The Culver PQ-14 Cadet is a modified version of the Culver LFA Cadet used as a target drone.
7-561: In 1940, the U.S. Army Air Corps drew up a requirement for a radio-controlled target drone for training 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. Culver proposed a modification of its civilian Model LFA Cadet which the Army purchased as
14-529: A seat. Docile and easy to fly, the aircraft was finished in a bright red target color scheme although operationally, a silver or red finish was applied. Without a pilot they were flown from a "mother ship" aircraft. The typical mother ship was a Beech C-45 . Despite their short lifespan, the aircraft performed well and the Franklin engine was considered "trouble-free". Most of the Culver target aircraft were "blasted out of
21-622: The PQ-8 . The success of the PQ-8 led to the development of the " NRD "; a single PQ-8 was converted to the new configuration and tested by the USAAF as the XPQ-14 . Larger and faster than the PQ-8, the PQ-14 also had retractable landing gear and fuselage, wings and tail components made of wood with stressed plywood skin. This prototype was followed by YPQ-14A service test aircraft and 1,348 PQ-14A production models. Of
28-474: The Culver company developed the XPQ-15 from their Model V light aircraft. After only four were delivered the company went bankrupt in 1946. The XPQ-14 was first flown in 1942 and began to be received in training units shortly after. The aircraft was flown unmanned, controlled by radio, but was flown by a pilot for ferry flights, using a rudimentary control panel installed for that purpose and using their parachutes as
35-516: The latter, 1,198 were transferred to the US Navy, which designated them as TD2C-1 with the decidedly unattractive name Turkey . The YPQ-14B was a slightly heavier variant; a total of 25 were produced before production shifted to the PQ-14B . A total of 594 PQ-14Bs served as target drones for the USAAF. A single PQ-14B was converted to use an O-300-9 engine and designated XPQ-14C . After World War II ,
42-428: The sky" by Army anti-aircraft gunners but a dozen or more survived and were surplused after 1950. Flown as a recreational aircraft, their new owners found that the aircraft had a sprightly performance. Data from Mormillo. General characteristics Performance Related development Target drone A target drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle , generally remote controlled , usually used in
49-614: The training of anti-aircraft crews. One of the earliest drones was the British DH.82 Queen Bee , a variant of the Tiger Moth trainer aircraft operational from 1935. Its name led to the present term "drone". In their simplest form, target drones often resemble radio-controlled model aircraft. More modern drones may use countermeasures , radar , and similar systems to mimic manned aircraft. More advanced drones are made from large, older missiles which have had their warheads removed. In
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