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Related Target
Drone Pages:
Culver
Aircraft Corporation
Frankfort Sailplane Company
Montpelier Manufacturing
Company
Radioplane Company
In 1937, Walter Righter formed the Righter Manufacturing Company in Glendale, CA to supply small gasoline engines to the Reginald Denny Industries of nearby Van Nuys, CA. Reginald Denny Industries was experimenting with and producing radio controlled model aircraft and Walter Righter became the engine supplier by submitting the winning design to an engine competition hosted by Reginald Denny Industries. This engine was marketed as the "Dennymite" engine. However, in 1940, Reginald Denny Industries was sold to and became the Radioplane Company. The new owner of the company discontinued the use of Walter Righter's "Dennymite" engine in its line of radio controlled model aircraft. Needless to say, this was a setback for the Righter Manufacturing Company. However, during World War Two, Righter Manufacturing were able to produce the engines used in the Radioplane Company's radio controlled target drones. This is because Walter Righter had designed an engine specifically for the target drones that were tested and then approved by the U.S. Army as World War Two approached. This led to both companies furnishing their products to both the U.S. Army and U.S. Navy during World War Two as shown in Table 2. It should be noted as in Table 3 that although Walter Righter expanded the size of his company, it still was not able to meet all of the production requirements of the military during World War Two, and four other companies produced Righter engines under license. World War Two and the resulting military contracts allowed the Righter Manufacturing Company to thrive and in 1941 as production was ramping up the company employed over 100 workers. However, at the end of the war, Mr. Righter did not have the financial resources develop a new and improved series of "Dennymite" engines for the civilian radio controlled plane market. Therefore, in May 1945, he sold his company to the Radioplane Company. Righter Manufacturing Company's World War Two Products: Walter Righter's engine designs were responsible for at least the manufacture of 25,684 target drone engines during World War Two. These were produced by Righter Manufacturing and four other companies.
Righter-Designed 0-15-1 Engine: There were at least 3,439 of this type engine produced by the Righter Manufacturing Company and the Herkimer Tool and Model Works for the A-2 / OQ-2, XOQ-2A, and OQ-2A target drones during World War Two.
Righter-Designed 0-15-3 Engine: There were at least 9,403 of this type engine produced by the Righter Manufacturing Company and the McCulloch Company for the OQ-3 target drones during World War Two.
Below are several pages from "Radio-Controlled Airplane Target - AAF Type OQ-3 Navy Model TDD-2." These show the Righter O-15-3 engine components. These components are similar to the ones used in the O-15-1 and O-45-1 engines.
Righter-Designed 0-45-1 Engine: The Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Museum also has this O-45-1 on display. Therefore, all three Righter engines utilized in World War target drones can be viewed in one location. There were at least 12,842 of this type engine produced by the Righter Manufacturing Company, the Kiekhaefer Corporation, and the Menasco Manufacturing Company for the OQ-14 target drones during World War Two. The one shown below was built by the Kiekhaefer Corporation.
The 0-45-1 Engine was used in the Radioplane OQ-14. The one shown below is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
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