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Classic Wings Magazine WWII Naval Aviation Research Pacific Luftwaffe Resource Center
When Hollywood Ruled The Skies - Volumes 1 through 4 by Bruce Oriss


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 10:01 am 
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Mark Allen M wrote:

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A TDN-1 aircraft gets ready to launch from the USS Sable (IX-81) in Lake Michigan 1943




Are there any examples of the TDN-1 around? I can't recall ever seeing one....anywhere pop2

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 10:14 am 
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gary1954 wrote:
Mark Allen M wrote:

Image
A TDN-1 aircraft gets ready to launch from the USS Sable (IX-81) in Lake Michigan 1943




Are there any examples of the TDN-1 around? I can't recall ever seeing one....anywhere pop2


On page 2 of this thread, where I refer to a TDN being a rafter bird @ Pepsicola-second post under last WOLVERINE model photo

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 10:25 am 
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The Inspector wrote:
gary1954 wrote:
Mark Allen M wrote:

Image
A TDN-1 aircraft gets ready to launch from the USS Sable (IX-81) in Lake Michigan 1943




Are there any examples of the TDN-1 around? I can't recall ever seeing one....anywhere pop2


On page 2 of this thread, where I refer to a TDN being a rafter bird @ Pepsicola-second post under last WOLVERINE model photo


I missed that :axe: I saw it after I posted my curiosity question

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 12:14 pm 
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Do I look concerned?? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: enjoy the waitress, remember to tip the Veal.... :shock:

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 4:54 am 
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I dug into my picture archive, and found a pic I took of the drone at the Museum in Pensacola. Turns out it's not a Naval Aircraft Factory TDN, but rather an Interstate TDR. Same basic concept though..a remotely-piloted aircraft that could be equipped with bombs or torpedoes.

Image

I once knew a guy who worked with TDNs (or possibly TDRs) during the war. He said they had a primitive TV camera in the nose, and he flew them from the back seat of a specially equipped TBM. He said they flew some practice strikes on a beached Japanese freighter, but I don't recall if he was involved in any combat operations.

And as long as we're on the subject, the museum also has an SNJ with a tailhook. I took the closeup for reference so I could scratchbuild hooks on the SNJs for the Wolverine model project. Note that this aircraft has a guard in front of the tailwheel, I'm assuming to keep it from getting fouled by the arrestor wire.

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Image


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PostPosted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 7:33 pm 
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i was always surprised by the sight of seeing an open cockpit & windshield sans the pilot of course. never saw 1 minus the windshield as in the museum pic. i would have thought that with the drag of the shield unmanned that they wouldn't have included 1 anyway. were any ever piloted?? if so what was the pilot's feedback as to flight characteristics?? did the pilot bail out like the aphrodite bomber missions?? were any carrier landing tests done??

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 12:46 am 
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As mentioned above, the aircraft were remotely controlled on operational missions. They only had a pilot for testing or ferrying purposes.

Apparently, the TDN was never used operationally, as the Navy preferred the TDR due to its simpler construction and better performance. All the TDNs were expended in training and testing.

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PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 12:47 am 
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Mark Allen M wrote:

Image
A TDN-1 aircraft gets ready to launch from the USS Sable (IX-81) in Lake Michigan 1943



Note that this picture, taken from the island, has been "flopped" as you can tell from the location of the national insignia. It is taking off, without a pilot, toward the stern, not the bow. An earlier picture shows this and that the appropriate wind over deck is being provided, either by backing down (not easy) or traveling with a stiff wind at a speed lower than the wind (not much easier). My guess is that this was done to provide a longer deck run without risking a crash into the island due to engine failure or loss of directional control for some reason.


Last edited by Tailspin Turtle on Mon Apr 08, 2013 10:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 8:32 am 
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Somewhere there is movie footage (seen it a few times, but not in years) of and from one being tested by crashing onto a small island somewhere in the Pacific. It struck the island but belly flopped across the beach and went off the backside of the isthmus and into the water. The camera footage from the nose was worse than the most awful old Kinoscopes. The TBM used an HS2 'Mickey' deployable radome from the belly mounted in the aft gunners compartment.

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PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 2:17 pm 
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The Inspector wrote:
Somewhere there is movie footage (seen it a few times, but not in years) of and from one being tested by crashing onto a small island somewhere in the Pacific. It struck the island but belly flopped across the beach and went off the backside of the isthmus and into the water. The camera footage from the nose was worse than the most awful old Kinoscopes. The TBM used an HS2 'Mickey' deployable radome from the belly mounted in the aft gunners compartment.


For a picture of the TBM: http://thanlont.blogspot.com/2008/09/whats-that.html


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 3:43 pm 
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The Inspector wrote:
Somewhere there is movie footage (seen it a few times, but not in years) of and from one being tested by crashing onto a small island somewhere in the Pacific. It struck the island but belly flopped across the beach and went off the backside of the isthmus and into the water. The camera footage from the nose was worse than the most awful old Kinoscopes. The TBM used an HS2 'Mickey' deployable radome from the belly mounted in the aft gunners compartment.


I know the footage that you're speaking of, and I too hadn't see it in quite some time (might have been from an episode of Discovery Wings, IIRC).

Although it's not the footage you're referring to, here is some footage of TDR test trials conducted in the South Pacific during WW2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RQcUtzAe98


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 3:51 pm 
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TDN test footage (including carrier trials aboard USS Sable):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MzxIkr5JO0


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PostPosted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 10:12 pm 
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Love the photos Mark. Serving on Lake Michigan in the winter must have been a pain in the a**!!

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 8:20 am 
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I can tell you living in the "Lake Effect Snow" zone is certainly no picnic! :lol:

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PostPosted: Mon Apr 08, 2013 10:26 pm 
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you bet your keester!!! that's the truth times 50!! especially lake erie, the shallowest of the great lakes. I've seen some doosey storms in my day!!

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