The AQM-34Q Firebee and the MQ-9 Reaper: Then and Now

The Teledyne-Ryan AQM-34Q Combat Dawn Firebee was converted from a target drone to a reconnaissance aircraft after a North Korean MIG shot down a manned reconnaissance aircraft killing the entire crew. The Firebee was only able to stay aloft for a maximum of 8 hours with the use of external fuel tanks, but this was offset by its ability to maintain high-subsonic flight and its ceiling around 75,000 feet. This remarkably adapted drone was able to intercept radio signals from hundreds of miles away and transmit them back to sensor operators. Like many early unmanned aircraft it suffered from difficulties in recovery. Unable to land itself, it would deploy a parachute and then be recovered in the air or splash down in the ocean (AQM-34Q).
Over the years, the need for extended surveillance became apparent, and unmanned aircraft designs changed to fit the new mission requirements. For example, in order to stay over a target to gain visual information, high-subsonic flight is probably not the best fit. The MQ-9 Reaper was designed with these lessons in mind. By utilizing a turboprop instead of a turbojet engine the top speed was reduced to around 230 miles per hour, but the tradeoff was a huge increase in endurance to over 24 hours. The reaper is also equipped with 6 wing stations capable of carrying munitions. This allows the crew to not only observe, but to react if necessary. Because of the number of sensors on board, it requires a two man crew to operate. One to pilot and another to operate the surveillance equipment (MQ-9).
Disregarding the fact that almost 40 years passed between the first use of the AQM-34Q for surveillance and the initial operation of the MQ-9, one major difference stands out when considering the design and the effectiveness of the two platforms. The Reaper was designed with a specific role in mind from the drawing board, whereas the Firebee was made from several components duct taped together to fit a newly realized niche. This key difference shows the growth of the industry over those four decades.




References:

Factsheet: Teledyne-Ryan AQM-34Q Combat Dawn Firebee. (2014, April 15). Retrieved
October 23, 2014, from http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=4044

Factsheet: MQ-9 Reaper. (2010, August 18). Retrieved October 23, 2014, from http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/FactSheets/Display/tabid/224/Article/104470/mq-9-reaper.aspx