Reginald Denny

Biography

"A serendipitous mishap on a film set in the early 1930s radically rerouted Reginald Denny's path. While between scenes, he encountered a local boy grappling with a cumbersome, gas-powered model aircraft. Denny's well-intentioned attempt to assist with an adjustment, however, resulted in the plane's spectacular demise. Far from deterred, this accidental destruction sparked an unexpected infatuation with model aviation, a passion that swiftly ascended from hobby to enterprise, blossoming into Reginald Denny Industries, a prominent manufacturer of model plane kits. As the U.S. Army sought a superior and safer alternative for anti-aircraft gunnery training, moving beyond the perilous method of targets towed by manned aircraft, Denny recognized an opportunity. Collaborating with his visionary associates Walter Righter and Paul Whittier, he embarked on the ambitious development of a radio-controlled target drone. Their ingenuity bore fruit when their third prototype successfully secured a coveted Army contract. This triumph led to the establishment of Radioplane in 1940, a company that would prove instrumental during WWII, churning out nearly 15,000 RP-5A target drones for the Army's vital training needs. Radioplane's innovative legacy continued until its acquisition by Northrop in 1952."