Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH – Valokuvat ja video

Nniiden Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH (Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter) on pieni drone-helikopteri, jonka Gyrodyne Company of America on rakentanut käytettäväksi pitkän kantaman sukellusveneiden torjunta-aseena aluksissa, jotka muuten olisivat liian pieniä täysikokoisen helikopterin käyttämiseen. Se pysyi tuotannossa vuoteen 1969 asti. Useita käytetään edelleen erilaisissa maalla sijaitsevissa tehtävissä.

Nniiden Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH (Drone Anti-Submarine Helicopter) was a small, unmanned helicopter developed by Gyrodyne Company of America in the late 1950s for the United States Navy. It was designed to carry a single torpedo or other payload and operate from the decks of destroyers and frigates as a guided weapon system. The QH-50 was the first operational drone helicopter and the first rotary-wing aircraft to be used in combat by the US Navy.
The QH-50 was controlled remotely by an operator on board the ship using a radio link and a television camera mounted on the drone. The operator could direct the QH-50 to search for, locate, and attack enemy submarines with its acoustic homing torpedo. The QH-50 could also perform reconnaissance, surveillance, target designation, and electronic warfare missions. The QH-50 had a range of about 30 miles (48 km) and a speed of up to 80 knots (150 km/h). It could fly at altitudes of up to 12,000 feet (3,660 m) and hover for up to two hours.
Nniiden QH-50 was first deployed in 1962 and saw extensive service during the Vietnam War, where it was used to attack North Vietnamese coastal targets and patrol boats. The QH-50 also participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Dominican Republic intervention, and the Iran-Iraq War. The QH-50 was retired from active service in 1979, but some were used for testing and training purposes until the early 1990s. The QH-50 was a pioneering example of a drone helicopter and paved the way for later developments in unmanned aerial vehicles.