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The Naval Aircraft Modification Unit KDN Gorgon, originally designated TD2N, was an early jet-powered
target drone A target drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle, generally remote controlled, usually used in the training of anti-aircraft crews. One of the earliest drones was the British DH.82 Queen Bee, a variant of the Tiger Moth trainer aircraft operational ...
developed by the
Bureau of Aeronautics The Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) was the U.S. Navy's material-support organization for naval aviation from 1921 to 1959. The bureau had "cognizance" (''i.e.'', responsibility) for the design, procurement, and support of naval aircraft and relat ...
and constructed by the
Naval Aircraft Modification Unit Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster was a U.S. Navy military installation located in Warminster, Pennsylvania and Ivyland, Pennsylvania. For most of its existence (1949–1993), the base was known as the Naval Air Development Center (NADC) Warm ...
for use by the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
. First flown near the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, it was cancelled due to problems with its engine in 1946.


Development

The TD2N-1 was a development of the Gorgon IIIB missile, designed in 1943 by the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics for use against heavy bomber aircraft and ground targets using optical guidance.Parch 2005 The Gorgon IIIB was cancelled due to its engine proving unsatisfactory;Leyes and Fleming 1999, p.42. however, a version simplified for use as a target drone was developed starting in November 1944. Built by the Navy's Naval Aircraft Modification Unit, located in the former
Brewster Aeronautical Corporation The Brewster Aeronautical Corporation was an American defense contractor that operated from the 1930s until the end of World War II. History Originally a carriage builder, Brewster & Co.'s involvement in aviation began in the aftermath of ...
factory in Johnsville, Pennsylvania,Pattillo 1998, p.145 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.National Air and Space Museum: ''Drone, Target, KDN-1'' The aircraft was powered by a Westinghouse 9.5 – later redesignated J32 –
turbojet The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, ...
engine mounted beneath the airframe. The drone was controlled by a combination of preset navigation and
radio command guidance Missile guidance refers to a variety of methods of guiding a missile or a guided bomb to its intended target. The missile's target accuracy is a critical factor for its effectiveness. Guidance systems improve missile accuracy by improving its P ...
, and was equipped with a parachute recovery system to allow the aircraft to be reused if it was not shot down.


Operational history

The first drop tests of the TD2N-1 took place in June 1945; on June 27, the first powered flight was attempted, but the aircraft crashed following a failure of the radio command system. On August 17, the TD2N-1 completed its first successful powered flight. Testing at
Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst Lakehurst Maxfield Field, formerly known as Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst (NAES Lakehurst), is the naval component of Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst (JB MDL), a United States Air Force-managed joint base headquartered approximate ...
continued following the end of World War II; in early 1946, the aircraft was redesignated KDN-1 as the Navy rationalized its designation system, however in March of that year the program was cancelled because of continuing development issues with the Westinghouse engine.


Surviving aircraft

One KDN-1 survives, having been donated by the United States Navy to the National Air and Space Museum in 1965; it remains in storage awaiting restoration.


Specifications


See also


References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * * * {{Navboxes , title=Articles and topics related to the KDN-1 , state=collapsed , list1= {{Naval Aircraft Factory aircraft {{USN target drones {{USN drones {{Gorgon missiles KDN 1940s United States military utility aircraft Unmanned aerial vehicles of the United States Target drones Single-engined jet aircraft Twin-tail aircraft High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1945 World War II jet aircraft of the United States