NAMU KDN Gorgon
| KDN Gorgon | |
|---|---|
| |
| A TD2N (KDN) on display in 1947 | |
| Role | Target drone |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Naval Aircraft Modification Unit |
| First flight | 27 June 1945 |
| Primary user | United States Navy |
| Number built | 19[1] |
| Developed from | Gorgon IIIB missile |
TheNaval Aircraft Modification Unit KDN Gorgon,originally designatedTD2N,was an early jet-poweredtarget dronedeveloped by theBureau of Aeronauticsand constructed by theNaval Aircraft Modification Unitfor use by theUnited States Navy.First flown near the end ofWorld War II,it was cancelled due to problems with its engine in 1946.
Development
[edit]The TD2N-1 was a development of theGorgon IIIBmissile, designed in 1943 by the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics for use against heavy bomber aircraft and ground targets using optical guidance.[2]The Gorgon IIIB was cancelled due to its engine proving unsatisfactory;[3]however, a version simplified for use as a target drone was developed starting in November 1944.[4]Built by the Navy's Naval Aircraft Modification Unit, located in the formerBrewster Aeronautical Corporationfactory inJohnsville, Pennsylvania,[5]the TD2N-1 was of conventional design, with a monoplane wing and twin-tail configuration; to reduce cost and pressure on strategic materials, it was constructed primarily of wood with some portions of the fuselage being fabric-covered.[6]The aircraft was powered by aWestinghouse 9.5– later redesignated J32 –turbojetengine mounted beneath the airframe.[2]The drone was controlled by a combination of preset navigation andradio command guidance,and was equipped with a parachute recovery system to allow the aircraft to be reused if it was not shot down.[6]
Operational history
[edit]The first drop tests of the TD2N-1 took place in June 1945;[2]on June 27, the first powered flight was attempted, but the aircraft crashed following a failure of the radio command system.[3]On August 17, the TD2N-1 completed its first successful powered flight.[3]Testing atNaval Air Engineering Station Lakehurstcontinued following the end of World War II;[6]in early 1946, the aircraft was redesignated KDN-1 as the Navy rationalized its designation system,[2]however in March of that year the program was cancelled because of continuing development issues with the Westinghouse engine.[3]
Surviving aircraft
[edit]One KDN-1 survives, having been donated by the United States Navy to theNational Air and Space Museumin 1965; it remains in storage awaiting restoration.[6]
Specifications
[edit]
Data fromNASM[6]
General characteristics
- Crew:None
- Length:16 ft 3 in (4.95 m)
- Wingspan:10 ft 9 in (3.28 m)
- Height:4 ft 2 in (1.27 m)
- Wing area:27.8 sq ft (2.58 m2)
- Powerplant:1 ×Westinghouse J32turbojet, 260 lbf (1.2 kN) thrust
Performance
- Maximum speed:500 mph (800 km/h, 430 kn)
See also
[edit]Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]Bibliography
[edit]- Leyes, Richard; William A. Fleming (1999).The History of North American Small Gas Turbine Aircraft Engines.Reston, VA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.ISBN1-56347-332-1.
- "Drone, Target, KDN-1".National Air and Space Museum.Smithsonian Institution. 20 November 2016.Retrieved2017-11-29.
- Ordway, Frederick Ira; Ronald C. Wakeford (1960).International Missile and Spacecraft Guide.New York: McGraw-Hill.ASINB000MAEGVC.
- Parsch, Andreas (4 January 2005)."Martin ASM-N-5 Gorgon V".Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles Appendix 1: Early Missiles and Drones.Designation-Systems.Retrieved2017-11-29.
- Pattillo, Donald (2001).Pushing the Envelope: The American Aircraft Industry.Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press.ISBN0-472-10869-7.
- Trimble, William F (1990).Wings for the Navy: A History of the Naval Aircraft Factory, 1917-1956.Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press.ISBN978-0870216633.