Tom,

The U.S. Air Force used to tow (lawn) darts. Maybe they still do?

Back when I was stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, (I was not
a military pilot...too blind...), F-4's and even contracted F-86 Sabre
Jets (!) would tow "darts" for air to air gunnery practice! These
darts were about, oh, 12 to 15 feet long and carried under the wing.
Out on the range, they would reel them out with a long, long, cable.
Then, the shooter would maneuver behind the dart and try to hit it,
without hitting the tuggie. I think the tuggie must have flown in a
turn when the dart was being shot at. If the dart got so shot up that
it became unstable, they would release it. They fell to the ground,
some of them ending stuck vertically in the desert floor. If they
were still stable after the target practice, I think they winched them
back in and brought them back to be scored. They were made, I think,
with a wooden frame and covered in something that looked like aluminum
foil. Out in the desert, when the sun was at the right angle, you
could see the glimmer of dozens of these darts. I was at Luke from
March '81 through March '83.

Ray Lovinggood
Carrboro, North Carolina, USA