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The Queen Bee, the first returnable and reusable UAV, was designed for use as
an aerial target during training missions. Anti-aircraft gunners in the Royal
Navy practiced shooting them down at first sight. The spruce-and-plywood
biplanes first flew in 1935 and bore wheels (for launch from an
airfield) or floats (for use at sea). The Queen Bee was radio-controlled and
could fly as high as 17,000 feet and travel a maximum distance of 300 miles at over 100
mph. A total of 380 Queen Bees served as target drones in the Royal Air Force
and the Royal Navy until they were retired in 1947.
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