MFG: Radioplane
Built In: Van Nuys, CA
First Flight: 1941
Powerplant: Righter 0-15-1
Service Ceiling: N/A
Top Speed: 88 mph
Wingspan: 12’ 2”
Endurance: 1 hour
Empty Weight: 100 lbs
Length: 8’ 7”
Number Built: 15,000 all mods
This was the first mass-produced UAV in the United States. This drone provided similar characteristics at 200 yards away as a WWII fighter did at 500 yards, making it ideal for anti-aircraft ground defense training with weapons up to a 40mm cannon. The drone was launched from a 36-foot catapult with a rubber shock cord system. The contra rotating prop eliminated the effects of engine torque and gyroscopic forces and straightened the prop blast. The interchangeable wings were covered with a fabric sock that was slipped on and doped. The factory produced about 40 drones per day in 1945.
This drone carries a 24-foot parachute that is deployed when hits are scored, permitting its recovery should it survive target practice. Radioplane’s president, Whitney Collins became president of Northrop when it purchased Radioplane in 1952. This drone was also produced for the U.S. Navy model designation TDD-1 (Target Drone Denny). Primary testing was performed on the dry lakes beds of the Mojave Desert in Southern California.
