Interstate XBDR

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title: "Interstate XBDR" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["interstate-aircraft", "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"] topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_XBDR" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]

Field	Value
name	XBDR-1
image	Interstate XBDR-1 flying.png
caption	Artist's concept of the Interstate XBDR-1 jet-powered assault drone in flight.
aircraft_type	Assault drone
national_origin	United States
manufacturer	Interstate Aircraft
primary_user	United States Navy
number_built	0
::

| name = XBDR-1 | logo = | logo_size = | image = Interstate XBDR-1 flying.png | alt = | caption = Artist's concept of the Interstate XBDR-1 jet-powered assault drone in flight. | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Assault drone | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = United States | manufacturer = Interstate Aircraft | design_group = | designer = | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = United States Navy | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 0 | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = The Interstate XBDR was a design for an assault drone - an early television-guided missile - powered by two jet engines, that was designed by the Interstate Aircraft and Engineering Corporation during the latter stages of the Second World War for use by the United States Navy. 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

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/Interstate_Patent_144,111.png" caption="Interstate XBDR-1 patent"] ::

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 a Navy requirement in late 1943 and early 1944. The aircraft featured a tailless design, 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 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.

Testing and Cancellation

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Interstate_XBDR-1.jpg" caption="1/17-scale wind tunnel model of the XBDR-1 with alternative intakes"] ::

Two prototypes (BuNos 37635 and 37636) were ordered, 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)

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Interstate_XBDR-1_piloted_side_view.png" caption="Artist's concept of a piloted version of the XBDR-1"] ::

|ref= |prime units?=imp General characteristics

|genhide= |crew=None (UAV) |capacity= |length m= |length ft= |length in= |length note= |span m= |span ft=51.66 |span in= |span note= |height m= |height ft= |height in= |height note= |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft=362 |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb= |empty weight note= |gross weight kg= |gross weight lb=10800 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |more general= Powerplant

|eng1 number=2 |eng1 name=Westinghouse 19B |eng1 type=turbojets |eng1 kn= |eng1 lbf=1550 |eng1 note= |thrust original= |more power= |perfhide= |max speed kmh= |max speed mph= |max speed kts= |max speed note= |max speed mach= |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed kts= |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh= |stall speed mph= |stall speed kts= |stall speed note= |range km= |range miles= |range nmi= |range note= |combat range km= |combat range miles= |combat range nmi= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range miles= |ferry range nmi= |ferry range note= |endurance= |ceiling m= |ceiling ft= |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |glide ratio= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |lift to drag= |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading lb/sqft=29.8 |wing loading note= |fuel consumption kg/km= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |thrust/weight= |more performance= |armament= |guns= |bombs= |rockets= |missiles= |hardpoints= |hardpoint capacity= |hardpoint rockets= |hardpoint missiles= |hardpoint bombs= |hardpoint other= |avionics=

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) Interstate BDR. 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

References

1. Parsch 2003
2. Grossnick 1997, p. 670.
3. NAVAIR 00-80P-1: United States Naval Aviation 1910–1970, Naval Air Systems Command, 1970
4. Leyes and Fleming 1999, p. 38.
5. Reisert 1944

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