BAI Aerosystems BQM-147 Dragon
BAI Aerosystems · United States · first flew 1986 · reconnaissance aircraft
The BAI Aerosystems BQM-147 Dragon, also known as the Exdrone, is a small American recoverable/expendable target and surveillance drone that entered service with the US Marine Corps in the 1980s.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, delta |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Delta flying-wing planform with no cockpit or conventional fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Very small expendable target drone with pusher propeller
- Delta flying-wing planform with no cockpit or conventional fuselage
- Launched from ground rail or vehicle-mounted launcher
Extremely small twin-boom pusher drone with a wingspan barely over two metres; the rail-launch configuration and parachute recovery pack distinguish it from free-flight target drones.
Specifications
- The BAI Aerosystems BQM-147 Dragon has a length of 1.6 m (5 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 2.5 m (8 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 130 km/h (81 mph).
- Typical crew: 0 (unmanned).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed by BAI Aerosystems from the mid-1980s, the BQM-147 was designed for low-cost battlefield surveillance and target practice. The compact pusher-propeller design could be hand-launched or rail-launched and recovered by parachute, offering a low-cost alternative to larger reconnaissance platforms.
Variants
The Exdrone designation was used commercially; the BQM-147 military designation covered the standard USMC service variant.
Where you'll see it
Operated by the US Marine Corps for reconnaissance and target missions; saw use in the 1990s before being superseded by more capable UAV systems.
Related aircraft
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