Remote Piloted Aerial Vehicles - The Radioplane Target Drone

The Radioplane Target Drone

RP-4 / OQ-1

Reginald Denny (1891-1967) and Walter H. Righter (1905 - 1982)

RP-4 / OQ-1

Note the vertically opposed cylinders unlike the more common twin vertical cylinders as seen on the following images - right through to the three machines accepted by the US Army in May 1939

Photo: Botzum, Richard A., 50 Years of Target Drone Aircraft, Northrop Corp., 1985

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In November 1939, the RP-4 prototype was completed. The US Army ordered 53 of these drones, giving them the designation of OQ-1. The USAAF supported Denny's efforts to prove the practicality of the target drone aircraft.

Radioplane RP-4 / OQ-1, engine detail

Photo: Botzum, Richard A., 50 Years of Target Drone Aircraft, Northrop Corp., 1985

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Radioplane RP-4 / OQ-1, engine detail, close-up

Photo: Botzum, Richard A., 50 Years of Target Drone Aircraft, Northrop Corp., 1985

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Luca Mariotti from Pisa, Italy, notes : "The twin propeller Radioplane is one of the 53, RP-4's (Army designation: OQ-1), produced for the Army and was the first totally succesfull target drone produced by Radioplane. The fuselage was built out of steel tubing, the wings of wood. The aircraft was fabric covered and usually launched from a crude rail launcher."

Walt Righter holding the first twin vertical 'Sidewinder'

Photo: Righter Family Archives - Click Image to Enlarge

The first three RP-4 / OQ-1 Radioplanes, Lake Muroc, 1939

Photo: Righter Family Archives - Click Image to Enlarge

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RPV : It All Started Here

Airforce Magazine Feb., 1973

Righter Family Archives - Click Image to Enlarge

Muroc Dry Lake, Mojave Desert

February 21, 1939 the crew started from Burbank on a long trip to Muroc to test their latest drone. The drone was neatly covered with a tarpaulin and fastened down on top of the truck. They were almost to Palmdale when they discovered that the tarp moorings had parted and the tarp had been flapping in the wind beating the whole tail off the drone. The results were "hellish". They had to turn around and drive all the back to Burbank. The flight the next day at Muroc was a huge success!