Interstate TDR Attack Drone

Designed to takeoff on a wheeled carriage which fell off after becoming airborne, or be launched from a catapult. Some were built with simple cockpits, but these were faired over in combat.

Airborne, it was controlled by an observer aboard a parent aircraft, (modified TBM Avenger) only one drone could be controled by each parent aircraft. Equipped with a 2,000lb bomb or a torpedo to be used as a flying, guided bomb.

The drone carried a TV camera / transmitter that relayed a black & white image to the parent aircraft that was viewed on a small television screen. Then, it was controled by 'joystick' and flown into the target.

TDR
Built by Interstate and powered by two 150hp Franklin air cooled opposed six cylinder engines.

TDR-1
The same drone, manufactured in DeKalb, IL during 1943-44. A total of 189 were built.

STAG-1
In the South Pacific, STAG-1, commanded by Captain Robert F. Jones at Banika tested the weapon in combat, with 42 launched against targets in Western Solomons, , and Bougainville. Later, STAG-1 moved to Green Island and launched 19 against Rabaul and New Ireland.

Japanese Capture
The Japanese recovered pieces of one drone from Rabaul, and sent it to Japan on November 8, 1944, but the J1N1 Irving carrying the wreckage went missing on the way to Truk.

Details of TDR-1 drones, and their use by US Navy STAG-1 are described in a chapter of The Siege of Rabaul, by Henry Sakaida.