The Culver Cadet is an American two-seat light

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple wings. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...

aircraft, also as a radio-controlled drone, produced by the Culver Aircraft Company.

Design and development

The aircraft designer Al Mooney developed an improved version of the Culver Dart, to provide improved performance with a smaller

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ge ...

. Originally designated the Culver Model L, the

prototype A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototype ...

first flew on 2 December 1939. The aircraft was named the Culver Cadet. Although similar to the previous Dart, the Cadet had a semi-

monocoque Monocoque ( ), also called structural skin, is a structural system in which loads are supported by an object's external skin, in a manner similar to an egg shell. The word ''monocoque'' is a French term for "single shell". First used for boats, ...

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French language, French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds Aircrew, crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an Aircraft engine, engine as wel ...

instead of welded-steel-tube, and a retractable tailwheel undercarriage. The first variant (the Cadet LCA) was powered by a 75 hp (56 kW) Continental A75-8 four-cylinder horizontally opposed piston engine. The 1941 version was designated the Cadet LFA, introducing a number of refinements and more equipment, and was fitted with a 90 hp (67 kW) Franklin engine. Production was brought to an end after the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

entered

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

in December 1941, but the Cadet had found export orders, including to

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

, and had a new military role. The Cadet was one of six models that Al Mooney designed during his eight years at Culver. He would leave to found Mooney Aircraft.

Operational history

In 1940, the Cadet LCA was selected by the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

as being suitable for use as a radio-controlled target. The first aircraft was designated the Culver A-8 (later the XPQ-8) and was based on the Cadet LFA, but had fixed tricycle landing gear. After successful tests, a production order for 200 was placed, and designated the PQ-8. Later, another 200 were ordered with a more powerful engine as the PQ-8A. In late 1941, the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

acquired a PQ-8A for evaluation, and then ordered 200 in 1941 as the TDC-2. An enlarged and improved version was later built as the Culver PQ-14. Several Cadets, with both military and civilian origins, are still (2012) airworthy in the United States, and some are preserved in airworthy condition by museums.

Variants

;Cadet LCA:Initial production version powered by a 75 hp (56 kW) Continental A75-8. ;Cadet LFA:Improved variant with an 80 hp (60 kW) Franklin 4AC-176-F3, Franklin 4AC-176-D2, or Franklin 4AC-176-D3 engine, and a full electrical system and engine starter. ;Cadet LFA-90:Limited edition variant with a 90 hp (67 kW) Franklin 4AC-199-E3 engine. ;LAR (Army A-8):Initial designation of military radio-controlled drone version, later redesignated PQ-8. ;LAR-90 (Army PQ-8):Initial production military drone version, 200 built. ;PQ-8A:PQ-8 powered by a 125 hp (93 kW) Lycoming O-290 engine, redesignated Q-8A in 1948, 200 built. ;Q-8A:PQ-8A redesignated in 1948. ;TDC-1:One PQ-8 for evaluation by the United States Navy. ;TDC-2:Production version of the PQ-8A for the Navy, 200 built. ;Helton Lark 95: Development of Cadet by Helton Aircraft Corporation of Mesa, Arizona. Powered by Continental C90-16F engine. FAA type approved in September 1966. 15 Lark 95s delivered in 1966.Taylor 1967, pp. 273–274. Helton reported as out of business in 1971. ;Helton Lark 95A: Modified Lark 96, with longer fuselage and revised tail surfaces. ;Aero Systems Cadet STF :Plans-built "optimized" Cadet design, offered by Aero Systems of La Mesa, California, United States in 2010. The plans call for a wood and steel structure, with a Continental O-200 powerplant, producing a cruise speed of .Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011–12'', page 90. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X

Operators

; *

Surviving aircraft

* On display at the Historical Aircraft Squadron Museum in Carroll, Ohio. It is on loan from the Ohio Historical Society, who acquired it from the Ohio History of Flight Museum in 2000. * 133 – LCA on display at the Chico Air Museum in Chico, California. * 236 – LCA on display at the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum in Hood River, Oregon. * 269 – LFA on display at the Golden Age Air Museum in Bethel, Berks County, Pennsylvania, Bethel, Pennsylvania. * 274 – LFA on display at the Champaign Aviation Museum in Urbana, Ohio. * 330 – LFA-90 on display at the Vintage Flying Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. * 380 – LCA on display at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum in Maryland Heights, Missouri. * 443 – LCA on display at the Airpower Museum (Antique Airfield), Airpower Museum in Ottumwa, Iowa.

Specifications (Cadet LFA)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985)''. London: Orbis Publishing, 1985. * Juptner, Joseph J. ''U.S. Civil Aircraft Vol. 8 (ATC 701 – ATC 800)''. Fallbrook, California, US: Aero Publishers Inc., 1980. . * Mondey, David. ''American Aircraft of World War II'' (Hamlyn Concise Guide). London: Bounty Books, 2006. . * Mormillo, Frank B. "Defenceless Warrior: Culver's PQ-14 Drone." ''Air Enthusiast,'' Issue 93, May/June 2001. * Simpson, R.W. ''Airlife's General Aviation''. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publications. 1991. . * Taylor, John W. R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1967–68''. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1968. * Taylor, John W. R. ''Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1971–72''. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1971. .

External links

Culver A-8/PQ-8/TDC Cadet

– Aviation Enthusiast Corner

High resolution panoramic image of a Culver Cadet

www.culvercadet.com
{{USN target drones Culver aircraft, Cadet Target drones of the United States 1930s United States civil utility aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft 1930s United States military utility aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1939 Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear Single-engined piston aircraft Low-wing aircraft