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1. AQUILINE was not nuclear powered. It was powered by a chainsaw engine. CIA was looking at developing an RTG+electric power plant eventually to give it "unlimited" range, but these plans were very, very long wishful thinking. With the RTG it *could* have the range stated in your image, but the control problem would have to be solved (see 2 below)2. AQUILINE was to use an aircraft as a communications relay initially. It would then use a satellite link for control. The aircraft to be used as a relay was a DC-6. CIA looked at using a U-2 as a relay but it was considered impractical. As it turns out using an aircraft as a relay for a drone is not easy. They tried it again in the 1980s with EAGLE, then in the 1990s with LOFTY VIEW. It was only with LOFTY VIEW that after much effort they got it to work.3. AQUILINE did not disappear. One of the remaining aircraft is hanging upside down in a museum. mislabeled. This was discovered by members of this forum https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/mcdonnell-douglas-mark-ii-batwing.40148/#post-553995AQUILINE was never a "companion" for the U-2. At one point it was proposed - and discarded - to use the U-2 as a radio relay to extend the range of AQUILINE. Instead a DC-6 was to be used as the relay.
1. AQUILINE was not nuclear powered. It was powered by a chainsaw engine. CIA was looking at developing an RTG+electric power plant eventually to give it "unlimited" range, but these plans were very, very long wishful thinking. With the RTG it *could* have the range stated in your image, but the control problem would have to be solved (see 2 below)
2. AQUILINE was to use an aircraft as a communications relay initially. It would then use a satellite link for control. The aircraft to be used as a relay was a DC-6. CIA looked at using a U-2 as a relay but it was considered impractical. As it turns out using an aircraft as a relay for a drone is not easy. They tried it again in the 1980s with EAGLE, then in the 1990s with LOFTY VIEW. It was only with LOFTY VIEW that after much effort they got it to work.
3. AQUILINE did not disappear. One of the remaining aircraft is hanging upside down in a museum. mislabeled. This was discovered by members of this forum https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/mcdonnell-douglas-mark-ii-batwing.40148/#post-553995
AQUILINE was never a "companion" for the U-2. At one point it was proposed - and discarded - to use the U-2 as a radio relay to extend the range of AQUILINE. Instead a DC-6 was to be used as the relay.
