Northrop AQM-38

Target drone

Maximum speed Mach 0.94

Launch
platform

F-89 Scorpion

The AQM-38 was an American target drone, developed during the 1950s by the Radioplane Division of the Northrop Corporation, Newbury Park, California, and manufactured by its Ventura Division at Van Nuys, California.^[1] Extensively used for surface-to-air missile training, over two thousand were built during its production run and it saw continued use within the United States Army and United States Navy for nearly twenty years.

Design and development

Following flight trials of the XKD4R target drone, developed for the United States Navy, Radioplane redesigned the aircraft into an improved version, designated RP-76, which first flew in 1959.^[2] Compared to the XKD4R, the RP-76 had redesigned wing fairings, with the vertical control fin being moved to the underside of the missile, as opposed to being on top.^[3]

The RP-76 was designed to fly a pre-programmed trajectory on autopilot, with radio command guidance being optional.^[2] As with the XKD4R, control was provided by three fins located forwards on the body of the craft. A Luneburg lens was included to augment the drone's radar signature, and recovery at the end of the flight was by parachute.^[2]

Operational history

Following its first flight in 1959,^[3] the RP-76 was most often launched from a F-89 Scorpion fighter of the United States Air Force, and was extensively used by the U.S. Army for training the operators of surface-to-air missiles;^[2] it saw additional use in training USAF fighter pilots in air-to-air gunnery, as well.^[4]

A slightly modified version, designated RP-78, was supplied to the U.S. Navy; it used a more powerful rocket, producing 99,000 lb_f (440 kN) of thrust,^[4] to propel the drone to a top speed of Mach 1.25.^[2]

In 1963, the RP-76 and RP-78 received the designations AQM-38A and AQM-38, respectively, in the new "tri-service" missile designation system.^[4] In all, over 2,000 examples of the drone were built by Northrop, with the missile remaining in service with the U.S. Military until they were retired in the mid-1970s.^[2]

References

Citations

^ Hearings on military posture and H.R. 13456, p. 7794.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Parsch 2003a
^ ^a ^b Parsch 2003b
^ ^a ^b ^c Jane's 1967, p.421.

Bibliography

Parsch, Andreas (2003a). "Northrop (Radioplane) AQM-38". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
Parsch, Andreas (2003b). "Radioplane KD4R". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles Appendix 1: Early Missiles and Drones. designation-systems.net. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
Taylor, John W.R., ed. (1967). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1967-1968. London: Jane's Information Group.

External links

Media related to AQM-38 at Wikimedia Commons

Northrop aircraft and aircraft engines

Manufacturer
designations

'Greek' series	Alpha Beta Gamma Delta
'N' series	Note: Northrop company designations include a wide variety of technologies. Only aircraft, aero engines, and missiles are linked here. N-1/M N-2 N-3 N-4 N-5 N-6 N-7 N-8 N-9/M N-10 N-12 N-14 N-15 N-16 N-18 N-19 N-20 N-21 N-23 N-24 N-25A/B N-26 N-29 N-31 N-32 N-34 N-35 N-36 N-37 N-38 N-39 N-40 N-41 N-45 N-46 N-47 N-48 N-49 N-50 N-51 N-52 N-54 N-55 N-59 N-60 N-63 N-65 N-67 N-68 N-69 N-71 N-72 N-73 N-74 N-81 N-82 N-84 N-86 N-87 N-94 N-96 N-102 N-103 N-105 N-110 N-111 N-112 N-117 N-124 N-132 N-133 N-134 N-135 N-138 N-141 N-144 N-149 N-150 N-151 N-155 N-156 N-165 N-204 N-205 N-250 N-251 N-267 N-285 N-300 N-301 N-302 N-303 N-304 N-305 N-306 N-307 N-311 N-320 N-321 N-322 N-330 N-353 N-370 N-381
'P' series	P530 P600 P610 P630

By role

Attack	YA-13 XA-16 A-17/Nomad N-3PB YA-9
Bombers	YB-35 YB-49 B-62 BT B2T B-2
Drones	Q-4
Fighters	3A XP-56 P-61 XP-79 F-89 XFT F2T F-5/CF-5/CF-116 YF-17 F-18L F-20 YF-23
Reconnaissance	F-15 RF-61 RF-5 N-165 N-204
Trainers	T-38
Transports	Alpha Beta Gamma Delta C-19 C-100 YC-125 RT
Experimental	N-1M N-9M JB-1 MX-324 MX-334 M2-F2 M2-F3 HL-10 Tacit Blue X-4 X-21

Aircraft
engines

XT37

Names

See also: TR-3

v t e 1963 United States Tri-Service missile designations, 1963–present
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-31A/B (MGM-31C) MGM-32 MQM-33 AQM-34 AQM-35 (I) LGM-35 (II) 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 XLIM-49 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-84H/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-109G 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
151–200	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 LGM-182 AGM-183 RGM-184 MQM-185 MQM-186 AGM-187
201–	AIM-260
Undesignated	Aequare ASALM Brazo Common Missile GBI HALO HACM Have Dash JSM KEI LREW LRHW MA-31 MSDM NCADE NLOS OpFires PrSM Senior Prom Sprint Wagtail M30 GMLRS/M31 GMLRS-U GLSDB
See also: United States tri-service rocket designations post-1963 Drones designated in UAV sequence