QF-4 Dreamscape
The Drone that wasn’t.

Description:

The Q-4 Dreamscape is a twin engined, supersonic capable, unmanned combat aerial vehicle created by IoQFA in the early 1990s. The design was created through the IoQFA Investigation Into Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (IIIUAV).

Development:

The Q-4 was created to research the concept of air to air capable UCAVs, or AAUVs. Along with the Q-1 “Galactic Trumpet” it underwent maneuverability, weapons, and flight operations testing. The experimental variants, “YQ-4” were produced in small numbers, with an estimated fifteen being produced. They were all upgraded to the Q-4B standard, and it is rumoured that a single one was upgraded to the QF-4 production standard, a fully autonomous combat vehicle.
The QF-4 was the conceptualized production variant, armed with two 20mm autocannons and a single 20mm rotary cannon, it was envisioned as a fighter escort for a potential UCAV bomber, however several realities of the project would see this was not completed.

Cancelation:

In 2002 IoQFA officially shut down the “IIIUAV” project and started development on an official UCAV product. The Q-4 fleet was almost entirely destroyed, thirteen of the drones were converted into targets and used for subsequent promotional videos and photographs. Unlike the Q-1, which was deemed inexpensive enough to be used as a research vehicle, and is still flying to this day. The Q-2 served as the basis for the MQ-19 Odysseus combat drone carried on the RJ-21 SunTzu. The Q-3 was discarded like the Q-4, all but one or two were used as targets, with one being placed into storage, and one being given to the IoQFA museum. The Q-4B in the IoQFA museum was believed to be the last until the 2018 “UFO sighting.”

2018 QF-4 incident:

In April 2018, a strange object was spotted flying over the ocean near IoQFAs testing facility, several photos were taken of a QF-4 like object attacking targets. IoQFA made no comment on the matter. It is believed that this object is going to be revealed to be the next generation of UCAV.

Controls: 

AG1: Deploys landing chute.
AG2:
AG3:
AG4:
AG5:
AG6:
AG7:
AG8:

Crew: 0

Capacity: 0

Armament: 2x 20mm Cannons in the wing
1x 20mm Rotary Cannon.

Variants:
Q-4A: Unarmed version, turned into a QF-4B circa 1995
Q-4B: Equipped with centerline pylon and single rotary cannon, tested until 2002
QF-4: Final development, given more advanced computers and equipped with additional wing guns, centerline pylon removed.