From Air and Space Museum: “The Katydid was a U.S. Navy pulsejet-powered target drone built by the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation between 1946-1947. It could be either air-launched or fired from a AT-1 catapult on land. The Katydid was powered by a McDonnell 7-inch pulsejet of 55 pounds thrust. Its pulsjet was like the one on the famous German V-1 of World War II.
Katydid was usually carried on bomb racks of a PB4Y Catalina aircraft and was parachute-recovered for re-use. The endurance of the drone was about 0.7 hours. Its maximum speed was 175 miles per hour. This Katydid was donated to the Smithsonian in 1966 by the U.S. Navy.”
From Wikipedia: “The Katydid entered service in 1942; testing took place at the Naval Air Missile Test Center in Point Mugu, California. Production models were originally designated TD2D-1, however the Navy changed its designation system in 1946 and the XTD2D-1 and TD2D-1 were redesignated as XKDD-1 and KDD-1, respectively. Later that year, the Navy changed McDonnell's manufacturer code letter from "D" - which had been shared with Douglas Aircraft - to "H", the KDD-1 being again redesignated, as KDH-1.”
Dimensions:
Overall: 11 ft. 2 1/4 in. long x 1 ft. 3 in. diameter x 12 ft. 6 in. wing span, 158 lb. (341 x 38.1 x 381cm, 71.7kg); gross weight, operational, 320 lbs
Credit: The Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum
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