Northrop RP-76 Target Drone

The Northrop RP-76 (US Army AQM-38A) was a high-performance, rocket powered, radio controlled, and recoverable target missile. It was used for surface-to-air, and air-to-air missile firing practice. It was carried to altitude by fighter aircraft and air launched. Since mid-1959, over 2,000 of these targets were ordered by the US armed forces. They were used to train US Army Nike missile crews at US and Far East target ranges. They were also used for air-to-air missile training of US Navy all-weather interceptor fighter pilots at the Pacific Missile Range, Point Magu, California.

The key structural component of the RP-76 was the steel engine case housing the solid propellant rocket motor. To this, the plastic wings, nose section, and aft fuselage were attached. The integral flight control package, including control vanes, was located in the nose section. Augmentation equipment included a Luneberg lens which provided reliable passive reflectivity at a minimum cost as a target for the Nike-Ajax, Nike Hercules, and Hawk missiles.

During the summer of 1960, at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, an AQM-38A climbed to a height of 72,500 feet, attaining a speed of Mach 1.03 during the flight. Later, a new high performance version, designated RP-76E, attained a speed in excess of Mach 2 at an altitude of 80,000 feet.

RP-76 Specifications