Boeing BQ-7 Aphrodite

In July 1944, the USAAF implemented the idea to convert "war-weary" B-17 Flying Fortress bombers to radio-controlled assault drones. About 25 B-17s, mostly B-17F, were converted to BQ-7 configuration under program Aphrodite. The BQ-7 was to be flown from Great Britain against very hardened and/or heavily defended German targets, like e.g. submarine pens or V-1 missile sites.

Photo: Nels Christensen, via 303rd Bomb Group Association

B-17F

The BQ-7 was filled with 8360 kg (18425 lb) of Torpex high-explosive and fitted with an impact fuze. During take-off and initial climb, the BQ-7 was manned by a crew of two, a pilot and an engineer. After reaching cruise altitude, the crew pointed the aircraft toward the general direction of the target, activated the remote-control equipment, armed the fuze, and parachuted to the ground. To facilitate bail-out, the escape hatch in the lower left of the B-17's nose was enlarged, and left permanently open. Other modifications included the removal of all defensive armament and other equipment not necessary for a one-way mission. The unmanned BQ-7 was controlled from another B-17, modified to CQ-4 configuration, which accompanied the BQ-7 on its way to the target. The formation was completed by a fighter to shoot the BQ-7 down in case of a loss of control. The remote control pilot in the CQ-4 tracked the drone visually, optionally aided by a smoke trail from an external tank under the BQ-7's belly (the smoke could be switched on/off via remote control). Early into the program, the BQ-7s were fitted with two TV cameras, one in the cockpit to watch the instrument panel, and one obliquely in the nose to watch the flight path over the ground. The TV images were transmitted to the CQ-4, so that direct visual tracking of the BQ-7 was not necessary, giving the weapon a stand-off capability. In theory, the remote pilot would be able to fly the BQ-7 into the target using either direct visual contact or the TV image.

Photo: USAF

BQ-7

The first of 15 Aphrodite missions occured on 4 August 1944 against a V-1 site, and operations continued with low priority until January 1945. However, not a single BQ-7 attack could be considered a success. The drones suffered all kinds of failures, mainly related to the autopilot and remote-control equipment. Several BQ-7s went out of control, and a few actually crashed and exploded on friendly soil, luckily without inflicting major damage. Other problems included poor visibility via the TV image (leading to aiming errors of several 100 meters at best and several miles at worst), and the vulnerability of the non-manoeuvering BQ-7 to anti-aircraft fire.

Although sounding promising in theory, the BQ-7 Aphrodite concept was clearly a failure, mainly because the equipment of the time was not yet up to the task. A very similar effort to convert worn-out B-24 Liberator bombers to BQ-8 assault drones was even less successful. Post-war, the designation MB-17G was reserved for possible conversions of surplus B-17Gs to missiles in the style of the BQ-7, but it seems that no MB-17Gs were actually built.

Specifications

Note: Data given by several sources show slight variations. Figures given below may therefore be inaccurate!

Data for BQ-7:

Main Sources

[1] Bill Gunston: "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rockets and Missiles", Salamander Books Ltd, 1979
[2] Kenneth P.Werrell: "The Evolution of the Cruise Missile", Air University Press, 1985
[3] Peter M. Bowers: "Boeing Aircraft since 1916", Putnam, 1989
[4] Frederick A. Johnsen: "Q-Birds, American Manned Aircraft as Drones", Crécy, 2024

Back to Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 1

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Last Updated: 14 April 2025