GAF Jindivik explained

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^[1]) 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.^[2]

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.^[3] The specification called for an aircraft capable of a 15-minute sortie at 40000feet. Development began in 1948,^[4] with the first flight of the Pika in 1950^[5] and the first flight of the Jindivik Mk.1 in August 1952.^[4]

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.^[6] 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 1640lbf^[7] 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.^[8]

The control systems were manufactured by various firms including Elliott Brothers, GEC and McMichael, with assistance from the Royal Aircraft Establishment.^[9] Control was maintained through an autopilot that received radio commands from the ground, rather than direct flight by a ground controller.^[9] 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 150-. 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.^[8]

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.^[10]

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.^[11] 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.

Swedish Air Force

Royal Air Force

United States Navy – 42 Mk 303B

Variants

Jindivik 1:Initial aircraft powered by Armstrong Siddeley ASA.1 Adder, 14 built.

Surviving aircraft

1 Pika and 22 Jindiviks are preserved as either in storage or on display in museums or collections around the world (1 in Sweden, 8 in UK, 13 in Australia).^[12]

Pika – Project C

A93-2, second pilot–controlled Pika rototype, RAAF Museum, Point Cook

Jindivik – Project B

A92-9 mark 1, painted as B-9 prototype, mounted on a pole at 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, Filton, 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 at Hallam, Victoria

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 at RAF Llanbedr, Wales

References

Black. Ian. On Target!: A Pictorial Tribute to the Drones of RAE Llanbedr, Wales . Air Enthusiast . July–August 1999. 82. 40–41 . 0143-5450.
Book: Dennis. Peter. Grey. Jeffrey. Morris . Ewan. Prior. Robin . Bou . Jean. The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History. Oxford University Press. Melbourne. 2008. Second. 9780195517842. CITEREFDennis_et_al2008.
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. .
Web site: Jindivik in theory and practice . Flight . 1961 .

External links

Notes and References

https://web.archive.org/web/20131018202126/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1952/1952%20-%201148.html Flight 1952
Bridgman, Leonard, compiler and editor, "Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1952–53", McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., New York, 1952, pages 91–92.
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1961/1961%20-%200211.html Flight Jindivik in theory and practice
Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles Appendix 4: Undesignated Vehicles Jindivik
Web site: PTA – Jindivik . Fleet Air Arm Association of Australia . 17 October 2020 . 1 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201101091623/https://www.faaaa.asn.au/our-heritage-unmanned-target-aircraft/ . dead .
Flight 1952 p. 512
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1956/1956%20-%201141.html Flight 1956
Web site: GAF Jindivik Pilotless Target Aircraft . Royal Australian Navy .
Flight 17 February 1961 p. 211
http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=133505 The Bulletin: Bird of Prey
Taylor, H.A., Fairey Aircraft since 1915, 1974, Putnam & Company Limited,
Web site: ADF Serials - Jindivik .