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The Interstate XBDR was a design for an assault drone - an early television-guided
Two prototypes ( BuNos 37635 and 37636) were ordered,NAVAIR 00-80P-1: United States Naval Aviation 1910–1970, Naval Air Systems Command, 1970 and tests of a 1/17- scale model of the XBDR were conducted in a NACA gust tunnel at Langley Field in 1944. Requested by the Bureau of Aeronautics in an attempt to determine the load factors of the unusually configured aircraft, these tests initially encountered difficulty with the center of gravity of the model, but once this was resolved the tests were successfully carried out, and a gust factor of 1.22 was recommended for use in the design. Despite the successful testing the Navy decided not to pursue full-scale development of the aircraft, and the order for the two prototypes was cancelled.
"List of Naval Aviation Drones and Missiles".
''United States Naval Aviation 1910-1995''. Washington, DC: Naval Historical Center, 1997. . * Leyes, Richard and William A. Fleming. ''The History of North American Small Gas Turbine Aircraft Engines''. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1999. . * Parsch, Andreas. (2003
Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. ''designation-systems.net'', accessed 2010-05-15. * Reisert, Thomas
"Tests of a 1/17-Scale Model of the XBDR-1 Airplane in the NACA Gust Tunnel"
NACA Report WR-L-539, 1944
{{Interstate aircraft Interstate aircraft, BD01R Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United States Twinjets Tailless aircraft Unmanned military aircraft of the United States World War II jet aircraft of the United States World War II guided missiles of the United States Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear
missile
A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor.
Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this ...
- powered by two jet engine
A jet engine is a type of reaction engine, discharging a fast-moving jet (fluid), jet of heated gas (usually air) that generates thrust by jet propulsion. While this broad definition may include Rocket engine, rocket, Pump-jet, water jet, and ...
s, that was designed by the Interstate Aircraft and Engineering Corporation during the latter stages of the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
for use by the United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
. Wind tunnel tests of a scale model were conducted, however no full-scale examples of the aircraft were built before the project was cancelled.
Design
Referred to at the time as an "assault drone", and the only aircraft ever designated in the 'BD' series, the XBDR-1 was designed by Interstate in response to aNavy
A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
requirement in late 1943 and early 1944. The aircraft featured a tailless design,Parsch 2003 and was essentially a flying wing with a small vertical stabiliser. The XBDR-1 was intended to be powered by two Westinghouse 19B axial-flow turbojet
The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and ...
engines, which were to be buried in the wing near the wing roots. The planned warload was not detailed, however it was planned that the assault drone would be guided to its target via a television link.Grossnick 1997, p. 670.
Testing and Cancellation
Two prototypes ( BuNos 37635 and 37636) were ordered,NAVAIR 00-80P-1: United States Naval Aviation 1910–1970, Naval Air Systems Command, 1970 and tests of a 1/17- scale model of the XBDR were conducted in a NACA gust tunnel at Langley Field in 1944. Requested by the Bureau of Aeronautics in an attempt to determine the load factors of the unusually configured aircraft, these tests initially encountered difficulty with the center of gravity of the model, but once this was resolved the tests were successfully carried out, and a gust factor of 1.22 was recommended for use in the design. Despite the successful testing the Navy decided not to pursue full-scale development of the aircraft, and the order for the two prototypes was cancelled.
Specifications (XBDR-1)
See also
References
;Citations ;Bibliography * Grossnick, Roy"List of Naval Aviation Drones and Missiles".
''United States Naval Aviation 1910-1995''. Washington, DC: Naval Historical Center, 1997. . * Leyes, Richard and William A. Fleming. ''The History of North American Small Gas Turbine Aircraft Engines''. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1999. . * Parsch, Andreas. (2003
Directory of U.S. Military Rockets and Missiles. ''designation-systems.net'', accessed 2010-05-15. * Reisert, Thomas
"Tests of a 1/17-Scale Model of the XBDR-1 Airplane in the NACA Gust Tunnel"
NACA Report WR-L-539, 1944
External links
{{Interstate aircraft Interstate aircraft, BD01R Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United States Twinjets Tailless aircraft Unmanned military aircraft of the United States World War II jet aircraft of the United States World War II guided missiles of the United States Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear