Curtiss KD2C Skeet
The Curtiss-Wright KD2C Skeet was an American target drone produced by Curtiss-Wright for the United States Navy that began development in 1945. The KD2C-1 first flew in 1947, however it was found unsatisfactory and the program was cancelled in 1949.
| KD2C Skeet | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Curtiss-Wright KD2C Skeet on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center | |
| Role | Target drone |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss-Wright |
| First flight | 1947 |
Design and development
The KD2C was a target drone, powered by a pulsejet engine and intended for air-launch for use in fleet gunnery training. The KD2C-1 was powered by a Continental pulsejet engine, 14 inches (360 mm) in diameter; the KD2C-2 used a McDonnell J-9 or J-11 pulsejet of the same diameter.[1] Control was provided by a radio command system, assisted by a gyrostabilizer. The KD2N could reach a top speed of 335 miles per hour (539 km/h) and had an endurance of 30 minutes.[2]
Operational history
Begun in August 1945, the first prototype KD2C flew for the first time in 1947. The Skeet's internally mounted pulsejet proved unsatisfactory, however, as it produced low speed and high fuel consumption in both wind tunnel and flight tests at the Navy's Missile Test Center at Point Mugu, California. As a result, the KD2C program was cancelled in 1949,[2] and the last of the produced aircraft were out of service by 1951.[1]
Surviving aircraft
The U.S. Navy donated a surviving KD2C-2 to the National Air and Space Museum in 1971; it is on display in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.[2]
Variants
- KD2C-1
- Baseline model with Continental pulsejet engine.[1]
- KD2C-2
- Modified KD2C-1 with McDonnell pulsejet engine.[1]
- XKD3C-1
- Developed KD2C with improved engine.[1]
Specifications (KD2C-2)
Data from [2]
General characteristics
- Crew: None
- Length: 17 ft (5.2 m)
- Wingspan: 10 ft 6 in (3.20 m)
- Gross weight: 1,258 lb (571 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × 14-inch (356 mm) pulsejet, 282 lbf (1.25 kN) thrust
Performance
- Maximum speed: 335 mph (539 km/h, 291 kn)
- Endurance: 30 minutes
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
Related lists
References
- Parsch, Andreas (2 April 2003). "Curtiss KD2C/KD3C Skeet". Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles, Appendix 1: Early Missiles and Drones. Designation-Systems. Retrieved 2017-12-02.
- "Skeet (KDC-2) [sic]". National Air and Space Museum. Smithsonian Institution. 26 September 2016. Archived from the original on 2017-12-07. Retrieved 2017-12-06.