Whilst researching the fate of a certain F86 EX G ATBF i kept running into this particular initiative ie the F86 Drone Programme would someone be able to enlighten me please as to what this entailed, i known the aircraft would be towed targets etc im just interested to know the full story as i havent heard of this programme, i understand the USAF scoured the world for this type,:cool: 😎 😎
By: victor45 - 4th September 2007 at 21:48
1980s F86 Drone Programme
Thankyou all again for the exellent informative responses, i found the Flight Systems Inc web site after a bit of trawling,its superb chronicling the progess of the company from its inception at Long Beach to today,the aircraft used plus the many mods needed to convert the F86 into drones or target tugs, it lists all the aircraft that were purchased for the programme ,the vast majority were ex USAF with more from Canada and South Africa, however non were forthcomimg from Uk sources which leaves me with the probability that F86 G ATB ex Reflectair, Much Hoole Farm,and Duxford may still be in Britain somewhere as i doubt flight systems would have been prepared to ship the aircraft overseas bearing in mind the glut of airframes in the US and Canada at that time,(1974)Flight Systems chargedthe USAF 1800 dollars for each drone/ Target Tug sortie plus fuel, the program started in the late 1960s continuing on today as already stated, so where is G ATB ?:cool: 😎 😎
By: zoot horn rollo - 4th September 2007 at 07:11
Flight Systems used to (and maybe still does) operate a number of F-86s as chase aircraft
By: DaveF68 - 4th September 2007 at 01:37
There was more than one QF-86 drone program! The one that crops up in “The Hunt for XB733” was the Flight Systems Inc one using Canadair sabres, primarily for the US Army’s White Sands Missile Range
http://f-86.tripod.com/fsi.html
However the US navy also had a QF-86 program, using ex-foreign service F-86Fs and ex-USAF/ANG F-86Hs
By: victor45 - 3rd September 2007 at 21:17
F86 Drone Programme
thank you very much for the info guys, its really very interesting:cool: 😎 😎
By: J Boyle - 3rd September 2007 at 01:12
The firm was operated out of Mojave in California by the name for Flight Systems Inc.
In the aerly 80s I visted and saw several ex-Japanese aircraft and others I thought were South African.
Most were used in US Navy and Army AAM and SAM programs.
The USAF targets converted from F-100s, then 102s, and finally 106s.
By: David Burke - 2nd September 2007 at 21:50
The aircraft were radio controlled drones. They were flown and either expended with missile hits or lived to fight another day. The Sabre was superceded by the F-100 and later F-4’s in the same role. From memory
the program was largely civilian run with a private company acquiring aircraft arounf the world.
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September 2, 2007 at 9:37 pm