Culver PQ-14 by Airmodel
1/72 scale
Kit No. AM7004
Retail: $25.00
Decals: One version -United States Army Air Corps
Comments: Limited run kit, one-piece canopy
History
The Culver PQ-14 was a WWII-era target drone derived from the Culver Cadet, a two-seat light monoplane that first flew on December 2, 1939 and saw decades of both civilian and military use. In 1940, the U.S. Army Air Corps issued a requirement for a radio-controlled target drone that would be used to train anti-aircraft artillery gunners. The first aircraft in a series of target drones was a modification of the Culver LFA Cadet, which eventually led to the PQ-14 series used throughout World War II and beyond.
Operated during World War II as a radio controlled target drone, the PQ-14B could be operated with or without a pilot. Constructed entirely of wood, it was designed for high performance with a six-cylinder Franklin engine and fully retractable tricycle landing gear. The plane was a product of the Army’s radio-control program, which started in August 1940. Culver received the first Army contract in March 1941 and eventually became the Army’s sole production supplier of radio-controlled target planes. Although the target would be flown unmanned, provisions were made for a pilot so that the tiny aircraft could easily be ferried to and from target ranges. This also made check flights easier as a pilot could, with stick and rudder, verify that construction and operation of the target drone was within normal limits.
Radio pilots, known as “beeper” pilots because of the sounds and lights emitted by their control boxes, could control the PQ-14B’s from the ground, or from another plane following at a distance of up to five miles. These pilots could control the plane as effectively as if they we sitting in the cockpit, and could duplicate the maneuvers of even the hottest enemy fighter planes during target training for both gunners and pilots.
The PQ-14 developed a reputation for toughness based on many stories describing planes being badly up, yet still landing under their own power to be refueled and ferried back to base. This ruggedness, along with the ease with which the all-wood planes were repaired, meant that few PQ’s were destroyed. Many American gunners owed their abilities to the training received by firing at these aircraft which were used at many training bases in US and on most Allied fronts overseas.
A Culver PQ-14 flying in formation with a Beech C-45 (likely a radio control mother ship) and a Curtiss SB2C Helldiver in the background.
The PQ-14B participated in an aviation milestone by being a part of the first test of mid-air wingtip coupling. Wingtip coupling presented an alternative means of towing aircraft by attaching two small planes to the wingtips of a larger plane, and was first tested at Wright Field in 1949. Because of induced drag reduction due to the increased aspect ratio when planes are flown in this configuration, the two smaller planes are carried “free” without reducing the range of the towing aircraft.
The Culver PQ-14 and TDC-2 were produced for the U.S. Army and Navy respectively during WWII. Based on the company’s Model LFA Cadet civilian sport plane, the PQ-14 was made primarily of wood with stressed plywood covering the fuselage, wings and some tail components. The PQ-14 included improvements such as a larger 150-hp Franklin engine and retractable landing gear, making it capable of speeds up to 185 mph.
Culver built three basic models in quantity for the Army (with corresponding models for the Navy). The PQ-8, powered by a 90-hp engine, was based on the civilian Culver Model LFA Cadet sport airplane and was succeeded by the faster PQ-8A. The success of the PQ-8 series led to the development of the larger and faster PQ-14 with a retractable landing gear and fuselage, wings and tail components made of wood with stressed plywood skin. During WWII, the USAAF procured 2,043 PQ-14s, 1,198 of which went to the Navy.
The Kit
Airmodel’s Culver PQ-14 is injection molded in white plastic and consists of 14 parts, including a single clear part for the canopy. A close examination reveals that this is a short run kit with a small amount of flash and some mild discoloration of the parts. The landing gear, propeller, and rear stabilizer (a single part) in particular are crudely molded.
The stabilizer will require sanding to eliminate bulges, and the propeller will require clean-up as well. The kit bears engraved panel lines, especially on the wings where the control surfaces (including what appear to be leading edge slats) are lightly scribed.
The cockpit consists of a seat, control yoke, and a crudely molded instrument panel featuring recessed detail for the dials. The fuselage is presented in two halves, and the interior surfaces are smooth and devoid of cockpit sidewall detail. The wing is a single part onto which the pilot’s seat is cemented.
One point to note about this kit is that when cementing the parts together, the contact surfaces, particularly between the two fuselage halves, are uneven and will require sanding to assure a good fit. The instructions recommend a nose weight to prevent the PQ-14 being a tail-sitter, as it has tricycle landing gear.
Markings
Decals are provided for two U.S. Army Air Corps aircraft, indistinguishable except for their serial numbers, 421895 and 76106, respectively. They have a flat finish and may require a bit of extra care to minimize silvering, but are otherwise serviceable, fully in register with accurate color.
Conclusion
This is a short-run, garage kit of historical interest as it represents an important instrument of aerial gunnery training for pilots and gunners alike, as well as a seminal piece of technology as perhaps one of the first mass-produced radio-controlled aircraft.
References
- www.eaa.org/eaa-museum
- www.wikipedia.org
- https://planesoffame.org
- www.nationalmuseum.af.mil