Eglin AFB in Okaloosa County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)
MQM-105 Aquila
The Army's first major Unmanned Aerial vehicle (UAV) acquisition was the Aquila program. This program was started in 1979 and was originally estimated to cost $123 million for a 43-month development effort, followed by planned expenditures of $440 million for procurement of 780 air vehicles and associated equipment.
The original mission for the Aquila was have been relatively straightforward: It was to be a small, propeller-driven aircraft (portable by four soldiers) that could provide ground commanders with real-time battlefield Information about enemy forces located beyond the line of sight of ground observers. Aquila was expected to fly by autopilot, carry sensors to locate and identify enemy point targets in day or night, use a laser to designate the targets for the Copperhead artillery projectile, provide conventional artillery adjustment, and survive against Soviet air defenses.
The experimental prototype XMQM-105 was first flown on December 1975. During operational testing in 1987, Aquila was only able to successfully to meet mission requirements on 7 of 105 flights. The Army abandoned the program in 1987 due to cost, schedule and technical difficulties.
This program may have failed but it also led to further development of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles that are in use today. This MQM-105 Aquila mock-up was donated to the AF Armament Museum by the Air Force Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Battlelab stationed at Eglin AFB, FL on 08 July 2003.
Specifications
Manufacturer Lockheed Missile and Space Company
Thrust One — Herbrandson 280B two-stroke piston engine rated at 24 hp with a 2 foot 2 inch pusher propeller
Length 6 ft 10 in
Wing span 12 ft 9 in
Weight 265 lbs Empty / 331 lbs Max
Speed 130 mph Max/ 80 mph Cruise with an average endurance of 3.5 hours
Ceiling 14,800 ft
Guidance System Programmable with radio control backup
Launch Scheme Hydraulic catapult
Recovery Scheme Net or Parachute
Payload Day/Night Imager and Laser Designator
This drone is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force
Topics. This memorial is listed in this topic list: Military.
Location. 30° 27.933′ N, 86° 33.632′ W. Marker is in Eglin AFB, Florida, in Okaloosa County. Memorial can be reached from Pinchot Road (State Road 189) near Museum Drive, on the right when traveling south. Located at the Air Force Armament Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Museum Drive, Eglin AFB FL 32542, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. B-47 Stratojet (within shouting distance of this marker); F-104 Starfighter (within shouting distance of this marker); Mk82 AIR Bomb (within shouting distance of this marker); Mk82 General Purpose Bomb (within shouting distance of this marker); AN-M56 General Purpose Bomb (within shouting distance of this marker); JF-101B Voodoo (within shouting distance of this marker); MIG-21 Fishbed (within shouting distance of this marker); M117 General Purpose Bomb (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Eglin AFB.
Also see . . .
1. Air Force Armament Museum. (Submitted on April 11, 2017, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. Lockheed MQM-105 Aquila on Wikipedia. (Submitted on April 11, 2017, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 11, 2017. It was originally submitted on April 11, 2017, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 372 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 11, 2017, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.