Beechcraft MQM-61 Cardinal

MQM-61 Cardinal

Role	Target drone
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Beechcraft

The MQM-61 Cardinal was a target drone designed and built by Beechcraft.

Development

While the Radioplane BTT was a popular piston-powered target, such a simple target was relatively easy to build and it developed competition. In 1955 Beechcraft designed the Model 1001, as the initial version of this target drone was designated, in response to a US Navy requirement for gunnery and air-to-air combat training. Production of the type began in 1959, with the drone being given the Navy designation of KDB-1, later MQM-39A. The Model 1001 led to the similar Model 1025 for the US Army, which gave it the MQM-61A designation. Beech also designed a variant powered by a turbojet engine and designated Model 1025-TJ, but nobody bought it.

The MQM-61A was a simple monoplane with a vee tail. It was substantially larger than the MQM-36 Shelduck, and powered by a 94 kW (125 hp) McCulloch TC6150-J-2 flat-six, air-cooled, two-stroke piston engine driving a two-blade propeller. It could tow banners or targets of its own, with two targets under each wing, and also carried scoring devices. Launch was by RATO booster, recovery was by parachute.

A total of 2,200 Cardinals of all variants were built, the majority for the US Army, with the rest operated by the US Navy, the US Marine Corps, and by Spain. Some may have also been operated by Germany and Switzerland. It is now out of production, though a few may linger in service.

Specifications (MQM-61A)

A KDB-1 is launched from USS Boston

General characteristics

Crew: None
Length: 15 ft 1 in (4.60 m)
Wingspan: 13 ft 0 in (3.95 m)
Height: 3 ft 4 in (1.02 m)
Gross weight: 664 lb (301 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × McCulloch TC6150-J-2, 125 hp (94 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 350 mph (560 km/h)
Endurance: 1 hours
Service ceiling: 43,000 ft (13,100 m)

References

This article contains material that originally came from the web article Unmanned Aerial Vehicles by Greg Goebel, which exists in the Public Domain.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to MQM-61 Cardinal.

Beechcraft, Raytheon Aircraft and Hawker Beechcraft aircraft models
Beechcraft designation	16 17 18 19 23 24 25 26 28 33 34 35 36 38 40 45 46 50 55 56 58 60 65 70 73 76 77 80 85 87 88 90 95 99 100 101 120 200 300 350 390 400 1074 1079 1300 1900 2000 3000
Military	XA-38 AT-7 AT-10 AT-11 C-43 C-45 C-6 C-12 F-2 L-23 RC-12 T-1 T-6 T-34 XT-36 T-42 T-44 U-8 U-21 GB JB-1 JRB SNB CT-128 CT-134 CT-145 CT-156
Drone	QU-22 AQM-37 MQM-61A MQM-107
Hawker business jet line	Hawker 200 Hawker 400XP Hawker 750 / 800 / 800XP / 850XP / 900XP series Hawker 1000 Hawker 4000

1962 United States Tri-Service missile and drone designation system
1–50	MGM-1 RIM-2 MIM-3 AIM-4 MGM-5 RGM-6 AIM-7/RIM-7 RIM-8 AIM-9 CIM-10 PGM-11 AGM-12 CGM-13/MGM-13 MIM-14 RGM-15 CGM-16 PGM-17 MGM-18 PGM-19 ADM-20 MGM-21 AGM-22 MIM-23 RIM-24 HGM-25A/LGM-25C AIM-26 UGM-27 AGM-28 MGM-29 LGM-30 MGM-31 MGM-32 MQM-33 AQM-34 AQM-35 MQM-36 AQM-37 AQM-38 MQM-39 MQM-40 AQM-41 MQM-42 FIM-43 UUM-44 AGM-45 MIM-46 AIM-47 AGM-48 LIM-49 RIM-50
51–100	MGM-51 MGM-52 AGM-53 AIM-54 RIM-55 PQM-56 MQM-57 MQM-58 RGM-59 AQM-60 MQM-61 AGM-62 AGM-63 AGM-64 AGM-65 RIM-66 RIM-67 AIM-68 AGM-69 LEM-70 BGM-71 MIM-72 UGM-73 BQM-74 BGM-75 AGM-76 FGM-77 AGM-78 AGM-79 AGM-80 AQM-81 AIM-82 AGM-83 AGM-84/RGM-84/UGM-84 AGM-84E AGM-84E/H/K RIM-85 AGM-86 AGM-87 AGM-88 UGM-89 BQM-90 AQM-91 FIM-92/AIM-92 XQM-93 YQM-94 AIM-95 UGM-96 AIM-97 YQM-98 LIM-99 LIM-100
101–150	RIM-101 PQM-102 AQM-103 MIM-104 MQM-105 BQM-106 MQM-107 BQM-108 BGM-109/AGM-109/RGM-109/UGM-109 BGM-110 BQM-111 AGM-112 RIM-113 AGM-114 MIM-115 RIM-116 FQM-117 LGM-118 AGM-119 AIM-120 CQM-121/CGM-121 AGM-122 AGM-123 AGM-124 RUM-125/UUM-125 BQM-126 AQM-127 AQM-128 AGM-129 AGM-130 AGM-131 AIM-132 UGM-133 MGM-134 ASM-135 AGM-136 AGM-137 CEM-138 RUM-139 MGM-140 ADM-141 AGM-142 MQM-143 ADM-144 BQM-145 MIM-146 BQM-147 FGM-148 PQM-149 PQM-150
151–	FQM-151 AIM-152 AGM-153 AGM-154 BQM-155 RIM-156 MGM-157 AGM-158A/B/AGM-158C AGM-159 ADM-160 RIM-161 RIM-162 GQM-163 MGM-164 RGM-165 MGM-166 BQM-167 MGM-168 AGM-169 MQM-170 MQM-171 FGM-172 GQM-173 RIM-174 MQM-175 AGM-176 BQM-177 MQM-178 AGM-179 AGM-180 AGM-181
Undesignated	ASALM Brazo Common Missile Ground-Based Interceptor Have Dash MA-31 NLOS Pershing II Senior Prom Sprint Wagtail
See also: United States tri-service rocket designations post-1962

USN/USMC drone designations 1946–1962
Ryan	KDA
Beechcraft	KDB KD2B
Curtiss-Wright	KDC KD2C KD3C
McDonnell	KDD
Globe	KDG KD2G KD3G KD4G KD5G KD6G
McDonnell	KDH
Martin	KDM
Naval Aircraft Factory	KDN KD2N
Radioplane	KDR KD2R KD3R¹ KD4R
Temco	KDT
Vought	KDU KD2U
Culver	UC
¹ Not assigned See also: Target Drones

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