McDonnell TD2D Katydid
| TD2D Katydid | |
|---|---|
| |
| McDonnell KDD-1 on display at theSteven F. Udvar-Hazy Center | |
| Role | Target drone |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Aircraft |
| First flight | 1942 |
| Primary user | United States Navy |
TheMcDonnell TD2D Katydidis apulsejet-powered American targetdroneproduced byMcDonnell Aircraftthat entered service with theUnited States Navyin 1942, and continued in use until the late 1940s.
History
[edit]In March 1941,[1]the U. S. Navy awarded McDonnell Aircraft a contract for a radio-controlled target drone under the designation of XTD2D-1 for anti-aircraft and aerial gunnery practice. The aircraft had a mid-mounted wing,V-tail,andMcDonnell XPJ40-MD-2pulsejetengine mounted atop the rear fuselage. The drone could be either launched bycatapultfrom the ground or from underwing racks onConsolidated PBY Catalinaflying boats.[2][3]It was gyro-stabilized, and control was byradio command;[4]at the end of its mission the drone could be recovered byparachute.[2]
Operational history
[edit]The Katydid entered service in 1942;[5]testing took place at theNaval Air Missile Test CenterinPoint Mugu, California.[6]Production models were originally designated TD2D-1, however the Navy changed its designation system in 1946 and the XTD2D-1 and TD2D-1 were redesignated as XKDD-1 and KDD-1, respectively. Later that year, the Navy changed McDonnell's manufacturer code letter from "D" - which had been shared withDouglas Aircraft- to "H", the KDD-1 being again redesignated, as KDH-1.[7]
Surviving aircraft
[edit]A KDH-1 is displayed in theSteven F. Udvar-Hazy Centerof theNational Air and Space Museum,having been donated by the U.S. Navy in 1966.[2]
Specifications (KDD-1)
[edit]Data fromUdvar-Hazy Center,[2]Parsch 2003[7]
General characteristics
- Crew:None
- Length:11 ft 2 in (3.40 m)
- Wingspan:12 ft (3.7 m)
- Gross weight:320 lb (145 kg)
- Powerplant:1 ×McDonnell XPJ40-MD-2pulsejet,60 lbf (0.27 kN) thrust
Performance
- Maximum speed:250 mph (400 km/h, 220 kn)
- Endurance:40 minutes
See also
[edit]Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
[edit]
- ^Bugos, Glenn E. (1996).Engineering the F-4 Phantom II: Parts Into Systems.Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. p.11.ISBN978-1557500892.
- ^abcd"Katydid Drone".National Air and Space Museum.Smithsonian Institution. 27 September 2016. Archived fromthe originalon 2017-12-03.Retrieved2017-12-06.
- ^Ordway, Frederick Ira; Ronald C. Wakeford (1960).International Missile and Spacecraft Guide.New York: McGraw-Hill. p. 187.ASINB000MAEGVC.
- ^Zandt, J.P. (1948).World Aviation Annual.Washington, DC: Aviation Research Institute.ASINB000HKMGMI.
- ^Yenne, Bill (2006).Secret Gadgets and Strange Gizmos: High-Tech (and Low-Tech) Innovations of the U.S. Military.Minneapolis, MN: Zenith Press. p. 25.ISBN978-0760321157.
- ^"Navy Guided Missiles".Astro-Jet(18). Reaction Research Society: 12. Fall 1947.Retrieved2017-12-06.
- ^abParsch, Andreas (26 March 2003)."McDonnell TD2D/KDD/KDH Katydid".Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 1: Early Missiles and Drones.Designation-Systems.Retrieved2017-12-03.