ICM US Aerial Target Drones (48399) 1:48

**Mike** · October 30, 2024

US Aerial Target Drones (48399)

1:48 ICM via H G Hannants Ltd

People think drones are a new thing for the military, but remote controlled aircraft began service in simple forms during WWII. The Firebee was developed by Ryan for the newly reformed USAF in 1948 as a jet powered gunnery target, the first flight taking place in 1951. The USAF Designation was Q-2A, and when the US Navy bought them, they re-designated them KDA-1. The original Firebees were air launched from a modified A-26 Intruder, or ground launched using a Rocket Assisted Take-Off (RATO) pack, a system that was later also employed by the US Army. Q-2Bs were fitted with a modified engine for higher altitudes to widen the type’s range of operation and increase their usefulness. They were further developed over time with the KDA-4 being the main USN version, however differences were mainly internal, so once the stencils are removed, it’s difficult to tell apart without unscrewing panels. The Royal Canadian Air Force purchased 30 KDA-4s that they launched from an Avro Lancaster Mk.10DC, giving modellers another option for the use of these models.

In the late 50s the USAF Awarded Ryan a contract for a new second generation Firebee that would become the BQM-34A or Q-2C, which employed a larger airframe with longer wings. One of the main recognition features was the fact the original nose intake was replaced by a chin intake for the new Continental J69-T-29A turbojet, beneath a pointed nose. In addition to the USAF and USN, the US Army had a ground launched variant with RATO pack that was designated the MQM-34D, this version having a longer wing than the USAF & USN variants, sometimes air-launched from a modified Hercules, designated DC-130 for Drone Control. While production originally ended in 1982, the line was re-opened in 1989 to produce additional units to satisfy the needs of the US military, and these BQM-34S variants featured improved avionics and a new J85-GE-100 engine.

The Kit

Comprising one each of the Q-2A and Q-2C kits, which ICM have previously released separately, the kit arrives in a top-opening box with the usual captive flap on the lower tray, and a painting of both airframes on the front. Inside are two individual resealable bags containing a total of four sprues in grey styrene, a pair of separate decal sheets, and two instruction booklets from the original kits. Detail is good as far as it goes on a drone, and it includes a trailer for each airframe, which will make display without an aircraft to hang it from a breeze.

KDA-1 (Q-2A) Firebee with Trailer

This earlier variant of the Firebee is the smaller of the two, with an intake in the nose and a central bullet that lends itself to nose art.

Construction begins with the Continental J69-T-19B intake, which is made from two halves plus a depiction of the rear face of the engine, and a front mounting bulkhead that has the forward compressor fan moulded-in, and a keyed hole for the central bullet, which is also made from two halves before inserting it in the hole. The two fuselage halves have a tapering insert on each side to portray the intake’s inner lip, fitting the motor assembly into the starboard half, then trapping it in place with the other half and dealing with the seams in your preferred manner. Each swept wing is made from upper and lower halves, with a long tab that fits into a slot in the fuselage sides, while the elevators are single thickness and fit in the same way. An insert closes the gap in the upper fuselage, adding a pair of two-part wingtip fairings, the tail fin, and two V-shaped end-plates on the elevators to finish the airframe.

The trailer is based on a large rectangular frame with a triangular A-frame moulded-in that has a towing arm at the front. Three castor wheels are fixed to the rear corners and under the tip of the A-frame, turning the assembly over, mounting an inverted V on the rear, and an inverted U at the front, which has a pin that descends and retains the front of the fuselage, while a pin at the top of the V supports the rear.

Markings

There are three decal options for this part of the kit, all of them a bit bright. From the box you can build one of the following:

Q-2A Firebee USAF, Circa 1951
Ryan KDA-1 Firebee Naval Ordnance Test Station China Lake, California, Circa 1960
US Navy XQ-2 Prototype, Circa 1950

BQM-34A (Q-2C) Firebee with Trailer

This later mark also comes on two sprues, whilst the trailer is larger and sturdier.

Construction begins with the engine again, this time a Continental J69-T-29A, fitting front and rear faces between the two trunk halves, then fitting it on a long tab in between the fuselage halves, cutting off the small moulded-in strakes under the tail for one decal option. Like its stablemate, there is an insert along the spine, but the intake lip is a single part that should be carefully aligned with the fuselage to reduce clean-up later. The wings are wider but thinner for the Q-2C, and as such they are each single parts that match the elevators, the latter having small triangular end-plates added to the tips, along with the tail fin that slots into the rear of the spine insert.

The trailer has a U-shaped under-frame, first mating two U-shaped ribs with three rods, then fitting those to the main chassis rails, and adding a cross-brace to the rear. A pair of axles are each made from two parts and glued into recesses in the underside, and they have two-part wheels fitted to the ends, making the towing arm from a two-part beam that has a shallow A-frame linking it to the front axle. The completed Firebee simply drops into the curved frames, locating on a pin at the rear under the tail.

Markings

There are four decal options for this part of the kit, all of them brightly coloured to make them stand out. From the box you can build one of the following:

US Navy BMQ-34 Naval Base Ventura County
US Navy BMQ-34 36 Mission markings
USAF BQM-34 Wallace Air Station
US Navy BQM-34 circa 2000s

Decals are by ICM’s usual partners, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas.

Conclusion

A compact reboxing that will give you a brace of noticeably different Firebees to build, and as there are no cockpits or gear bays to slow you down, it should make for a quick, fun build.

Highly recommended.

Available in the UK from importers H G Hannants Ltd.

Review sample courtesy of