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What was the purpose of the dh82b Queen Bee?
de Havilland DH82B Queen Bee. Aircraft overview: The Queen Bee was devised as a low-cost radio-controlled target aircraft, for realistic anti-aircraft (AA) gunnery training. If it survived the shooting (as intended, by offset aiming), its controller would attempt to recover it for re-use.
How did the queen bee fly?
A four-bladed wooden windmill in the propeller slipstream on the fuselage port side drove an air-pump to provide compressed air for the gyro unit and servos. The Queen Bee was first flown, manned, at Hatfield in 1935, then remotely-controlled at Farnborough later that year. 412 were built between 1933 and 1943, 360 as float planes.
How many queen bees have been built?
The Queen Bee was first flown, manned, at Hatfield in 1935, then remotely-controlled at Farnborough later that year. 412 were built between 1933 and 1943, 360 as float planes. Over 380 Queen Bees were built, operated by the Fleet Air Arm (many on twin floats) and the Royal Air Force.
What kind of fuselage did the queen bee use?
The Queen Bee used the engine, unslatted wings, under-carriage and tailplane of a Tiger Moth. But instead of a Tiger Moth fabric-covered metal frame fuselage, it used a wooden (spruce and plywood) Moth Major fuselage since this was cheaper and offered buoyancy in the event of a ditching.
Was the Queen Bee the first unmanned aircraft?
It is claimed that the Queen Bee was the fi rst full-size aircraft originally designed to fl y unmanned and under radio control. It has also been suggested that the term ‘drone’ (as in aircraft drone) was related to the development of the de Havilland Queen Bee.
Is this the only de Havilland Queen Bee still airworthy?
LF858 has become a popular attraction for enthusiasts and people who are curious about the sole surviving airworthy de Havilland DH.82B Queen Bee and its fascinating story. ■ MONTH 2008 JUNE 2012 LIGHT AVIATION 0053