Reginald Denny: the Hollywood actor behind the first mass-produced drone
TechRadar highlights how British-born actor Reginald Denny developed the Radioplane OQ-2, a target drone the US Army ordered in large numbers during World War II.
Key takeaways
- Reginald Denny, a British-born Hollywood actor, built the world's first mass-produced drone, according to TechRadar.
- The aircraft was the Radioplane OQ-2, developed from model aircraft.
- The US Army ordered the OQ-2 in huge numbers during World War II as a target drone.
An actor turned drone pioneer
According to TechRadar, the world's first mass-produced drone came from an unlikely source: a Hollywood actor. British-born Reginald Denny, who worked in film, turned his interest in model aircraft into a practical military design.
The result was the Radioplane OQ-2, a target drone used for anti-aircraft practice.
Wartime demand for the Radioplane OQ-2
The US Army ordered the OQ-2 in huge numbers during World War II, TechRadar reports. Target drones let gunners train against moving aircraft without risking pilots.
The story is presented by TechRadar as a history note rather than new research, and no further technical details are given in its summary.
Sources
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