Mooney-Culver Model V
Model Airplane News Cover Art for March, 1946
by Jo Kotula
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The Culver Model V was the postwar extension of small, lightweight personal planes designed by Albert Mooney.

Mooney Dart: In the early 1930s Mooney designed a small two-seat monoplane. With K.K. Culver formed the Dart Aircraft Companyand manufactured the airplane as the Dart Model G. The aircraft was a low-wing monoplane with a metal tube frame designed to be light with clean lines to enable it to use low powered aero-engines. It had a fixed undercarriage and a tailwheel. In 1939 the company was renamed the Culver Aircraft Company and the aircraft was renamed the Culver Dart.

     

Mooney-Culver Dart
Albert Mooney patents 1,790,785 and 3,128,064
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Culver Cadet:Mooney went on to develop an improved version of the Culver Dart, to provide improved performance with a smaller engine. In December 1939. The aircraft was named the Culver Cadet. Although similar to the Dart the Cadet had a semi-monocoque fuselage and a retractable tailwheel undercarriage. The 1941 version (the Cadet LFA) introduced a number of refinements and more equipment, and was fitted with a larger engine. After the United States entered the Second World War, the Cadet found a new role as a radio-controlled target. 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 acquired a PQ-8A for evaluation and then ordered 200 in 1941. An enlarged and improved version was later built as the Culver PQ-14.

Mooney-Culver Cadet
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Model V was a two-seat cabin monoplane based on the Dart and Cadet and was intended to capture the (supposed) postwar boom in civilan aviation. The Model V has a low-set cantiliver wing. It had a tricycle retractable landing gear and an enclosed cabin with side-by-side seating for two. The demand for "personal" civilian aircraft never materialized. Only 350 were made before the company went bankrupt. In 1956 the Superior Aircraft Company bought the assets of Culver and put the Model V back into production as the Superior Satellite. The market still wasn't there. Only a prototype and five production aircraft were built.

     

Mooney-Culver Model V
Retractable Landing Gear
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Here is a video of the Mooney-Culver Model V in action:

Click Here for more information about the Mooney-Culver Model V.

Cleveland made a model of the Culver Model V that is supposed to be a very good flyer - something that is not surprising since most of the output ofthe Culver factory ended up as radio-controlled target drones. When I saw this particular kit in an online auction, I was stunned -- the kit was for the Culver, but the plans were for a B-29! As you can see, the kit is in fairly ratty shape, but the seller insisted at great length that this was some sort of priceless relic. Don't buy any of this junk -- except maybe if you collect the boxes. Buy the plans direct from Cleveland and let the internet hustlers stew in their own juice.

  

Cleveland Model of the Culver Model V "Victory"
Beware of low quality poorly lit photos!
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You can buy the plans and patterns that will enable you to make this model right now. Click Here to go to the exact location on the Cleveland Website to get them.

Culver Model V "Victory" at the Cleveland Site
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