Ryan Firebee
Videos
The Ryan Firebee is a series of target drones developed by the Ryan Aeronautical Company beginning in 1951. It was one of the first jet-propelled drones, and remains one of the most widely used target
Ryan Model 124 / BQM-34A Firebee
KDA Firebee under the wing of a JD-1 Invader
Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King helicopter recovering a BQM-34S Firebee drone
Lockheed DC-130 drone control aircraft carrying two BQM-34 Firebee target drones under its wing
Lockheed DC-130
Videos
The Lockheed DC-130 is a variant of the C-130 Hercules modified for drone control. It can carry four Ryan Firebee drones underneath its wings.
Ryan Firebee
…as modernized avionics. In the late 1990s some Firebees were also fitted with GPS navigation receivers. The Firebee's main air launch platform is the Lockheed DC-130 drone controller aircraft, which can carry four drones on underwing pylons. The Firebee is typically snatched out of the air by a recovery aircraft…
A U.S. Navy DC-130A preparing to launch BQM-34 Firebee target drones.