XBQ-2: A Brief, Expensive Detour into Unmanned Warfare

XBQ-2 General information

Type Flying bomb
National origin United States
Manufacturer Fleetwings
Primary user United States Army Air Forces
Number built 1
History
- First flight 1943
Variant Fleetwings BQ-1

The Fleetwings BQ-2 was an early, and frankly, rather optimistic, attempt at an expendable unmanned aerial vehicle during the crucible of the Second World War. At the time, it was more dramatically, and perhaps delusionally, referred to as an "assault drone." Developed by the aerospace manufacturer Fleetwings for the burgeoning needs of the United States Army Air Forces, this particular endeavor, like many ambitious wartime projects, found itself quickly sidelined. Only a single example of the type was ever constructed, a solitary testament to a concept that, while intriguing, proved far too costly for practical deployment. Its career was, in a word, brief; a fleeting series of tests before its inevitable cancellation, leaving behind little more than a footnote in the grand, often messy, history of aerial innovation. One might say it was ahead of its time, but one would also be ignoring the rather glaring issue of its exorbitant price tag.

Development

The genesis of the BQ-2 program can be traced back to 10 July 1942, a period of intense global conflict where every nation was desperately scrambling for a strategic edge. This particular initiative emerged from a broader, more clandestine program focused on the development of "aerial torpedoes"—essentially, unmanned flying bombs—which had been formally instigated just a few months prior, in March of that same year. The concept was simple enough on paper: deliver a massive explosive payload to a target without risking a pilot. The reality, as always, was significantly more complex and, as it turned out, expensive.

Fleetwings, a company known for its pioneering work with stainless steel aircraft structures, secured the contract to construct a single prototype, designated the XBQ-2 "assault drone." Initially, the design envisioned the aircraft being propelled by a pair of Lycoming XO-435 horizontally opposed piston engines. These engines, while respectable, were part of the initial specification that would later undergo revision. The aircraft's ground handling was to be facilitated by a fixed landing gear, arranged in a conventional tricycle configuration. However, in a nod to the operational requirement for improved aerodynamic efficiency during its terminal, one-way mission, this landing gear was designed to be jettisonable after takeoff. A rather dramatic flair for a vehicle destined for self-destruction.

Perhaps the most peculiar aspect of the XBQ-2's design, given its designation as an "unmanned" vehicle, was its provision for optional piloting. A single-seat cockpit was integrated into the airframe, intended for use during ferry flights, initial test runs, and pilot training exercises. The idea was that a human pilot could safely fly the drone to a launch point or prove its flight characteristics before it embarked on its truly unmanned, suicidal mission. For actual operational sorties, this cockpit canopy would be replaced by a streamlined fairing, sealing the aircraft for its final, desolate journey. It's almost poetic, the idea of a human preparing a machine for its own destruction, a final, fleeting connection before the ultimate detachment.

The performance aspirations for the BQ-2 were certainly ambitious for its era. It was intended to carry a formidable 2,000 pounds (910 kg) warhead, a payload substantial enough to inflict considerable damage on fortified positions or naval targets. This destructive cargo was to be delivered over an impressive operational range of 1,717 miles (2,763 km), cruising at a speed of 225 miles per hour (362 km/h). The ultimate fate of the aircraft, upon reaching its target, was to be its complete destruction in the act of striking the intended objective. It was a one-shot weapon, designed for a single, decisive, and irreversible impact. Alongside the XBQ-2, the same contract also stipulated the construction of a single BQ-1, indicating a broader, if somewhat parallel, exploration into this new class of weaponry. The military, in its infinite wisdom, rarely puts all its eggs in one basket, even when the basket is a disposable flying bomb.

Flight testing

As often happens with cutting-edge (or, in this case, simply desperate) wartime development, the initial specifications for the XBQ-2 underwent significant revision even before the prototype was fully realized. The originally planned Lycoming XO-435 engines, perhaps deemed insufficient or simply unavailable, were ultimately dropped from the design. In their place, the aircraft was fitted with two more robust Lycoming R-680 radial engines, a change that necessitated the aircraft's redesignation to XBQ-2A. This modification likely offered a more reliable power source, crucial for a vehicle that, despite its expendable nature, still needed to perform its mission effectively.

Before the XBQ-2A itself took to the skies, extensive trials were conducted on its sophisticated, for the time, television-based command guidance system. This involved utilizing a PQ-12 target drone—a less destructive, more conventional unmanned aircraft—to refine the remote control and targeting capabilities. Imagine the grainy, flickering black-and-white images being relayed back to a control station, a testament to the nascent stages of remote warfare. It was rudimentary, yes, but a foundational step towards the precision-guided munitions we now take for granted.

Finally, in mid-1943, the XBQ-2A prototype embarked on its maiden flight. The specifics of these flight trials are, like much of this particular program, somewhat sparse in the historical record. One can infer, however, that the tests aimed to validate its aerodynamic performance, the reliability of its propulsion system, and the functionality of its remote guidance. What is abundantly clear is the ultimate verdict: following these brief flight trials, the design was swiftly determined to be prohibitively expensive for widespread operational use. The sheer cost of producing such a complex, yet single-use, aircraft proved to be its undoing. The program, despite the initial urgency and ambition, was unceremoniously cancelled in December of that same year, barely six months after its first flight. It was a stark reminder that even in wartime, efficiency and cost-effectiveness, however relative, eventually catch up to even the most innovative—or desperate—ideas. A rather predictable end, if you ask me.

Specifications (XBQ-2A)

For those who appreciate the cold, hard numbers of a fleeting endeavor, here are the specifications for the XBQ-2A, a drone that promised much but delivered little beyond a lesson in wartime economics.

Data from [2]

General characteristics

Crew: 1 (optional, for the brief, ironic moments before it became truly unmanned)
Wingspan: A respectable 48 ft 7 in (14.81 m), giving it a presence, however short-lived.
Gross weight: Tipping the scales at 7,700 lb (3,493 kg), a significant mass to propel towards a target.
Powerplant: Driven by 2 × Lycoming R-680-13 radial piston engines, each churning out 280 hp (210 kW). Enough power to get it where it was going, assuming "where it was going" meant "to its own destruction."

Armament

Warhead: A substantial 2,000 pounds (910 kg) of high explosives, ensuring that if it did reach its target, it would certainly make an impression. A rather expensive one, at that.

Fleetwings BQ-2