AeroVironment FQM-151 Pointer
A hand-launched surveillance UAV used by US forces from 1990.
The AeroVironment FQM-151 Pointer is a compact, hand-launched drone that the U.S. Army and Marine Corps have used for watching over battlefields. The company behind it, AeroVironment Incorporated, was once headed by Paul MacCready, a designer famous for the human-powered Gossamer Condor and a robotic pterodactyl replica. The Pointer was paid for out of the company’s own pocket, and the U.S. Army and Marine Corps bought roughly 50 of them starting in 1990.
Built mostly from tough Kevlar, the radio-controlled Pointer looked like a hobbyist’s RC sailplane with a small engine tacked on. Its wing sat above the fuselage on a pylon, with a pusher propeller mounted behind that pylon. A lithium battery pack powered the compact electric motor that spun the propeller. To launch it, a person simply threw it by hand. Recovery was just as simple: the operator put the drone into a flat spin, letting it flutter gently back to the ground.
A CCD camera was fixed in the Pointer’s nose, so the drone had to be aimed directly at a target to see it—hence the name “Pointer.” That camera offered a resolution of 360 by 380 pixels and a viewing angle of 22 by 30 degrees. Video could be sent back to the ground station either by radio or through a fiber-optic link. The ground station recorded the footage on an eight-millimeter video cassette recorder, with digital compass directions overlaid on the image. The controller could also add spoken comments. Playback allowed normal, freeze-frame, fast, or slow-motion viewing. The whole aircraft system and the ground control station each fit into separate backpacks, and the setup required one pilot and one observer.
Over time, the Pointers in U.S. military service received upgrades, including GPS and inertial navigation. The design also spawned several derivatives. The Pointer itself is still in use and saw action during the 2001 intervention in Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Quick Facts
- Aircraft Type
- Miniature UAV
- National Origin
- United States
- Manufacturer
- AeroVironment
- First Flight
- 1988
- Developed Into
- RQ-11 Raven
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Pointer was built mostly of high-impact Kevlar and resembled a hobbyist's RC sailplane with a small engine added. Its wing stood above the fuselage on a pylon, and a pusher propeller was mounted on the wing behind the pylon. The UAV was hand-launched and recovered by putting it into a flat spin, allowing it to flutter down to the ground. It carried a CCD camera fixed in its nose, meaning the aircraft had to be directly pointed at its target to see it, which is how the machine got its name. The camera had a resolution of 360 × 380 pixels and a viewing aperture of 22 × 30 degrees. Video could be fed back to the ground station by radio or fiber-optic link. The ground station recorded flight imagery on an eight-millimeter video cassette recorder, and digital compass headings were superimposed on the imagery. The controller could add verbal comments, and imagery could be inspected with normal, freeze-frame, fast, or slow-motion replay. The aircraft system and the ground control station were carried in separate backpacks, and operation required a pilot and an observer.
Reader's Guide
The Pointer saw action during the intervention in Afghanistan in 2001 and the invasion of Iraq in 2003. It has since been upgraded with a GPS/INS capability and has led to a number of derivatives. The Pointer itself remains in use. Its significance lies in its early adoption by US forces as a small, portable surveillance platform that could be deployed quickly by hand launch and recovered without a runway. The use of a fixed nose camera meant the aircraft had to be aimed directly at a target, a design choice that gave the UAV its name. The system's ability to transmit video via radio or fiber-optic link and record it on cassette tape reflected the technology of its era. The Pointer's development by AeroVironment, a company with a history of innovative aircraft design, contributed to its place as a precursor to later small UAV systems.
Did You Know?
- The Pointer was developed with company funds, not government contracts.
- It was recovered by putting it into a flat spin to flutter down to the ground.
- The aircraft system and ground control station were carried in separate backpacks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the AeroVironment FQM-151 Pointer?
The FQM-151 Pointer is a small, hand-launched surveillance drone that entered U.S. service in 1990. It was constructed primarily from Kevlar and had the look of a hobbyist radio-controlled sailplane fitted with a tiny engine.
What role does the FQM-151 Pointer perform?
It was designed as a compact battlefield reconnaissance platform, giving Army and Marine units a quick, low-cost way to visually observe terrain ahead of their positions. Its camera captured images at 360 × 380 pixels through a 22 × 30-degree field of view.
How is the FQM-151 Pointer launched and recovered?
The operator simply throws the aircraft by hand to get it airborne, then steers it via radio control. At the end of a sortie it is brought down by inducing a flat spin so the craft flutters gently to the ground.
Who built the FQM-151 Pointer and what is the company's background?
AeroVironment Incorporated developed the Pointer, financing the project entirely out of its own budget. The firm was once led by Paul MacCready, the aerospace designer celebrated for the human-powered Gossamer Condor and a robotic pterodactyl replica.
How many FQM-151 Pointers did the U.S. military acquire?
The Army and Marine Corps together purchased roughly fifty units beginning in 1990. Because the company self-funded development, the government's commitment stayed modest in scale.
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