Jindivik Drone

The GAF Jindivik is a radio-controlled target drone produced by the Australian Government Aircraft Factories (GAF). The name is from an Aboriginal Australian word meaning "the hunted one". Two manually-controlled prototypes, were built as the GAF Pika (Project C) as a proof of concept to test the aerodynamics, engine and radio control systems, serialled ''A92-1/2'', 'B-1/2'. The radio-controlled Jindivik was initially designated the Project B and received serials in the A93 series. Pika is an Aboriginal Australian word meaning ''flier''.

Design and development

The Jindivik was developed as a result of a bilateral agreement between Australia and the UK regarding guided missile testing. While the UK provided the missiles, Australia provided test facilities, such as the Woomera Test Range. As a result of the talks, Australia gained the contract for developing a target drone to Ministry of Supply specification E.7/48. The specification called for an aircraft capable of a 15-minute sortie at . Development began in 1948,Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles Appendix 4: Undesignated Vehicles Jindivik with the first flight of the Pika in 1950 and the first flight of the Jindivik Mk.1 in August 1952.

The manually piloted prototype, known as the Pika, had side air intakes (to make room for the cockpit) and retractable undercarriage operated from a pneumatic reservoir. The remotely-piloted version, the Jindivik, followed the same basic form except that it had a single skid instead of an undercarriage and a dorsal air intake located where the Pika's cockpit was. The Jindivik Mk.1 was powered by an Armstrong Siddeley Adder (ASA.1) turbojet, which had been developed as a disposable engine for the project. Only 14 Mk.1s were ever made. The Mk.2 was powered by a Armstrong Siddeley Viper engine. The Viper was also intended for a short lifespan – about 10 hours, but a "long life" version was also produced for conventional aircraft.

The control systems were manufactured by various firms including Elliott Brothers, GEC and McMichael, with assistance from the Royal Aircraft Establishment.''Flight'' 17 February 1961 p. 211 Control was maintained through an autopilot that received radio commands from the ground, rather than direct flight by a ground controller. Eighteen commands could be issued to the autopilot with six further commands for the operation of other onboard equipment. The drone was launched via a self-steering trolley. At , the drone was designed to apply its flaps, push the elevators up and release the trolley. Landing was made at . Two controllers (azimuth and elevation) were used to align the drone on the runway. On landing it touched down on its skid and banking would cause the wingtip "shoes" to touch the runway, which controlled its path down the runway as it slowed.

Between 1952 and 1986, a total of 502 aircraft were produced. Examples for use in the United Kingdom were shipped by surface transport, and assembled and tested by Fairey Aviation at Hayes, Middlesex, and Manchester Airport. In 1997, the production line was re-opened to build another 15 for Britain.

Operators

Since production began, the Jindivik has been used by the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal Australian Navy's Fleet Air Arm, and the Royal Air Force. The last Australian Jindiviks were taken out of service in the late 1990s and were replaced by the Kalkara. Most UK tests were conducted by the Royal Aircraft Establishment at their Llanbedr establishment and fired over the nearby Aberporth Airport test range in west Wales. In the UK, the drone was used in the development of the Bristol Bloodhound, English Electric Thunderbird, and Seaslug surface-to-air missiles, and the de Havilland Firestreak air-to-air missile. Small numbers of the aircraft have also been operated by both Sweden, who used the Jindivik 2, and the United States.

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*Royal Australian Air Force
* Fleet Air Arm (RAN)
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*Swedish Air Force
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* Royal Air Force
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* United States Navy – 42 Mk 303B

Variants

;Jindivik 1:Initial aircraft powered by Armstrong Siddeley ASA.1 Adder, 14 built.
;Jindivik 2:
;Jindivik Mk 102:Jindivik 2 modified by Fairey Aviation for use in United Kingdom.
;Jindivik 2A:development model with Armstrong Siddeley ASV.8 Viper (1,750 lbf) new intake and wider wings, three built.
;Jindivik 2B:production model of 2A, 76 built.
;Jindivik Mk 102B:as for Mk 102 based on 2B airframe
;Jindivik 3A: ASV.11 Viper engine, with new equipment for higher altitude
;Jindivik 3B:as 3A but ASV.8 Viper engine
;Mk 103B:for the United Kingdom
;Mk 203B:for the Royal Australian Navy
;Mk 303B:for the United States Navy

Surviving aircraft

:1 Pika and 22 Jindiviks preserved as either in storage or on display in museums or collections around the world - ( 1 in Sweden, 8 in UK, 13 in Australia)
;Pika - Project C
:A93-2 second pilot controlled Pika Prototype, RAAF Museum, Point Cook
;Jindivik - Project B
:A92-9 mark 1, painted as B-9 prototype, mounted on a pole RAAF Base Edinburgh
:A92-22 mark 2, previously on a pole at Jervis Bay, now with HARS Parkes
:A92-47 mark 2, displayed on launch trolley RAAF Museum, Point Cook
:A92-UNK? mark 2? as “RB01” drone (flown in Sweden in 1959?) Displayed at Vidsal Test Range Museum, Sweden
:A92-418 mark 3A, as WRE-418 displayed on a pole at Woomera
:A92-480 mark 3A. Pole mounted gate guardian- RAF Llanbedr, Wales
:A92-492 mark 3A, composite owned by Australian National Aviation Museum, on loan to Benalla
:A92-511 mark 303A, mounted on pole, RAAF Base Wagga
:A92-520 mark 303A, as WRE-520 composite in private collection SA
:A92-529 mark 303A, as WRE-529 composite at Classic Jets Museum
:A92-601 mark 3B, as WRE-60 composite displayed hanging from the roof Queensland Air Museum
:N11-609 mark 3B, displayed on handling trolley, RAN Fleet Air Arm Museum, Nowra
:A92-466 mark 303BL, Boscombe Down Aviation Collection, England
:A92-708 mark 103, Aerospace Bristol, Bristol Filton Airport, England
:A92-740 mark 203B, crashed fuselage on display- Caernarfon Airworld Aviation Museum, Wales
:N11-743 mark 203B, named "David Manolan" owned by AARG stored with handling trolley Hallam
:N11-750 mark 203B, displayed on launch trolley, Fighterworld RAAF Base Williamtown
:N11-752 mark 203B displayed on handling trolley, South Australian Aviation Museum, Adelaide
:A92-804 mark 104AL, Royal Air Force Museum Cosford, England
:A92-808 mark 104AL (RAF ZJ489) fuselage only - modified with cockpit - Caernarfon Airworld Aviation Museum, Wales
:A92-901 mark 104A, (RAF ZJ496) Farnborough Air Sciences Trust, Farnborough Airport
:A92-908 mark 104A, held to become gate guardian RAF Llanbedr, Wales
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Specifications (Jindivik 3B – short span wings)

See also

Notes

References

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*
* Taylor, John W.R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1980–81''. London:Jane's Publishing, 1980. .
* Taylor, John W.R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982–83''. London:Jane's Publishing, 1982. .
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External links

The 'Aerial Target' and 'Aerial Torpedo' in AustraliaGAF Jindivik Target Drone Gallery at adf-serials.comADF Aircraft Serial Numbers

GAF Jindivik Mk.3B, (N11-806) at Australias' Museum of Flight
* ttp://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1952/1952%20-%201148.html "Pika and Jindivik" a 1952 ''Flight'' article on the two aircraftbr>"Jindivik Pilotless Target"
a 1959 advertisement in ''Flight''


a 1961 ''Flight'' article

{{ADF aircraft designations

Jindivik
1950s Australian special-purpose aircraft
Low-wing aircraft
Single-engined jet aircraft
Target drones
Unmanned aerial vehicles of Australia
Aircraft first flown in 1952