Old underwater-launched UAV.

Nice! Do you know how the footage was to be recovered (I assume this is a recon system?)
 
Doesn't actually seem to be an "underwater launch". We have close-ups on the rear body of the missile on a countdown to launch. It has a single vertical fin and I believe we can see boosters at the side of the rear body. There is also a dorsal trunking line. It launches close to the surface, and I am unsure if it is at sea or land, though the horizon suggests sea. During the violent manouvre which leave the craft facing 180 degrees opposite the launch direction we can see swept wings just a little over halfway down the fuselage.

I think this is probably one of the Teledyne-Ryan family of drones. Andreas' site has a nice graphic of the family here. They look pretty close to the craft in the video. http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-34.html
 
I think the video clip shows two different airframes. The missile on the inclined launcher appears to be a Regulus or similar cruise missile, the pop-up thingy with extendable wings at the beginning of the clip is clearly not a Regulus.
 
Looks like a Firebee, which make sense since Ryan Aeronautical was based in San Diego (SDASM tie in)
 
Bill Walker said:
I think the video clip shows two different airframes. The missile on the inclined launcher appears to be a Regulus or similar cruise missile, the pop-up thingy with extendable wings at the beginning of the clip is clearly not a Regulus.
Click to expand...


The thing is, when the feed switches between the initial close-up of the missile, then to the farther shot of the launch, the two timers overlaid on the monitor match-up. I'd expect if we were looking at two different missile launches that the timers would not match.


Also, are the wings extendable? I thought the wings came into view in the wider shots due to the airframe rolling?
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom