The WW2 OQ-2A was a radio controlled gunnery practice drone. It came in various guises and identifications in both US Army and US Navy service. It was a development of the Denny Radio Plane designed and manufactured by Reginald Denny and was the first mass produced radio controlled model aircraft.
For the fascinating Radio Plane story (and to find out how it caused Marylin Monroe's change in career from a spray painter to sex goddess) have a look here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioplane_OQ-2
and here
http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/denny.html
Above is a 24" Indoor Micro RC build by John Bird designed by John Hunton (AMA Hall of Fame)
About 30 years ago John Hunton found the OQ-2A "Wimpy" in the backyard of someones home. He repaired it and gifted it to one of the US Aviation Museums. One hangs in the foyer of the AMA building. Reginald Denny is also in the AMA Hall of Fame.
The 24" span versions were specifically created to be exhibited and flown indoors on the locations where the surviving six Denny Radio Planes are on display. John Hunton's and Nick Calvino's are free flight models. John Bird's is micro rc.
It was decided after test flying outdoors, that for many indoor venues and for safety at public events the micro RC version would be re-configured for tethered 'round-the-pole' rc flight given its speed.
We believe the name "Wimpy" was a personalisation made by one of the military crew members.
The name has it's origins from one the characters in the Popeye Cartoon series.
The RC and power components have been cannibalised from one of the E flight 2.4 GHz single cell micro rc models.
More pictures below.
For the fascinating Radio Plane story (and to find out how it caused Marylin Monroe's change in career from a spray painter to sex goddess) have a look here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioplane_OQ-2
and here
http://www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/denny.html
Above is a 24" Indoor Micro RC build by John Bird designed by John Hunton (AMA Hall of Fame)
About 30 years ago John Hunton found the OQ-2A "Wimpy" in the backyard of someones home. He repaired it and gifted it to one of the US Aviation Museums. One hangs in the foyer of the AMA building. Reginald Denny is also in the AMA Hall of Fame.
The 24" span versions were specifically created to be exhibited and flown indoors on the locations where the surviving six Denny Radio Planes are on display. John Hunton's and Nick Calvino's are free flight models. John Bird's is micro rc.
It was decided after test flying outdoors, that for many indoor venues and for safety at public events the micro RC version would be re-configured for tethered 'round-the-pole' rc flight given its speed.
We believe the name "Wimpy" was a personalisation made by one of the military crew members.
The name has it's origins from one the characters in the Popeye Cartoon series.
The RC and power components have been cannibalised from one of the E flight 2.4 GHz single cell micro rc models.
More pictures below.
