland sells a small piston-powered target drone
in roughly the same class as the FQM-117 designated the "AT-04". It is in
service with the Finnish military.
AVARTEK AT-04:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 2.0 meters 6 feet 7 inches
length 1.652 meters 5 feet 5 inches
launch weight 16.5 kilograms 36.4 pounds
maximum speed 200 KPH 125 MPH / 110 KT
service ceiling 12,200 meters 40,000 feet
endurance 1.3 hours
launch scheme Bungee catapult or hand launch.
recovery scheme Parachute or belly landing.
guidance system GPS waypoint system or radio control.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
Endurance is given with an optional extra fuel tank that doubles fuel
capacity.
The AT-04 carries a scoring indicator on one wingtip and can carry smoke or
flare charges. It is waterproofed and can land on bodies of water. They
also build a series of smaller targets for which details are unclear.
* The European EADS conglomerate now sells a jet-powered target named "Iris Jet". It features low-mounted straight wings, a conventional tail assembly with the tailplanes featuring steep anhedral droop, and a jet engine intake on the back. It can carry passive or active radar enhancement devices, flares and chaff, and scoring gear. It can be fitted with a radar altimeter for low-altitude (10 meter / 33 foot) operation.
KENTRON SKUA:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 2.81 meters 9 feet 3 inches
length 4.0 meters 13 feet 1 inch
maximum speed 850 KPH 530 MPH / 460 KT
service ceiling 12,200 meters 40,000 feet
endurance 1 hour
launch scheme RATO booster.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
* Denel (previously Kentron) of South Africa sells a target drone named the
"Skua" that is roughly in the same class as the Beech Streaker and some broad
resemblance to it. It differs from the Streaker in that its jet engine is
slung under the tail, and has a twin-fin tail. It is of composite
construction.
DENEL SKUA:
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spec metric english
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wingspan 3.57 meters 11 feet 8 inches
length 6.00 meters 19 feet 8 inches
maximum speed 1,050 KPH 650 MPH / 565 KT
service ceiling 12,200 meters 40,000 feet
endurance 1.5 hours
launch scheme RATO booster.
recovery scheme Parachute with airbags.
guidance system Programmable autopilot with radio control.
_____________________ _________________ _______________________
The Skua has a pylon under each wing to carry a tow target or signature
enhancement devices, with a total external payload capacity of 140 kilograms
(310 pounds). It also has internal payload space, with a capacity of up to
70 kilograms (155 pounds).
