Cold War relic washes up on Cape Cod. A glimpse into secret drone history
At the beginning of April, workers cleaning the beach on the Cape Cod peninsula (Massachusetts, USA) discovered a mysterious object resembling a small aeroplane's fuselage. It was a secret device from the American army dating back to the Cold War era.
This wasn't the first unusual discovery on the beach of Cape Cod (Massachusetts), but this time, the object that washed ashore was particularly extraordinary.
As reported by Fox News, the beach maintenance workers found a mysterious object that caught their attention. It was large, resembling the body of an aeroplane, and appeared to be quite old. This find was made at the start of April, was promptly secured, and passed on to specialists.
A drone from 70 years ago
Upon further inspection, it was discovered that the beach workers had come across the fuselage of an aircraft from 70 years ago! Cape Cod National Seashore's Facebook post said it was an RCAT or Remote Control Aerial Target.
As Fox News recalls, the drone program of decades past may seem primitive by today's standards, but at the time, it represented cutting-edge technology and was classified as "top secret".
These drones, equipped with their own engines and fuel tanks, were launched from a no longer existing runway in the woods of Wellfleet. They were catapulted into the air and then remotely controlled from a cliff.
Cape Cod Park has shared archival photos, offering a glimpse into this device's appearance.
A few years back, off the coast of Cape Cod, archaeologists discovered at least six skeletons believed to be pirates from the sunken ship Whydah.
