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TDN file photo [20243]

TDN

CountryUnited States
ManufacturerPhiladelphia Naval Aircraft Factory
Primary RoleOther
Maiden Flight15 November 1942

Contributor:

ww2dbaseThe TDN assault drones were unamnned aircraft developed by US Navy's Naval Aircraft Factory between Feb 1942 and 1943 to deliver torpedoes without risking the lives of airmen. John S. Kean was the project manager overseeing the development. These wooden aircraft used either television or radar as its guidance system. Despite that they were meant to be unmanned aircraft, some of them featured conventional cockpits for use by test pilots. None of the 4 prototype drones and 100 production drones built ever saw front line service.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia

Last Major Revision: Mar 2014

TDN Timeline

15 Nov 1942 The TDN assault drone took its first flight.

SPECIFICATIONS

TDN-1
MachineryTwo Lycoming O-435-2 6-cyl piston engines rated at 220hp each
Armament1x910kg bomb or torpedo
Span15.00 m
Length11.00 m
Speed, Cruising233 km/h

Photographs

TDN-1 drone in flight, 1943; seen in Jan 1981 issue of US Navy publication Naval Aviation NewsTDN-1 drone in manned flight, 1943
See all 10 photographs of TDN



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Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Anonymous says:
8 Feb 2025 06:39:50 PM

This drone aircraft in todays world would make for a - VERY - LETHAL - Ukraine Army attack drone or that of night bomber drone using inferred remote sensor imagery. All wood construction, no radar signature forthcoming to Russian military radars. Future Robot Vehicle Battlespace (RVB). Keep it low-cost and deadly - on - the - cheap!

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TDN Photo Gallery
TDN-1 drone in flight, 1943; seen in Jan 1981 issue of US Navy publication Naval Aviation NewsTDN-1 drone in manned flight, 1943
See all 10 photographs of TDN


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