MQM-61A Cardinal
| Type: | Surface-to-air target drone |
| Guidance: | Radio command |
| Propellant: | Rocket-assisted takeoff, single propeller engine |
| Range: | 400 miles (643km) |
| Speed: | 350 miles per hour (563km/h) |
| Length: | 15 feet (4.5m) |
| Diameter: | 18 inches (46cm) |
| Weight: | 660 pounds (300kg) |
| First Launch: | 29 June 1966 |
In 1955, the Beechcraft Corporation designed the Model 1001 (KDB-1), as the initial version of this target drone was designated, in response to a US Navy requirement for gunnery and air-to-air combat training.
The Model 1001 was developed into the similar Model 1025 for the US Army and was designated as the MQM-61A. The Cardinal was a simple monoplane design with a 125 horsepower McCulloch TC6150-J-2 two-stroke piston engine driving a two-blade propeller. It could tow banners or targets and could carry two other targets under each wing. The drone was launched using a rocket assisted take off (RATO) booster and could be recovered by parachute. A total of 2,200 Cardinals of multiple variants were built, mostly for the US Army and Marine Corps. While in service, the Cardinals were tested against systems such as Redeye, Stinger, Chaparral, Vulcan, Hawk, Nike Ajax, and Nike Hercules.
