Assembled model 1/48 Q-2A (AQM-34B) Firebee drone with cart (1 plane and cart) ICM 48400

KDA-1 (Q-2A) Firebee with trailer In 1948, the US Air Force signed a contract with Ryan to create a jet-powered drone that would serve as a target for gunnery practice. Ryan developed the Firebee, the prototype of which, called the XQ-2, first flew in 1951. The drone was distinguished by arrow-shaped wings and plumage, as well as an air intake in the nose. The Firebee could be launched either from a carrier aircraft (the first of which was the A-26 Invader) or from the ground with a single JATO missile. The tests ended, and the Firebee entered service under the name Q-2A. The US Navy and US Army purchase a slightly different version of the Q-2A, which has a 1,000-pound Fairchild J44-R-20B engine and a front end in a forward air intake. It received the designation KDA-1.