Lockheed Ventura
| Lockheed PV Ventura | |
|---|---|
 Lockheed PV-1 "Ventura" of the US Navy, 1943 |
|
| Type: | Maritime patrols , bombers |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
July 31, 1941 |
| Commissioning: |
1942 |
| Production time: |
1941 to 1945 |
| Number of pieces: |
3,028 |
The Lockheed PV Ventura (factory designation Model 37) was a twin-engine fighter aircraft of World War II made in the United States . The machine from the manufacturer Lockheed was used as a maritime patrol aircraft and bomber . It was developed from the civil passenger aircraft Model 18 Lodestar and had its maiden flight on July 31, 1941. Between July 1941 and September 1945 a total of 3,028 Lockheed 37s were manufactured.
development
Since the British Air Ministry had had very good experiences with the Hudson , a military variant of the Lockheed Model 14 , it accepted Lockheed's proposal in September 1939 to procure a further military development of the civilian Lockheed Model 18 (Lodestar). In February 1940 the RAF placed an initial order for 25 machines (Model 32-94-01 as reconnaissance aircraft and Model 132-56-01 as bomber). Further discussions with Lockheed, however, led to the concept of an even further improved Lodestar (Model 37-21-01), equipped with Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp S1A4 . The old order was then changed to the Model 37 and increased to 300 machines. Another 375 aircraft were later ordered. The aircraft for this order were manufactured by Vega Aircraft Corporation.
The United States Army Air Forces also ordered 200 Ventura s, which were designated as B-34 Lexington . The USAAF also ordered 550 reconnaissance aircraft with weaker Wright R-2600 engines, which were first designated as the O-56, then as the RB-34B and finally as the B-37 .
In 1942 the United States Navy had recognized that seaplanes only partially met the requirements for maritime patrols. They looked for bombers in production that were suitable for this task. The choice fell on the Consolidated B-24 Liberator , the North American B-25 Mitchell and the Ventura . Then on July 7, 1942, the USN and USAAF signed an agreement that guaranteed the Navy a share of the bomber shipments. Just a month later, the first B-24D were handed over to the US Navy. In August 1943, the USAAF finally dissolved its "Anti-Submarine Command" (anti-submarine command) and handed over all machines used there to the US Navy.
Production of the B-37 was stopped after only 18 machines. Different radio equipment was installed for the US Navy, the range was increased, the armament was changed and an ASD-1 radar was installed in the aircraft nose. The Navy ordered 1,600 of this version as PV-1 Ventura , which were delivered from December 1942.
On June 30, 1943, the US Navy then ordered an improved version called the PV-2 Harpoon . The range was increased again and the armament improved. The tailplane was also slightly changed. It flew for the first time on December 3, 1943. However, the wings had to be completely redesigned, which meant that by the end of 1944 only 69 were operational. Over 500 PV-2 were completed, but at the end of the war all further orders were canceled.
commitment
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Between November 1942 and September 1943 the RAF and the Royal New Zealand Air Force used the Ventura as a bomber. However, it turned out that the machine was armed too slowly and too weakly. It was therefore given to the RAF Coastal Command , the Royal Canadian Air Force and the South African Air Force for maritime surveillance. While Canada soon retired the Ventura, the South African planes continued to fly well into the 1960s.
The Royal Australian Air Force and the RNZAF are deploying Venturas in and around New Guinea . The Australian and New Zealanders were retired in 1946.
Most Lockheed PV, however, were used by the US Navy. The first mission flew PV-1 in April 1943 in Alaska . PV-1 and later PV-2 also regularly flew attacks from the Aleutians on Japanese bases on Paramushir . Some PV-1s were also used by the United States Marine Corps as night fighters over the Solomon Islands . The main task, however, was maritime surveillance in the Atlantic and Pacific . After the Second World War, the PV-2 was flown by reserve squadrons of the US Navy until 1948.
Brazil received 15 PV-1s and six PV-2s in 1944, which were flown into the 1950s. Some were then converted into transport aircraft.
Also in 1944 the Free French Armed Forces received some PV-1, which were doing service with the "Flotilla 6F". Soon after the war they were replaced by Bloch 175 . France also received some PV-2s after World War II, which flew in the 12S squadron and were later given to Portugal .
Italy also received 22 PV-2s, which were used by the 86th and 87th Gruppi Antisommergibili (ASW group) until the end of the 1950s.
In July 1951, the newly formed Japanese Self-Defense Forces received 17 PV-2s.
In the same year, the Netherlands received 18 PV-2s, which, however, were replaced after two years by the Lockheed P2V-5 Neptune .
The armed forces of Peru received six PV-2s that flew into the 1960s.
In 1954, Portugal received 18 Dutch PV-2s and 24 from the USA and France. Some were later converted into attack aircraft and served in the colonial war in Angola until the 1970s.
Versions
- Ventura I (Model 37-21-01)
- military version of the Lockheed L-18 Lodestar with 1850 hp engines Pratt & Whitney S1A4-G Double Wasp, 188 were built for the RAF.
- Ventura GR I.
- Conversion of the remaining Ventura I as a maritime patrol aircraft, which was carried out from autumn 1943. Initially deployed at Coastal Command and in the Mediterranean.
- Ventura CI
- Conversion of Ventura I as a transport aircraft.
- Ventura II (Model 37-27-01)
- Version with R-2800-31 engines and a larger bomb bay, 487 machines were built. 196 machines went to Commonwealth armed forces. 264 were taken over by USAAF, 27 by USN as PV-3.
- Ventura IIA (Model 137-27-02)
- 200 machines under the Lend & Lease agreement with a Martin turret and US equipment. Only 25 went to the RAF, the rest to the USAAF as B-34.
- Ventura III (Model 137-96-03)
- not manufactured
- Ventura GR V
- 387 PV-1s that were delivered to the RAF were later partially converted to Ventura CV cargo planes.
- B-34-VE Lexington (Model 137-27-02)
- Designation of the Ventura IIA by the USAAF, 20 were built. Renamed RB-34 in October 1942. (VE stands for production at Vega)
- B-34A-VE
- 66 machines manufactured as part of the Lend & Lease and manufactured as Ventura IIA for RAF, RAAF, RCAF and RNZAF (B-34A-1-VE). 101 machines delivered to the USAAF, of which 57 B-34A-2-VE bomb training aircraft, 28 B-34A-3-VE for training gunnery and 16 B-34A-4-VE as target tug aircraft.
- B-34B-VE
- 13 B-34A machines supplied as navigation trainers, later renamed RB-34B-VE.
- B-37-LO (Model 137-96-03)
- USAAF maritime patrol aircraft, B-34 with 1700 hp Wright R-2600-13, 550 ordered as O-56, later designated as RB-34B-LO. 18 were built, the rest canceled. First flight on September 21, 1942. The last machine was delivered in April 1943.
- PV-1 Ventura (Model 237-27-01)
- navalized B-34s for the US Navy with increased fuel load and ASD-1 radar, 1,600 were built. First flight November 3, 1942. Some machines were converted into a three-seater night fighter. They received British AI-Mk-IV radar and were used by the USMC.
- PV-1P
- Version for special long-distance operations with additional cameras, only a few machines were equipped in this way in 1945.
- PV-2 Harpoon (Model 15-27-01)
- enlarged PV-1 with more armament, more fuel, different wings, an enlarged vertical stabilizer and AN / APS-3 radar. The wings were not up to the load and had to be redesigned again. 500 were built.
- PV-2C
- Name for the first 30 PV-2 with the original wings.
- PV-2D
- PV-2 with eight 12.7 mm machine guns in the bow. 908 were ordered, but by the end of the war only 35 had been completed and the rest were canceled.
- PV-2T
- After the war, some PV-2s were converted into unarmed trainers.
- PV-3
- 27 Ventura II acquired by the US Navy.
- PV-4
- Project with higher performance and stronger armament. Development stopped at the end of the war.
production
Acceptance of the Lockheed Ventura by the USAAF / US Navy:
| version | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-34 | 25th | 913 | 76 | 1014 | ||
| B-37 | 18th | 18th | ||||
| PV-1 | 1109 | 352 | 1461 | |||
| PV-2 | 65 | 470 | 535 | |||
| TOTAL | 25th | 913 | 1203 | 417 | 470 | 3028 |
Users
-
Australia
- Royal Australian Air Force
-
Brazil
- Força Aérea Brasileira
-
France
- French Navy
-
Japan
- Marine Self-Defense Forces
-
Canada
- Royal Canadian Air Force
-
Netherlands
- Royal Navy
-
New Zealand
- Royal New Zealand Air Force
-
South Africa
- South African Air Force
-
United Kingdom
- Royal Air Force
-
United States
- United States Marine Corps
- United States Navy
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Technical specifications
| Parameter | PV-1 Ventura | PV-2 Harpoon |
|---|---|---|
| crew | 4-5 | |
| length | 15.77 m | 15.98 m |
| span | 19.96 m | 22.84 m |
| height | 3.63 m | |
| Empty mass | 9,161 kg | 9,538 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 14.096 kg | 16,330 kg |
| Engines | two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 -31 Double Wasp with 2,000 PS (1,471 kW) each | |
| Top speed | 512 km / h | 454 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 8,016 m | 7,285 m |
| Range | 2,670 km | 2,880 km |
| Armament | two rigid 12.7 mm MG in the front, two in the rear turret and two 7.62 mm MG under the stern max. 1362 kg bombs in the fuselage and max. 908 kg of external loads under the wings |
five rigid 12.7 mm machine guns to the front, two in the rear turret and two under the stern max. 1816 kg bombs in the fuselage and max. 908 kg of external loads under the wings |
Received aircraft
The South African Air Force Museum in Pretoria has four PV-1s (Lockheed design numbers 4642, 4646, 6219 and 6220). The 4642 is on display, the rest are in storage. Two PV-2s have survived in the USA, BuNo 37230 in the National Museum of Naval Aviation and 37396 in private hands.
See also
literature
- Peter M. Bowers: United States Navy Aircraft since 1911. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis (Maryland, USA) 1990, ISBN 0-87021-792-5 , pp. 286-289.
Web links
- USAF Museum page to the B-34
- USAF Museum page to the B-37
- PV-2 of the US National Museum of Naval Aviation (English)
- Private page description of the versions (English) ( Memento of 2 January 2009 at the Internet Archive )
Individual evidence
- ^ Horst D. Wilhelm: Lockheed Martin. Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-7276-7149-1 , p. 48ff.
- ^ Horst D. Wilhelm: Lockheed Martin. Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-7276-7149-1 , p. 58f.
- ↑ Statistical Digest of the USAF 1946, p. 100 ff.