| XBQ-2 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Role | Flying bomb
Type of aircraft
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| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Fleetwings |
| First flight | 1943 |
| Primary user | United States Army Air Forces |
| Number built | 1 |
| Variants | Fleetwings BQ-1 |
The Fleetwings BQ-2 was an early expendable unmanned aerial vehicle — referred to at the time as an "assault drone" — developed by Fleetwings during the Second World War for use by the United States Army Air Forces. Only a single example of the type was built; the aircraft was deemed too expensive for service and was cancelled after a brief flight testing career.
Development of the BQ-2 began on July 10, 1942, under a program for the development of "aerial torpedoes" – unmanned flying bombs – that had been instigated in March of that year. Fleetwings was contracted to build a single XBQ-2 assault drone,[1] powered by two Lycoming XO-435 horizontally opposed piston engines, and fitted with a fixed landing gear in tricycle configuration;[2] the landing gear was jettisonable for better aerodynamics.[1]
The BQ-2 was optionally piloted; a single-seat cockpit was installed for ferry and training flights; a fairing would replace the cockpit canopy on operational missions.[2] The BQ-2 was intended to carry a 2,000 pounds (910 kg) warhead over a range of 1,717 miles (2,763 km) at 225 miles per hour (362 km/h); the aircraft would be destroyed in the act of striking the target.[1] A single BQ-1 was to be constructed as well under the same contract.[1]
The XO-435 engines were dropped from the design of the XBQ-2 before completion, being replaced by two Lycoming R-680 radial engines, with the aircraft being redesignated XBQ-2A.[3]
Following trials of the television-based command guidance system using a PQ-12 target drone, the XBQ-2A flew in mid 1943; following flight trials, the design was determined to be too expensive for operational use, and the program was cancelled in December of that year.[2]
Data from [2]
General characteristics
Armament
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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Fleetwings and Kaiser-Fleetwings aircraft
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| Fleetwings |
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| Kaiser-Fleetwings |
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