| TD2D Katydid | |
|---|---|
 | |
| McDonnell KDD-1 on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center | |
| Role | Target drone |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Aircraft |
| First flight | 1942 |
| Primary user | United States Navy |
The McDonnell TD2D Katydid was a pulsejet-powered American target drone produced by McDonnell Aircraft that entered service with the United States Navy in 1942, and continued in use until the late 1940s.
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, and McDonnell XPJ40-MD-2 pulsejet engine mounted atop the rear fuselage. The drone could be either launched by catapult from the ground or from underwing racks on Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boats. [2] [3] It was gyro-stabilized, and control was by radio command; [4] at the end of its mission the drone could be recovered by parachute. [2]
The Katydid entered service in 1942; [5] testing took place at the Naval Air Missile Test Center in Point 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 with Douglas Aircraft - to "H", the KDD-1 being again redesignated, as KDH-1. [7]
A KDH-1 is displayed in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum, having been donated by the U.S. Navy in 1966. [2]
Data from Udvar-Hazy Center, [2] Parsch 2003 [7]
General characteristics
Performance
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