Glenn Jacobs wrote in message ...
On Thu, 20 May 2004 13:56:53 GMT, coustanis wrote:
A remote controlled airliner has already been done. There's a well
known test on an airliner in the desert. The heavy was equipped with
special fuel tanks and anti-misting fuel. [...]

It really did not fly per se, it simply was run down the desert the the
landing gears were sheared off and it "flew" a short distance before
crashing. There was some obstructions in fron of it to assure that the fuel
tanks would rupture.

You must be thinking of a different test. The one that most people
think of was like this, according to NASA:

"On the morning of December 1, 1984, a remotely controlled Boeing 720
transport took off from Edwards Air Force Base (Edwards, California),
made a left-hand departure and climbed to an altitude of 2300 feet. It
then began a descent-to-landing to a specially prepared runway on the
east side of Rogers Dry Lake. Final approach was along the roughly
3.8-degree glide slope. The landing gear was left retracted. Passing
the decision height of 150 feet above ground level (AGL), the aircraft
was slightly to the right of the desired path. Just above that
decision point at which the pilot was to execute a "go-around," there
appeared to be enough altitude to maneuver back to the centerline of
the runway. Data acquisition systems had been activated, and the
aircraft was committed to impact. It contacted the ground, left wing
low. The fire and smoke took over an hour to extinguish. "