LTV XQM-93

LTV XQM-93

__NOTOC__ Infobox Aircraft
name=XQM-93


caption=
type=Communications relay drone
national origin=United States
manufacturer=Ling-Temco-Vought
designer=
first flight=February avyear|1970
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user=
more users=
produced=
number built=
variants with their own articles=

The Ling-Temco-Vought XQM-93 was a remotely-piloted aircraft developed in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s as for use as a communications relay in the Vietnam War. A prototype flew in 1970, but the program was abandoned without producing a service-ready aircraft.

In the late 1960s, following the early microwave HALE vehicle studies, the US Air Force worked with LTV Electrosystems (later E-Systems) under the Compass Dwell program to build an endurance UAVs using much more conventional turboprop propulsion. At least part of the motivation or inspiration for this effort was derived from the Igloo White program, which was a multiservice attempt to cut the flow of supplies from North Vietnam to South Vietnam through the network of paths and roads running through Cambodia and Laos known as the "Ho Chi Minh Trail".

Igloo White involved seeding the region with thousands of seismic and acoustic sensors, most of them air-dropped, which would pick up indications of traffic along the trail and report them back to a central command center in Thailand, which would dispatch air strikes in response. The sensors were battery-operated and had limited range, so airborne radio relay aircraft orbited above the battle area to pick up the signals and pass them on to the command center.

Originally, the radio relays were EC-121 Warning Star aircraft, a military variant of the Lockheed Super Constellation four-piston aircraft, but these machines were expensive to operate. They were replaced by Beech Debonaire single-engine light aircraft, modified for the radio relay role and given the military designation of QU-22A. They could be operated as drones, but apparently nobody trusted that as operational practice, and they were never flown unpiloted except as experiments.

LTV Electrosystems' development effort focused on an endurance aircraft that could be flown as a piloted aircraft or a UAV. A number of prototypes, including piloted and UAV versions, were built and flown. They were based on a Schweizer SGS 2-32 sailplane design with major modifications by Schweizer to accommodate a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34 turboprop engine, large fuel tanks, and operational payloads. The aircraft had fixed tricycle landing gear.

The first prototype, designated the L-450F, was piloted. It first flew in February 1970, but was lost in an accident on its third flight in March 1970, the pilot bailing out safely. A second L-450F was built and used to complete the flight test program. The third prototype, the first UAV variant, was designated the XQM-93 and flew in early 1972. It had no cockpit or other provisions for piloted flight. It could carry a payload of 320 kilograms (700 pounds). The Air Force ordered four XQM-93s but it is unclear that all were actually delivered, since Compass Dwell was cancelled that year.

These specs are actually for the piloted L-450F, but the general configuration of the XQM-93 appears to have been very close to that of the L-450F.

pecifications (prototype)

aerospecs
ref=
met or eng?= eng

crew=One pilot
capacity=
length m=9.14
length ft=30
length in=0
span m=17.40
span ft=57
span in=0
swept m=
swept ft=
swept in=
rot number=
rot dia m=
rot dia ft=
rot dia in=
dia m=
dia ft=
dia in=
width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=
height ft=
height in=
wing area sqm=
wing area sqft=
swept area sqm=
swept area sqft=
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
volume m3=
volume ft3=
aspect ratio=
empty weight kg=1,090
empty weight lb=2,400
gross weight kg=2,090
gross weight lb=4,700
lift kg=
lift lb=

eng1 number=1
eng1 type=Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-34
eng1 kw= 560
eng1 hp= 750
eng1 kn=
eng1 lbf=
eng1 kn-ab=
eng1 lbf-ab=
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=
eng2 kn=
eng2 lbf=
eng2 kn-ab=
eng2 lbf-ab=

max speed kmh=170
max speed mph=105
max speed mach=
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
range km=9,650
range miles=6,000
endurance h= 30
endurance min=
ceiling m=52,000
ceiling ft=15,900
glide ratio=
climb rate ms=
climb rate ftmin=
sink rate ms=
sink rate ftmin=

armament1=
armament2=
armament3=
armament4=
armament5=
armament6=
aircontent
see also=
related=
similar aircraft=
lists=

References

This article contains material that originally came from the web article [http://www.vectorsite.net/twuav.html "Unmanned Aerial Vehicles"] by Greg Goebel, which exists in the Public Domain.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Martin Marietta Model 845 — Model 845 Role Communications relay drone National origin United States Manufacturer Martin Marietta First flight 1971 Number built 2 The Martin Marietta Model 845 was a remotely piloted aircraft develop …   Wikipedia

  • Schweizer SGS 2-32 — SGS 2 32 Deux SGS 2 32 utilisés pour promener des touristes au dessus d Oahu …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Sdaidod — Système de désignation des aéronefs inhabités du Département de la Défense des États Unis Nomenclature des avions américains Jusqu’en 1926 De 1926 à 1962 Depuis 1962 Aéronefs inhabités Le système de désignation des aéronefs inhabités du… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Système de désignation des aéronefs inhabités du Département de la Défense des États-Unis — Le système de désignation des aéronefs inhabités du Département de la Défense des États Unis tente de classifier tous les aéronefs inhabités en service aujourd hui, ou ayant été en service depuis le 27 juin 1963 dans l armée des États Unis10.… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • SSM-N-9 Regulus II — USS Grayback (SSG 574) preparing to launch a Regulus II missile Type Cruise missile …   Wikipedia

  • MGM-52 Lance — Un MGM 52 exposé au White Sands Missile Range Museum, Nouveau Mexique, à côté d une rampe de lancement mobile M752. Présentation Fonction missile balistique à courte portée (SRBM) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • MGM-1 Matador — Matador (missile) redirects here. For the anti tank rocket, see MATADOR (weapon). Martin MGM 1 Matador Service history …   Wikipedia

  • ATACMS — Rakete im White Sands Missile Range Museum ATACMS Raketenstart von einem M270 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • BGM-109 Tomahawk — Pour les articles homonymes, voir BGM, 109 (nombre) et Tomahawk. BGM 109 Tomahawk Un BGM 109 Tomahawk …   Wikipédia en Français

  • MGM-52 Lance — Abschuss einer MGM 52C Lance von einem M667 Lance Rakete im White Sands Missile Range …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”