Naval Aircraft Factory TDN

The Naval Aircraft Factory TDN was an early unmanned combat aerial vehicle, then called an assault drone, developed by the United States Navy's own aircraft factory during the Second World War. In January 1942 the factory was told to begin work on a remotely guided aircraft able to carry a bomb or torpedo, using either television or radar guidance, and a contract for 100 TDN-1 aircraft followed in March. The wooden design had fixed tricycle landing gear and could be given a conventional cockpit for test flying. Production of the last thirty was licensed to Brunswick-Balke-Collender, a maker of bowling balls and billiard tables. Although promising in tests it was judged too complicated and expensive, the Interstate TDR was chosen instead, and the TDN-1 served as a test, liaison and training aircraft and as a target without being used operationally.