The Navy awarded McDonnell Aircraft Corp. a contract for a radio-controlled target drone for anti-aircraft and aerial gunnery practice in March 1941. Larger and heavier than its contemporaries, the higher performance design featured gyro-stabilization, a mid-mounted wing, distinctive V-tail, pulse-jet engine and a parachute to allow for recovery of the aircraft.

The result of this effort was the KDD-1 aircraft, also called the “Katydid.”

The 320-pound (145-kilogram) KDD-1 had a wing span of 12.25 feet (3.7 meters) and an overall length of 11.1 feet (3.4 meters). Cruising speed in level flight was 175 to 200 mph (280 to 322 kph) depending on mission range and endurance. It was designed for a mission endurance of 40 minutes.