History of the MQM-34 Firebee
Shannon Gibson
Unmanned Systems, Module 1, Assignment
1.5
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University
My chosen platform that has had a
lasting mark upon the UAS industry is the BQM-34 Firebee. After WWII, the U.S.
Navy contacted Teledyne-Ryan Aeronautical, a manufacturer that morphed from
being a simple flight school, to design and build an aircraft that could help
with military training and simulation (Tarantola, 2013). Ryan developed this
particular platform when the Air Force put a bid out for the requirement of a
jet-powered drone for aerial targeting in August of 1948 (Olive Drab, 2015). The
production order was called, Q2-A Firebee in 1951, then improved upon by 1958
and named, Model 124. On into 1963, it was designated the BQM-34A with
modifications including a larger airframe and longer wings. Various
modifications took place for this aircraft by the U.S. Army, Navy and Air
Force, some of these records are not very clear, however in 1982 the production
stopped on the version of MQM-34A and was not picked up again until 1986 with
the BQM-34S. This version had upgraded avionics, which were prompted by Naval
needs and huge improvements to the engine. In the 1990’s, the Air Force
upgraded the unit by adding GPS capabilities.
The versatility of this UAS is
greatly appreciated by all services for various reasons such as; the ability to
be “captured” or recovered by helicopter, thus mitigating risk of a ground
landing and the ability it has to float for long periods to allow recovery at
sea. This specific UAS has had more than
7000 units produced, and of those 1,280 have been a first generation in it’s
own right.
Currently, the primary mission of the
Firebee is, “to simulate tactical threats by enemy aircraft and missiles for
defense readiness training, air-to-air combat training and the development and
evaluation of weapons systems” (Northrup Grumman, 2015). With a length of
22.9ft, wingspan of 12.9ft, height of 6.7ft and a gross weight of 2,150lbs with
a max of 3,100lbs, it can take 1000lbs of changeable payloads. Firebee can fly
as fast as Mach .97, as low as 10 feet above sea level and as high as 60
thousand feet as well as bank turns while taking seven G’s. It is easy to
modify per the mission in mind and survives time and time again with proven
reliability.
References
BQM-34
Firebee, (2015) The Most Capable and Reliable High Performance Aerial Target
System. Retrieved August 15, 2015, from http://www.northropgrumman.com/Capabilities/BQM34Firebee/Documents/Firebee-DS-05.pdf
BQM-34
Firebee UAV. (2015).
Retrieved February 21, 2015, from Olive Drab:
http://olive-drab.com/idphoto/id_photos_uav_bqm34firebee.php
Tarantola,
A. (2013, August 27). The Ryan Firebee: Grandfather to the Modern UAV.
Retrieved February 21, 2015, from Gizmodo:
http://gizmodo.com/the-ryan-firebee-grandfather-to-the-modern-uav-1155938222
