New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
Decades-old wreckage from a remote-controlled plane used for military target practice in the 1940s and ’50s has washed up on Marconi Beach in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. The fuselage, believed to be from a Remote Control Aerial Target (RCAT), was discovered last week and examined by CCNS park historian Bill Burke.
RCATs were drone planes used for target practice by military personnel conducting anti-aircraft training at Camp Wellfleet, which closed in 1961. The planes were launched from aircraft that took off from a runway in the woods near the camp and were controlled remotely from a nearby bluff.
The discovery is a reminder of the area’s military history, with Camp Wellfleet having played a significant role in training during wartime. The land was later given over to create the Cape Cod National Seashore by President John F. Kennedy.
This find adds to the historical significance of the area and highlights the importance of preserving and understanding its past.
The Cape Cod National Seashore posted photographs of the fuselage along with a quick history lesson.
