History of the MQM-34 Firebee

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