Radio waves act as test pilot for the Navy when ramjet engines are put through their paces over the Pacific Ocean. Mounted on a tiny plane that looks very similar to the buzz bombs used by the Nazis, the ramjets are piloted on 10-minutes flights by the radio-operated remote-control system. Data is transmitted back to the observers by a complex telemetering device. Since ramjets have no static thrust, they can't take off by themselves. A specially modified Black Widow fighter carries the tiny plane aloft by means of a hanger under its right winge, upper right. Once over the test area, the ramjet is released and from then on it flies by radio control. Its flight is followed by radar. When its fuel supply is exhausted, the tiny plane autmatically releases a large parachute which brings it down without damage, enabling the technicians to examine the engine for any faults that might have developed in flight.
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images and info provided by the Popular Mechanics ARCHIVE from the Zetu Harrys Collection
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