- Design and development
- Operational history
- Variants and operators
- Specifications (TDN-1)
- See also
- References Citations Bibliography
| name=TDN | image=Naval Aircraft Factory TDN-1 piloted.jpg | caption= }}{{Infobox Aircraft Type | type=Assault drone | national origin=United States | manufacturer=Naval Aircraft Factory | designer= | first flight=15 November 1942 | introduced= | retired= | status= | primary user=United States Navy | more users= | produced= | number built=104-114[1] | developed from= | variants with their own articles= | developed into=
}} |
The Naval Aircraft Factory TDN was an early unmanned combat aerial vehicle - referred to at the time as an "assault drone" - developed by the United States Navy's Naval Aircraft Factory during the Second World War. Developed and tested during 1942 and 1943, the design proved moderately successful, but development of improved drones saw the TDN-1 relegated to second-line duties, and none were used in operational service. Design and developmentThe development of the radar altimeter and television in the early 1940s made remotely guided bomb- or torpedo-carrying aircraft a practical proposition.[1] In January 1942, the Naval Aircraft Factory was instructed to initiate the development of such an aircraft, with a go-ahead for prototype construction being given in February.[2] A production contract for 100 aircraft was issued in March, with John S. Kean being assigned as TDN-1 project manager,[3] with the aircraft being designed to be capable of using either television or radar guidance.[4] Constructed mainly from wood, the TDN-1 had a fixed tricycle landing gear, and could be fitted with a conventional cockpit in place of its guidance equipment for test flights.[5] In an example of the use of companies traditionally uninvolved in the aviation industry to reduce interference with higher priority projects, production of the final thirty aircraft was licensed to the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, a Michigan-based manufacturer of bowling balls and billiard tables.[6] Operational historyOne hundred production TDN-1 aircraft were ordered in March 1942.[7] Despite being specifically designed to be a simple, low-performance aircraft,[9] and despite proving promising in testing, the type was considered to be too complicated and expensive for use operationally. The improved Interstate TDR was selected for development as an alternative,[7] the majority of TDN-1s being used in the test, liaison and training roles, with some being expended as aerial targets.[5] The TDN-1 is often credited as the first US drone to take off from an aircraft carrier freely (USS Sable). An Airspeed Queen Wasp had already been catapulted from HMS Pegasus in 1937. Variants and operators{{flagicon|United States|1912}} United States Navy- XTDN-1
Four prototype aircraft powered by Franklin O-300 engines.[9] - TDN-1
Production version of XTDN-1; 100 aircraft produced.[8] Specifications (TDN-1){{Aircraft specs
|ref=[9]
|prime units?=imp
|genhide=
|crew=0-1 (optional pilot)
|capacity=
|length m=
|length ft=37
|length in=
|length note=
|span m=
|span ft=48
|span in=
|span note=
|height m=
|height ft=
|height in=
|height note=
|wing area sqm=
|wing area sqft=
|wing area note=
|aspect ratio=
|airfoil=
|empty weight kg=
|empty weight lb=
|empty weight note=
|gross weight kg=
|gross weight lb=
|gross weight note=
|max takeoff weight kg=
|max takeoff weight lb=
|max takeoff weight note=
|fuel capacity=
|more general=
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 name= Lycoming O-435-2
|eng1 type= horizontally-opposed six-cylinder piston engines
|eng1 kw=
|eng1 hp=220
|eng1 shp=
|power original=
|thrust original=
|prop blade number=
|prop name=
|prop dia m=
|prop dia ft=
|prop dia in=
|prop note=
|perfhide=Y
|max speed kmh=
|max speed mph=
|max speed kts=
|max speed note=
|cruise speed kmh=
|cruise speed mph=145
|cruise speed kts=
|cruise speed note=
|stall speed kmh=
|stall speed mph=
|stall speed kts=
|stall speed note=
|never exceed speed kmh=
|never exceed speed mph=
|never exceed speed kts=
|never exceed speed note=
|minimum control speed kmh=
|minimum control speed mph=
|minimum control speed kts=
|minimum control speed note=
|range km=
|range miles=
|range nmi=
|range note=
|combat range km=
|combat range miles=
|combat range nmi=
|combat range note=
|ferry range km=
|ferry range miles=
|ferry range nmi=
|ferry range note=
|endurance=
|ceiling m=
|ceiling ft=
|ceiling note=
|g limits=
|roll rate=
|glide ratio=
|climb rate ms=
|climb rate ftmin=
|climb rate note=
|time to altitude=
|lift to drag=
|wing loading kg/m2=
|wing loading lb/sqft=
|wing loading note=
|fuel consumption kg/km=
|fuel consumption lb/mi=
|power/mass=
|more performance=
|armament=* one {{convert|2000|lb|adj=on}} bomb or aerial torpedo.
|guns=
|bombs=
|rockets=
|missiles=
|hardpoints=
|hardpoint capacity=
|hardpoint rockets=
|hardpoint missiles=
|hardpoint bombs=
|hardpoint other=
|avionics=
}}{{clear}}
See also{{Portal|Aviation|United States Navy}}{{aircontent
|see also=- History of unmanned aerial vehicles
|related=
|similar aircraft=- Gorgon (U.S. missile)
- Interstate TDR
- LTV-N-2 Loon
- McDonnell LBD Gargoyle
|lists=- List of unmanned aerial vehicles
- List of military aircraft of the United States (naval)
}}References{{commons category|Naval Aircraft Factory TDN}}Citations1. ^Parsch 2005
2. ^Naval Aviation News, Volume 55 (January 1973). p.12.
3. ^Trimble 1990, p. 263.
4. ^Newcome 2004, p.67.
5. ^1 2 Goebel 2010
6. ^Cunningham 1951, p.91.
7. ^1 Zaloga 2008, p.8.
8. ^Trimble 1990, p.267.
9. ^1 2 Parsch 2003.
Bibliography{{refbegin}}- {{cite book |last1=Cunningham |first1=William Glenn |title=The Aircraft Industry: A study in industrial location |year=1951 |publisher=L.L. Morrison |location=Los Angeles |asin=B0007DXJL2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?ei=A33lTPG6JsG88ga0wOHcDA&ct=result&id=4uAmAAAAMAAJ&dq=Naval+Aircraft+Factory+TDN&q=TDN#search_anchor |accessdate=2010-11-18}}
- {{cite web |url=http://www.vectorsite.net/twcruz_1.html#m4 |title= The Aerial Torpedo |first=Greg |last=Goebel |year=2010 |work=Cruise Missiles |publisher=VectorSite |accessdate=2010-11-18}}
- {{cite book |last1=Newcome |first1=Lawrence R. |title=Unmanned Aviation: A Brief History of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EnqjAwAAQBAJ|year=2004 |publisher=American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics |location=Reston, Virginia |isbn=978-1-56347-644-0}}
- {{cite web |url=http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app1/td.html#_TDN |title= TD Series |first=Andreas |last=Parsch |year=2003 |work=Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 1: Early Missiles and Drones |publisher=designation-systems.net |accessdate=2010-11-18}}
- {{cite web |url=http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app1/bq-4.html |title= Interstate BQ-4/TDR |first=Andreas |last=Parsch |year=2005 |work=Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 1: Early Missiles and Drones |publisher=designation-systems.net |accessdate=2010-11-17}}
- {{cite book |last1=Trimble |first1=William F. |title=Wings for the Navy: A History of the Naval Aircraft Factory 1917-1956 |url=|year=1990 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, MD |isbn=978-0-87021-663-3}}
- {{cite book |last1=Zaloga |first1=Steven |title=Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Robotic Air Warfare 1917-2007 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r92M0Z9xAe4C|series=New Vanguard |volume=144 |year=2008 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=New York |isbn=978-1-84603-243-1}}
{{refend}}- Further reading
{{refbegin}}- {{cite journal |url=http://stagone.org/command-break.html#m4 |title=Unmanned Precision Weapons Aren't New |first=Nick T. |last=Spark |year=2005 |work=Proceedings Magazine |publisher=U.S. Naval Institute |accessdate=2005-02-01 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905104534/http://www.stagone.org/command-break.html#m4 |archivedate=2008-09-05 |df= }}
{{refend}}{{Naval Aircraft Factory aircraft}}{{USN target drones}} 8 : Naval Aircraft Factory aircraft|United States bomber aircraft 1940–1949|Unmanned aerial vehicles of the United States|World War II guided missiles of the United States|Twin-engined tractor aircraft|High-wing aircraft|Aircraft first flown in 1942|Twin-engined piston aircraft |