Ryan Firebee

A little fun project that I’ve been keeping on the side since early v763, for my own use and great for the less serious flying. Just a simple simulation of the Ryan Firebee ‘pilotless drone’.

The Ryan Firebee  (source: wikipedia)

The early Firebee, the Firebee I, was the result of a 1948 US Air Force request and contract to Ryan for a jet-powered gunnery target. The first flight of the XQ-2 Firebee prototype took place in early 1951. The Firebee could be air-launched, specially modified Douglas DB-26 Invader bombers being first used; or ground-launched with a single RATO booster.

Following successful evaluation, the target was ordered into production for the USAF as the Q-2A, powered by a Continental J69-T-19B turbojet engine, with 1,060 pounds (481 kg) of thrust. The Air Force then obtained small numbers of a Q-2B with a more powerful engine for high-altitude performance. The US Navy bought the Firebee as the KDA-1, with much the same appearance as the Q-2A, differing mainly in that the powerplant. The US Army also obtained a version designated the XM21 that differed from the KDA-1 only in minor details.

The BQM-34A  (source: wikipedia)

In the late 1950s, the USAF awarded Ryan a contract for a substantially improved "second generation" Firebee, the Model 124, originally with the designation Q-2C. The initial prototype performed its first flight in late 1958 and went into production in 1960. In 1963, it was re-designated the BQM-34A.

The BQM-34A emerged as the Firebee as it is recognized today, with a bigger airframe, longer wings, and in particular a "chin"-type inlet under a pointed nose, in contrast to the circular intake of the first-generation Firebees. It was powered by a Continental J69-T-29A turbojet with 1,700 pound (770 kg) thrust. The Navy also adopted the BQM-34A, while the Army obtained a ground-launched version designated MQM-34D, with longer wings and a heavier JATO booster.

Download            Firebee BGM-34A Have Lemon v970 5.3mb

For X-Plane

My first model is for the BQM-34A Firebee target drone.

The model comes in a number of alternative downloads and acf files:

For the most common BQM-34A, the one with stab endplates, I'm supplying all combinations:

The 'standard' model has the usual belly skid, whereas the 'wheeled' version has -unlike the real plane- a retractable landing gear (if you prefer to take off and land like normal aircraft).

Then there's two options for the parachute; a larger MARS parachute (this stands for Mid Air Recovery System) for a slow vertical descent given the helicopter time to 'catch and reel in' the Firebee. Or a smaller conventional drag chute, to assist braking on a normal, horizontal landing (again not real but it combines with the landing gear).

The model with ventral fin is supplied in only two combinations: Standard with Mars or Wheeled with drag chute.

And for the sake of testing you also get the versions with uprated engines; but these come only as Wheeled with drag chute.

And last, all these (sub)versions are JATO equipped, for a simulated ground launch (1).

That said, you have then 3 options for 'take off':

-Ground launch by means of JATO (real, but you are missing the jig/support to shoot from)

-Conventional take off roll -or belly scrub :) if you are using version without wheels- from a runway/airfield (not real)

-Air drop form a carrier aircraft (real, but you could use a better fitting aircraft than the standard B-52)

Extra files - zAirdrop Files - A set of replacement carrier planes better suited for Firebee than the standard B-52; models of the DB-26 Invader, A-6E Intruder and DC-130 Hercules - supplied with permission of the original authors.

The second model is my rendition of the BGM-34A ‘Have Lemon’.

Have Lemon was the name of a US Air Force test program / research for an armed Firebee, running from 1971 to 1979. The ‘A’ being the first version in this program and as such derived from the BQM-34A airframe (above).

Downloads

Firebee BQM-34A v1141 5.3mb    zAir-drop files v1141 53.9mb

Firebee BQM-34A v1051 4.8mb    zAir-drop files v1051 52.3mb

Firebee BQM-34A v970 4.5mb    zAir-drop files v970 30.5mb