The Fleetwings Model 36 was a plywood skinned aerial target with the military designation PQ-12A. This particular aircraft was the prototype and it first flew on 5 December 1941 as NX37010 powered by a Franklin O-300-7 engine of 175 hp. Test pilot William H. Engle was at the controls. (Prototype serial 41-39057 for XPQ-12 not taken up.) On 18 Sept 1942, NX37010 was cancelled and military serial 41-39098 was applied for an XPQ-12A. Subsequent modifications included a simplified nose leg and wheel fairing and substitution of a Lycoming O-435-5 engine of 225 hp. The latter necessitated a larger cowling as seen on the photo of 41-39045. Collection holder William Engle is the son of Fleetwings test pilot William H. Engle.

The Fleetwings Model 36 was a plywood skinned aerial target which was given the military designation PQ-12A. It was powered by a Lycoming O-435 of 225 hp and could be manually flown for testing & evaluation when designated as the YPQ-12A (background). The protrusion hanging down from the right hand wing housed a TV camera that fed images to a mother-ship for remote guidance to intercept an enemy aircraft. In October 1943 the aircraft successfully downed a test drone over the Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range by detonating a 500 lb bomb housed under the cockpit fairing. Note that the last two digits of the serial on the tail have been crudely changed from "49" to "45".