Home > Museum Exhibits >
Firebee
Display location: Hangar R, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Type: Target drone
Designation: Q-2 / BQM-34A
Payload: None
Agency: U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy
Contractor: The Ryan Aeronautical Company
Related exhibits:
The Firebee was used by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy to provide realistic target simulations for evaluation of weapon systems and training crews to operate those systems.
Those Firebees that survived could be safely recovered by deploying a parachute and floating softly to the ground. This reusability factor made the Firebee very economical for training as the vehicles could be used numerous times.
The
1974 photograph (left) shows the Firebee on display at the Air Force
Space and Missile Museum. This spot is now occupied by the
Lighthouse Gazebo.