Optionally-piloted, the aircraft could seat single crewman in a cockpit for direct-control actions, primarily during testing, though this position was faired over for the unmanned, operational-level sorties that followed.
The airframe had three ventral hardpoints to carry various conventional drop bomb sizes or a single torpedo weapon. There was a hardpoint at fuselage centerline and a pair under and aft of each engine nacelle.
As the program began to prove its value, USN authorities envisioned a massive paired manned/unmanned force of the aircraft, the former directing the latter against enemy targets at range with minimal risk to airmen. However, the project was of the back-burner type as the war effort intensified and required attention, resources, and funding elsewhere. As a result, the complex program was reduced from the initial 1,000 drones to about 300 and, even then, this total was never to be reached.
It was not until 1944 that the TDR was finally placed into action with the first sortie had on September 27th. The drones were successful on the whole despite the technological challenge in perfecting the systems at play. However, the project ended its flying days by October 27th of that year - in-field results included no loss of operators or mothership aircraft and thirty-one successful attacks by the drones.
Subsequent models with varying engine installations emerged as the "XTD2R-1", which was powered by a pair of Franklin O-805-2 series engines, and the "XTD3R-1", propelled by a pair of Wright R-975 air-cooled radial piston engines. Although two prototypes of the XTD2R-1 were ordered, neither saw the light of day as attention shifted to the more promising XTD3R-1 - though, again, this entry limited to just three prototypes. The "TD3R-1" was to become its serial production effort but, in any event, the forty airframes ordered were eventually cancelled outright.
The "XTD3R-2" was a follow-on to the "XTD3R-1" project but existed only as a sole prototype and nothing more.
Interest from the United States Army led to the TDR-1 being designated under the experimental "XBQ-4" - however, only a single aircraft was converted from the existing TDR-1 stock. The subsequent "XBQ-5" and "XBQ-6" (based in the XTD2R-1 and XTD3R, respectively) fell to nothing. The "BQ-6A" was to cover the TD3R-1 in Army service but none of the aircraft were produced.
The sole, preserved TDR-1 example is under the care of the USN at its National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.
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