{"id":811,"date":"2019-11-27T19:29:35","date_gmt":"2019-11-27T19:29:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pimaair.wpengine.com\/?post_type=museum_aircraft&#038;p=811"},"modified":"2025-02-24T15:40:15","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T22:40:15","slug":"teledyne-ryan-aqm-34l-firebee","status":"publish","type":"museum_aircraft","link":"https:\/\/pimaair.org\/museum-aircraft\/teledyne-ryan-aqm-34l-firebee\/","title":{"rendered":"TELEDYNE RYAN AQM-34L FIREBEE"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1>Teledyne Ryan AQM-34L FIREBEE<\/h1>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/Teledyne-Ryan-AQM-34L.jpg\" alt=\"\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The AQM-34L was developed in the late 1960s from the BQM-34A target drone as a low altitude photographic reconnaissance drone.\u00a0 They were launched and controlled from the DC-130 Hercules and were extensively used over North Vietnam.\u00a0 Once the drone had completed its mission it would be directed to a safe area usually over water, where the engine would shut down and a large parachute would deploy.\u00a0 There were two methods of recovery at that point.\u00a0 First, it could simply be recovered from the water, but this was not preferred due to the damage saltwater would do to the drone\u2019s systems.\u00a0 The second, preferred method was to use a helicopter equipped with a special hook system to grab the drone out of the air.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Wingspan<\/td>\n<td>13 ft<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\">Wingspan<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Length<\/td>\n<td>29 ft <\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\"><strong>Length<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Height<\/td>\n<td>6 ft 8 in.<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\"><strong>Height<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Weight<\/td>\n<td>3,200 lbs (loaded)<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\"><strong>Weight<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Max. Speed<\/td>\n<td>645 mph<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\"><strong>Maximum Speed<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Service Ceiling<\/td>\n<td>50,000 ft<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\"><strong>Service Ceiling<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Range<\/td>\n<td>750 miles<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\"><strong>Range<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Engines<\/td>\n<td>One Teledyne Continental J-69 turbojet with 1,920 pounds of thrust<\/td>\n<td>\n<p><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\"><strong>Engines<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\"><strong>Manufacturer<\/strong><\/span><br \/>TELEDYNE<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\"><strong>Markings<\/strong><\/span><br \/>432<sup>nd<\/sup> Tactical Drone Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 1978<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\"><strong>Designation<\/strong><\/span><br \/><span>AQM-34L FIREBEE<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #2387c3;\"><strong>Serial Number<\/strong><\/span><br \/>69-0432<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--more--><br \/>\n<!-- {\"type\":\"layout\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"section\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"style\":\"default\",\"title_breakpoint\":\"xl\",\"title_position\":\"top-left\",\"title_rotation\":\"left\",\"vertical_align\":\"\",\"width\":\"large\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"1-1\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"headline\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"Teledyne Ryan AQM-34L FIREBEE\",\"title_decoration\":\"divider\",\"title_element\":\"h1\"}}]}]},{\"type\":\"row\",\"props\":{\"layout\":\"1-2,1-2\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"1-2\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"image\",\"props\":{\"image\":\"wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2019\\\/11\\\/Teledyne-Ryan-AQM-34L.jpg\",\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"margin\":\"default\"}},{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p>The AQM-34L was developed in the late 1960s from the BQM-34A target drone as a low altitude photographic reconnaissance drone.\\u00a0 They were launched and controlled from the DC-130 Hercules and were extensively used over North Vietnam.\\u00a0 Once the drone had completed its mission it would be directed to a safe area usually over water, where the engine would shut down and a large parachute would deploy.\\u00a0 There were two methods of recovery at that point.\\u00a0 First, it could simply be recovered from the water, but this was not preferred due to the damage saltwater would do to the drone\\u2019s systems.\\u00a0 The second, preferred method was to use a helicopter equipped with a special hook system to grab the drone out of the air.<\\\/p>\",\"margin\":\"default\"}}]},{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"1-2\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"table\",\"props\":{\"image_svg_color\":\"emphasis\",\"link_style\":\"default\",\"link_text\":\"Read more\",\"meta_style\":\"\",\"show_content\":true,\"show_image\":true,\"show_link\":true,\"show_meta\":true,\"show_title\":false,\"table_last_align\":\"right\",\"table_order\":\"3\",\"table_responsive\":\"responsive\",\"table_style\":\"striped\",\"table_vertical_align\":false,\"table_width_meta\":\"\",\"table_width_title\":\"shrink\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"table_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p><strong><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\">Wingspan<\\\/span><\\\/strong><\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"13 ft\",\"title\":\"Wingspan\"}},{\"type\":\"table_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\"><strong>Length<\\\/strong><\\\/span><\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"29 ft \",\"title\":\"Length\"}},{\"type\":\"table_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\"><strong>Height<\\\/strong><\\\/span><\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"6 ft 8 in.\",\"title\":\"Height\"}},{\"type\":\"table_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\"><strong>Weight<\\\/strong><\\\/span><\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"3,200 lbs (loaded)\",\"title\":\"Weight\"}},{\"type\":\"table_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\"><strong>Maximum Speed<\\\/strong><\\\/span><\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"645 mph\",\"title\":\"Max. Speed\"}},{\"type\":\"table_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\"><strong>Service Ceiling<\\\/strong><\\\/span><\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"50,000 ft\",\"title\":\"Service Ceiling\"}},{\"type\":\"table_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\"><strong>Range<\\\/strong><\\\/span><\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"750 miles\",\"title\":\"Range\"}},{\"type\":\"table_item\",\"props\":{\"content\":\"\n\n<p><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\"><strong>Engines<\\\/strong><\\\/span><\\\/p>\",\"meta\":\"One Teledyne Continental J-69 turbojet with 1,920 pounds of thrust\",\"title\":\"Engines\"}}]}]}]},{\"type\":\"row\",\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"1-1\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"divider\",\"props\":{\"divider_element\":\"hr\"}}]}]},{\"type\":\"row\",\"props\":{\"layout\":\"1-2,1-2\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"1-2\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\"><strong>Manufacturer<\\\/strong><\\\/span><br \\\/>TELEDYNE<\\\/p>\\n\n\n<p><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\"><strong>Markings<\\\/strong><\\\/span><br \\\/>432<sup>nd<\\\/sup> Tactical Drone Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 1978<\\\/p>\",\"margin\":\"default\"}}]},{\"type\":\"column\",\"props\":{\"image_position\":\"center-center\",\"position_sticky_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"width_medium\":\"1-2\"},\"children\":[{\"type\":\"text\",\"props\":{\"column_breakpoint\":\"m\",\"content\":\"\n\n<p><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\"><strong>Designation<\\\/strong><\\\/span><br \\\/><span>AQM-34L FIREBEE<\\\/span><\\\/p>\\n\n\n<p><span style=\\\"color: #2387c3;\\\"><strong>Serial Number<\\\/strong><\\\/span><br \\\/>69-0432<\\\/p>\",\"margin\":\"default\"}}]}]}]}],\"version\":\"4.4.12\"} --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":367,"template":"","categories":[102],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-811","museum_aircraft","type-museum_aircraft","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-teledyne-ryan","Designation-aqm-34l","name-firebee"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>TELEDYNE RYAN AQM-34L FIREBEE - Pima Air &amp; 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