Area 51 III.

This is coolbert:

Area 51 the drones!

Nor should we consider that those research and development projects Area 51 all total successes. Hardly. Consider:

1. Compass Arrow. Ryan AQM-91 Firefly.

"The Ryan AQM-91 Firefly was a developmental drone developed during the Vietnam War to perform long-range reconnaissance, especially into China."

Long-range unmanned reconnaissance drone. Unsuccessful. Project curtailed. Missions accomplished with scant results if any.

Cost ASTRONOMICAL. Consider a copy $56 million [1965] = $500 million [2020].

2. Dragonfly UAV. Micro-drone.

3. Condor. 

Flap those wings. UAV flies like a bird but not against the wind.

4. D-21. 

Yet one more high-speed, high-altitude, high-performance intelligence/reconnaissance drone. Mission analogous to the Firefly. Results also poor, scant, if non-existent.

MICRO-MINIATURE ELECTRONICS SO ESSENTIAL TO MODERN DRONE UAV OPERATIONS NOT AVAILABLE AT THE TIME. CONCEPTS SOUND BUT TECHNOLOGY PUSHED TOO FAR FOR THE PERIOD.

coolbert.