| TDU-12/B Skydart | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Target rocket |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Used by | United States Air Force |
| Production history | |
| Designed | c.1958 |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss-Wright |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 103 lb (47 kg) |
| Length | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Diameter | 6.4 in (16 cm) |
| Wingspan | 20.8 in (0.53 m) |
| Engine | GCRC/Hercules dual-thrust 620 lbf (2.8 kN) for 2 sec 75 lbf (0.33 kN) for 45 sec |
| Propellant | Solid |
| Maximum speed | Mach 2 |
Guidance system | Autopilot |
Launch platform | F-100, F-104 |
| References | Parsch[1] |
TheTDU-12/B Skydart was an unguided target rocket built byCurtiss-Wright for use by theUnited States Air Force. It was used operationally from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s.
Skydart, designated TDU-12/B by the U.S. Air Force,[2] was developed by the Santa Barbara Division ofCurtiss-Wright.[3] It was designed for use as a target for practice withinfrared homingair-to-air missiles such as theAIM-9 Sidewinder andAIM-4 Falcon. It had a small cylindrical body fitted with fourcruciform fins aft for control and fixed forwardscanards to set the rocket's trajectory. Propulsion was by a dual-thrust boost-sustainsolid-propellant rocket supplied by theGrand Central Rocket Company and theHercules Powder Company. Agyroscopic-drivenautopilot stabilized the rocket in flight.[4] Aninfrared flare was installed to provide signature enhancement for training purposes, and the rocket could be equipped with atelemetry system.[1] Skydart was designed to use a common launching rail and electronic connections to the launch aircraft as Sidewinder.[5] Launch would be undertaken at speeds betweenMach 0.8 and 2.0. Design endurance was nominally 90 seconds, but in service 110-second endurance was demonstrated.[3]
A $470,000 contract was awarded to Curtiss-Wright by the USAF for production of Skydart.[5] Launched fromF-100 Super Sabre andF-104 Starfighter fighters, Skydart was used throughout the early-to-mid 1960s, but was out of service before the end of the decade.[1] Proposals for improved versions of Skydart, including a ground-launched version and an enlargedtarget drone, do not appear to have been developed.[5]
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