Warbird Information Exchange

Can my fellow WIXers ID this old drone coming up for auction?

http://www.auctionsamerica.com/events/f ... 1&ID=r1789

Did NAS Glenview use these for gunnery training?

_________________

All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Looks to be a Radioplane OQ-3 or TTD-2

_________________
Lest Hero-worship raise it's head and cloud our vision, remember that World War II was fought and won by the same sort of twenty-something punks we wouldn't let our daughters date.

It is one of the Radioplane drones and appears to be either an OQ-2, or OQ-3. I will go out on a limb and say it is an OQ-2.

_________________
Had God intended for man to fly behind inline engines, Pratt & Whitney would have made them.

CB

http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/Desrt_Wings.html

Wasn't Jane Russell heavily involved in RADIOPLANE?

_________________
Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Marylin Monroe


And the company was an outgrowth of Reginald Denny's model airplane hobby

_________________
Lest Hero-worship raise it's head and cloud our vision, remember that World War II was fought and won by the same sort of twenty-something punks we wouldn't let our daughters date.

I thought another wartime era film bombshell actress was involved in a drone company or ran one-I've got photos in books of Norma Jean in publicity stills for the DC-6 being served coffee and another with her waking up in a sleeper bed

_________________
Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

I think it is an OQ-2 model, as the OQ-3 wasn't fitted with landing gear, nor were the Navy versions, to the best of my knowledge. However, the OQ-2 had counter rotating props, while the OQ-3 had a single prop, so the one in the photos may be missing a prop or had its engine changed or altered at some point. A good source for more info is "50 Years of Target Drone Aircraft" by Richard A. Botzum, published by Northrup in 1985. A picture on page 6 is captioned "Radioplane Company OQ-3 target assembler Norma Jean Dougherty (a.k.a. Marilyn Monroe) in June 1945".

Randy

P.S. I just found this site with a lot of info on the Radioplane drones, including a lot of images.
http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/rpav_radioplane.html

Thanks for all the info; from the looks of it I'd agree it's an OQ-2 or TDD; the engine isn't a Righter as they show on the site but a Herkimer per the data plate (which doesn't look military). An article I found on the found about that engine company makes a reference to producing a design for a drone engine but doesn't say if any were built, then skips ahead to the postwar version. Did Herkimer license-build the Righter engine?

Has anyone heard of these drones being sold surplus and converted to RC sport planes after the war? Seems like there aren't many left; maybe the lucky buyer could rig it up to fly again. Sure would be a cool airshow attraction!

_________________

All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

What do you think one of these is worth / would cost?
Do plans exist for the QQ-2 or QQ-3 exist?

_________________
Andrew King
Air Museum Director with no Museum to Direct
Open to Suggestions

We had one of these for many years. It was from the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics
Ours , a OQ-2, had counter rotating props, all original fabric , the original parachute and radio equip. was all intact.
A few years back we sold it to a collector in Italy for $4200cn

_________________
...it was a plane adrift beneath the moon moving serenely thru beams like an angel of the night .....fair as a song ........aloof from mortal dreams

Hammer it sold! $4500.00 top bid plus usual auction BS fees. Somebody's got a cool new toy...

_________________

All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

According to Wikipedia, Marilyn Monroe was "discovered" at the Radioplane factory at Van Nuys. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OQ-2_Radioplane.
I reckon it would very, very cool to have one of these flying as a 1:1 scale "model".
I got to learn a new piece of trivia too...

Spotted this on Ebay. I am not associated with them just thought it was sorta topical.
RIGHTER 0-45-1 US Army Air Force Drone Engine from WWII era. It appears to be in very good condition. $1800

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RIGHTER-0-45-1-US-Army-Air-Force-Drone-Engine-WWII-/160629465536?_trksid=p4340.m1374&_trkparms=algo%3DPI.WATCH%26its%3DC%252BS%26itu%3DUCC%26otn%3D15%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D4574524076936967279#ht_500wt_1054

_________________
Andrew King
Air Museum Director with no Museum to Direct
Open to Suggestions