NAMU KDN Gorgon
Naval Aircraft Modification Unit · United States · first flew 1945 · light aircraft
The Naval Aircraft Modification Unit KDN Gorgon, originally designated TD2N, was an early jet-powered target drone developed for the United States Navy. First flown near the end of the Second World War, it was cancelled in 1946 because of engine problems.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Wooden construction with some fabric-covered fuselage portions |
| T — Tail | Twin fin |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Unmanned jet target drone with a twin-tail configuration
- Westinghouse J32 turbojet mounted beneath the airframe
- Wooden construction with some fabric-covered fuselage portions
A small wooden drone of conventional design with a monoplane wing and twin tails, controlled by preset navigation and radio command, with a parachute recovery system.
Specifications
- The NAMU KDN Gorgon has a length of 4.95 m (16 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 3.28 m (11 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 800 km/h (497 mph).
- Typical crew: 0.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It was developed from the Gorgon IIIB missile and designed from November 1944 by the Bureau of Aeronautics, and was built by the Naval Aircraft Modification Unit at Johnsville, Pennsylvania. The first powered flight was attempted on 27 June 1945 and crashed after a radio command failure, and a first successful powered flight followed on 17 August 1945.
Variants
The TD2N-1 was redesignated KDN-1 in early 1946.
Where you'll see it
19 were built. Testing continued at Lakehurst after the war, and the programme was cancelled in March 1946 because of continuing problems with the Westinghouse engine. One KDN-1 survives in storage with the National Air and Space Museum.
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