From Guided Missiles to Pilotless Flight (1947–1948)

 

FISHERMANS BEND 1948

(Please note, there was in fact an early radio-controlled British Drone also known as 'Stork', that particular model was developed in WW1)

This post is to provide serious researchers with information that can sometimes be difficult to pin down. In it, we discuss the numerous technologies and places where they were assembled and tested, and why they would be of interest to various agencies of that era. All of this, plus other historical information, provides a fascinating and highly relevant backdrop to the Somerton Man case.

In the end, although we may never find the Somerton Man's real identity, we might find out who killed the Somerton Man.

 From Guided Missiles to Pilotless Flight (1947–1948) The Awakening

In the mid to late 1940s, Australia quietly entered the global arms race—not with a fanfare, but with precision and secrecy. The foundations laid at Woomera, Salisbury, and Fishermans Bend would evolve into a world-class defence ecosystem. Two recently unearthed timelines—one from a UAV historian, the other from a 1989 ASTA report, and a third showing the evolution of Jindivik through Ikara—reveal just how early and ambitious these efforts were.

 Woomera: The Guided Missile Era Begins

December 1947

• A British beam-riding missile arrives for bench testing. It uses radar signals to guide itself to a target—a precursor to modern semi-active guidance systems.
• March 1948: The missile undergoes its first flight test at Woomera, marking Australia’s entry into live missile trials.
  

  RTV 1: The Quiet Arrival of Guided Missile Technology in Australia
  

  
  
  
  
  Please note this image is of a later model of the RTV 1 on display at RAE UK

  While much of the public attention around Woomera focuses on the high-profile launches of the 1950s, the story of Australia’s guided missile program begins earlier—and more quietly. One of the earliest arrivals was the RTV 1 (Research Test Vehicle 1), a British-designed missile that laid the groundwork for beam-riding guidance systems and local manufacturing expertise.

  Origins: From LOPGAP to RTV 1

  The RTV 1 was born from the British LOPGAP project (Liquid Oxygen and Petrol Guided Anti-aircraft Projectile), developed near the end of World War II. Initially conceived as a surface-to-air missile, LOPGAP was repurposed as a flying testbed for missile research and development. By 1948, it had evolved into the RTV 1—a platform for testing guidance systems, propulsion, and radar integration.

  Early Trials: Correcting the Record

  While many sources cite 1949 as the year of the first trials at Woomera, a single test flight took place in early 1948, utilizing UK-supplied components assembled in Australia. This flight marked the true beginning of Australia’s live missile testing era.

  From 1948 onward, British components continued to arrive, with assembly and launch operations conducted at Woomera. These early tests were crucial in refining beam-riding guidance—a technique where the missile follows a radar beam directed at the target.
  

  “While the concept sounds straightforward, it took many years of research to ensure that the guidance equipment on board the missile would properly detect and follow the radar signal and steer correctly to its intended target.” — Museums Victoria

   Local Production: The RTV 1e

  By 1954, Australia began manufacturing its own version—the RTV 1e. Around 40 units were built locally, drawing on components from:

  • Fairey Aviation (Australasia) – final assembly
  • Royal Australian Navy Torpedo Establishment – servo units
  • EMI – guidance receivers
  • Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation – magnesium castings

  These rockets were fired at Woomera between 1954 and 1956, providing valuable experience in missile production and systems integration. The program was terminated in 1956, but its legacy lived on in later projects like Malkara, Ikara, and Jindivik.

   Sources and Clarifications
  
  I've checked the following links out and they provide significant, quality information

  • Museums Victoria – RTV 1e Overview

  • Science Museum Group – RAE RTV 1|
  • This link will take you to the UK National Archives 

 Salisbury: Engineering the Future

• The Long Range Weapons Establishment (LRWE), later renamed WRE, supports Woomera with propulsion, radar, and telemetry systems.
• Salisbury becomes the intellectual hub for missile design and signal interception.

Fishermans Bend: Birthplace of UAVs

• 1948: Development begins on Pika, a piloted prototype for what would become the Jindivik UAV.
• The Government Aircraft Factories (GAF) in Melbourne led the design, with early launch ramp photos suggesting cooler climate conditions—supporting Fishermans Bend as the origin point.

Timeline Insights

• UAV Development Timeline confirms Jindivik/Pika development began in 1948
• The ASTA chart from The Weekend Australian shows:
  • Beaufort & Beaufighter production ended by 1946
  • Lincoln bomber production started around 1946
  • Jindivik production began in 1952, continuing until 1986
• The Jindivik–Ikara lineage chart reveals:
  • A branching evolution from Jindivik Mk1 through Mk6Z
  • Parallel development of Turana (target drone), Malkara (anti-tank missile), and Ikara (anti-submarine missile)
  • A clear trajectory of increasing complexity and specialisation

 Strategic Implications

These technologies weren’t just experimental—they were strategic assets. As such, they were developed in an era when a technological advantage had enormous value to our nation's defence.

Because of this, the developments attracted attention from foreign intelligence agencies, particularly, at that time, Soviet operatives who were known to be active in South Australia. While the full scope of this surveillance remains classified, it’s clear that all of  Australia’s defence sites were under watch.

Early Drones:

During World War I, the concept of radio-controlled aerial torpedoes or "flying bombs" was developed, though not operationally used. Key examples include the American Kettering Bug (an unmanned aerial torpedo), which made a successful test flight in October 1918, and the British Aerial Target, a radio-controlled aircraft also tested in 1917. While not successful as weapons, these projects were forerunners of modern cruise missiles and drones. 

Key Projects:

• Dr. Henry W. Walden's Radio-Controlled Aerial Torpedo (1915): Walden, an inventor, developed a prototype for a radio-controlled aerial torpedo that would be guided by radio signals from a pilot aircraft. A patent was granted, but the project never received government support and thus was not realized, though the model was later donated to the Smithsonian. 
• The Kettering Bug (USA, 1918): Developed by Charles Kettering, this was a more advanced, but ultimately unsuccessful, experimental unmanned aerial torpedo capable of hitting ground targets. Its development showed promise, with a successful flight test occurring in October 1918, but its costly design and operation meant it was not used in the war. 
• British Radio-Controlled Aircraft (1917): Britain also developed secret radio-controlled weapons, including the "Aerial Target," a small radio-controlled aircraft first tested in March 1917. Another effort was the Hewitt-Sperry Automatic Airplane, a pilotless aircraft designed to carry bombs. 

Significance:

• Forerunners of Modern Technology: These early efforts were significant as they explored the concept of remotely controlled or unmanned flying weapons, paving the way for future developments in cruise missiles and drones. 
• Limitations of the Era: The complex and sensitive radio equipment and guidance systems were challenging to perfect during the WWI era, and these early systems lacked the necessary accuracy and reliability for operational use, notes the Imperial War Museums. 

What Comes Next

In a future post, we’ll explore 1949, when strange signals began to surface—not just in the skies, but in the classified ads of regional newspapers. The mysterious DANETTA code may hold the key to understanding how covert communications intersected with weapons testing.

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