1/72 scale RESIN construction model kit suitable for experienced modellers.
The box art title should read QU-22B.
As the YQU-22A combat evaluation during the Vietnam War was proving successful, its successor, the QU-22B, was ordered into production to fulfil the PAVE EAGLE electronic monitoring signal relay aircraft requirement for the U.S. Air Force.
The QU-22B was fitted with the required antennas, receivers and transmitters and powered by An AiResearch turbocharged, reduction-geared Continental GTSIO-520-G engine of 375 hp. This engine reduced noise signature, much like the later Army-Lockheed YO-3A.
It differed from the YQU-22A by having a large cowl bump above the spinner which faired over an AC current generator.
The QU-22B could be operated as an Unmanned Drones to monitor sensors along the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos and report troop and supply movements.
However the "drones" were usually flown by pilots of the 554th Reconnaissance Squadron and Det. 1, 553rd Reconnaissance Wing ("Vampires") based at Nakhon Phanom.
During a typical mission, the aircraft orbited near the Ho Chi Minh Trail, picking up signals from IGLOO WHITE acoustic and vibration sensing ground units and relaying them to the Information Surveillance Center (or "Task Force Alpha") at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base.
Twenty-seven QU-22Bs were produced, 13 in 1969 and 14 in 1970.
Six were lost in combat and two Air Force pilots were killed in action. All of the losses were due to engine failures or effects of turbulence.
The Kit:
All Resin construction with a vacuform transparencies/cockpit canopy. (Two transparencies provided.)
Instructions are very simplified 'exploded' view and cover the assembly process adequately. This is not a kit for beginners!
Kit decals provide markings for USAF.
Serials provided are;
97694 (69-7694), 97695 (69-7695), 01535 (70-1535) and 01537 (70-1537)
Recommended for Ages: 16+
Requires assembly. Paint and glue are not included. Constructing resin scale models requires understanding of and adherence to relevant personal safety practices. There is plenty of information available on the web regarding working with resin models.
This product is not a toy. Contains small parts that may be a choking hazard. Keep away from children aged under 3 years.
Price: $82.95
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