View source for Target tug

{{Short description|Aircraft towing a drone for target practice}}
[[File:QF-4B_in_flight_with_tow_target_1981.JPEG|thumb|300px|Target tugs, such as this Phantom are often painted in high visibility colors to differentiate themselves from the targets they tow.]]

A '''target tug''' is an [[aircraft]] which tows an unmanned [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|drone]], a fabric [[drogue]] or other kind of [[wiktionary:target|target]], for the purposes of [[gun]] or [[missile]] target practice. Target tugs are often conversions of transport and utility aircraft, as well as obsolescent combat types. Some, such as the [[Miles Martinet]], were specially designed for the role. It was, and is, a relatively hazardous job, as [[Live fire exercise|live fire]] is typically employed and the people doing the shooting are usually still in training.

==History==
===World War 2===
[[File:IWM ATP 12826D.jpg|thumb|right|[[Boulton Paul Defiant]] TT Mk III target tug, number ''N1697''; [[RAF Desford]], May 1944. Note the wind-driven generator that provided power for the target winch]]
Prior to and during [[World War II]] target tugs were typically operated by the [[Air Force|air arms]] on behalf of which they flew, and were usually conversions of aircraft that had failed in combat or that were otherwise unsuitable or obsolete in their design roles (see [[Fairey Battle]] and [[Short Sturgeon]]). These aircraft typically trailed a [[drogue]] fabric sleeve at the end of a several-thousand metre long cable. Student [[fighter pilot]]s or [[air gunner]]s would shoot at the target from other aircraft using painted bullets so that hits could be recorded and later analysed.

In the RAF, [[Miles Master]] IIs were used for this purpose as part of the Target Towing Flight at the Central Gunnery School whilst the School was based at [[RAF Sutton Bridge]] from April 1942 to March 1944. Other aircraft used in this role were the [[Hawker Henley]], the [[Boulton Paul Defiant]] and the [[Westland Lysander]], although the [[RAF]] was by no means the only air arm to use target tugs. They were used by most air forces. The USAAF used older aircraft such as the [[TBD Devastator]] as target tugs. The Luftwaffe and the VVS (Red Army) also used tugs.

The chief modifications to the aircraft were a station for the [[drogue]] operator and a winch to reel in the cable prior to landing. The winch was typically powered by a [[Ram air turbine|small wind turbine]] on the outside of the aircraft, driven by the airflow and attached to the winch via a [[clutch]]. Such devices are still used by some [[aerial refueling tanker]]s to retract the refueling hose after the operation is completed. The drogue would often be jettisoned at some location convenient for recovery prior to the aircraft's landing. The drogue itself caused a great deal of drag and could be dangerous, particularly to less-powerful aircraft. If the engine failed, the drag from the drogue could be enough to reduce the airspeed of the aircraft below [[stall speed]] before the drogue could be jettisoned (see [[Hawker Henley]]).

===Post-War===
[[File:Fairey Firefly TT.1 SE-CAW Svensk Flyg RWY 09.55 edited-2.jpg|thumb|right|Fairey Firefly TT.1 target tug, painted mustard yellow, of the Swedish Flight Service at [[Manchester Airport|Manchester (Ringway Airport)]] in 1955]] 
The use of such aircraft continued post-war, although a trend developed whereby ex-military aircraft were purchased, modified and operated by civilian companies under contract. Deutsche-Luftfahrt Beratungsdienst of [[West Germany]] and Svensk Flygtjänst AB of [[Sweden]] were two notable companies in the field in the post-war years, operating such types as the [[Hawker Sea Fury]], [[Fairey Firefly]] and [[Douglas Skyraider]]. Many air arms however continued to operate target tugs on their own behalf.

In later years the use of civilian companies expanded significantly worldwide, with many companies forming or entering the field in the 1960s and 1970s. The trend was still to use ex-military aircraft, for example Fawcett Aviation in [[Australia]] used two ex-[[Royal Australian Air Force|RAAF]] [[North American Mustang|CAC Mustangs]] from 1960 until the latter part of the 1970s.<ref>''Mustangs of the RAAF and RNZAF'' Peter N. Anderson. A. H. & A. W. Reed. {{ISBN|0-589-07130-0}}.</ref> Flight Systems Inc. commenced operations at [[Mojave, California]] with [[Canadair Sabre]]s converted as QF-86E missile targets, the first aircraft making its first unmanned flight in April 1975; this company later also operated Sabres as target tugs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://f-86.tripod.com/fsi.html |title=Flight Systems Sabres |accessdate=2002-04-03 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20020403005249/http://f-86.tripod.com/fsi.html |archivedate=2002-04-03 }} Retrieved 2007-07-18</ref> Flight Systems Inc was later purchased by [[Tracor]] and these operations are still performed by [[BAE Systems Inc.|BAE Systems Flight Systems]] with [[Douglas A-4|Douglas Skyhawks]].<ref>http://www.landings.com {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608131958/http://www.landings.com/ |date=2021-06-08 }} Online search of US civil aircraft register database performed July 18, 2007</ref> The practice of using ex-military aircraft as target tugs (and of air arms retaining older aircraft themselves for such use) resulted in them surviving into an era where such aircraft became desirable as [[Warbird]]s; many former target tugs are now to be found on the [[airshow]] circuit or under restoration to fly, and in aviation museums.

==Current usage==
[[File:Dassault.falcon20.g-frak.arp.jpg|thumb|An FR Aviation Services [[Dassault Falcon 20]] modified for target towing at the 2006 [[Royal International Air Tattoo]]]]
Today, more air arms have turned to civilian companies for provision of target towing services. Many companies operating in this field today do so using modified [[corporate jet]] aircraft instead of ex-military aircraft. Advantages of operating civil aircraft types include ease of registration (it being difficult in many countries to register ex-military jets as civil aircraft), ease of maintenance and lower operating costs when compared to ex-military aircraft. Companies active in 2007 providing target towing services include [[Cobham plc|FR Aviation Services Ltd.]] in the [[UK]] and associated companies AVdef (in [[France]]) and Falcon Special Air Services (in [[Malaysia]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fraviation.com/about.aspx |title=Cobham Flight Operations and Services - UK |accessdate=2007-07-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070528160229/http://www.fraviation.com/about.aspx |archivedate=2007-05-28 }} Retrieved 2007-07-18</ref> using [[Dassault Falcon 20|Falcon 20s]]; [[Pel-Air]] in [[Australia]] using [[Gates Learjet|Learjets]] and (in something of a reversal of recent trends) EIS Aircraft Gmbh in [[Germany]] using [[Pilatus PC-9]] aircraft.

Target towing operations are not without risk. On September 17, 1994 a Golden Eagle Aviation [[Learjet 35|Lear 35A]] was accidentally shot down by a ship of the [[Republic of China Navy|Taiwanese Navy]] during a [[live-fire exercise]]. All four occupants were killed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19940917-1 |title=ASN Aircraft accident Learjet 35A B-98181 Taitung |website= Aviation Safety Network |access-date= 21 January 2022}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Commons category|Target tugs}}
*[[Target drone]], an unmanned aerial target craft
*[[Bell P-63 Kingcobra|RP-63 "Pinball"]] (a piloted target craft)
*[[Towed seaborne target]], the naval counterpart
*[[Aerial Advertising| Banner towing]], a similar technique in which an aircraft tows a banner for advertising purposes

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Military utility aircraft]]
[[Category:Military aviation]]
[[Category:Military education and training]]