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.