Lockheed Ventura
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The Lockheed Ventura was a bomber and patrol aircraft of World War II, used by American and British forces in several guises. It was developed from the Lockheed Lodestar transport (Lockheed Model 18) as a replacement for the Lockheed Hudson bombers then in service with the Royal Air Force. The RAF ordered 675 Venturas in 1940 February. They were delivered from the summer of 1942 and served with the RAF as Ventura Mark I.
As Lockheed purchased
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Lockheed Ventura/B-34 Lexington
The Ventura was very similar to its predecessor, the Hudson. The primary difference was not in layout; rather, the Ventura was larger and heavier than the Hudson. Venturas were initially used for daylight raids on occupied Europe. They proved unsuited to this task, because (like many other bombers used by the RAF), they were too vulnerable with no long-range fighter escorts. They were gradually transferred to patrol duties with Coastal Command.
The RAF placed a further order for 487 Ventura Mark IIs, but many of these were diverted to United States Army Air Force service. The U.S. Army Air Force placed its own order for 200 Ventura Mark IIA, which were put into service as the B-34 Lexington.
Lockheed B-37
In 1941 August, large orders for Venturas were placed with Lend-Lease Act money. Among the orders were for 550 armed reconnaissance versions of the Ventura. This plane was originally planned to be built under the designation O-56. The main differences between the Ventura and the O-56 were in the engines: rather than the 2,000 hp (1,490 kW) Pratt and Whitney R-2800 radials of the Ventura, the O-56 used 1,700 hp (1,270 kW) Wright R-2600-13 radials.
Before completion of the first O-56, the U.S. Army Air Force dropped the O- category used to designate 'observation' (reconnaissance) planes. The O-56 was redesignated the RB-34B (RB- for 'reconnaissance bomber'). Before the first of these flew, the design was redesignated again as the B-37, because it used different engines.
While 550 were ordered by the Army Air Force, production stopped after only 18, when the Army Air Force agreed to turn over exclusive use of the Ventura to the United States Navy (see Naval Service below).
PV-1 Ventura
The PV-1 Ventura, built by the Vega Aircraft Company division of Lockheed (hence the 'V' Navy manufacturer's letter that later replaced the 'O' for Lockheed), was a version of the Ventura built for the U.S. Navy (see Naval Service below). The main differences between the PV-1 and the B-34 were the inclusion of special equipment in the PV-1, adapting it to its patrol-bombing role. The maximum fuel capacity of the PV-1 was increased from 1345 gal to 1607 gal, to increase its range; the forward defensive armament was also reduced for this reason. The most important addition was of an ASD-1 search radar.
Early production PV-1s still carried a bombardier's station behind the nose radome, with four side windows and a flat bomb-aiming panel underneath the nose. Late production PV-1s dispensed with this bombardier position and replaced it with a pack with three 0.50 inch (12.7 mm) machine guns underneath the nose. These aircraft could also carry eight 0.50 inch (12.7 mm) rockets on launchers underneath the wings.
The PV-1 began to be delivered in 1942 December, and entered service in 1943 February. The first squadron in combat was VP-135, deployed in the Aleutian Islands in 1943 April. They were operated by three other squadrons in this theatre. From the Aleutians, they flew strikes against bases in Paramushiro and Shimushu, Japanese islands in the Kurile chain. Often, PV-1s would lead B-24 bomber formations, since they were equipped with radar. In late 1943, some PV-1s were deployed to the Solomon Islands.
PV-1s used by other nations
387 PV-1s were used by the RAF as the Ventura G.R.V. They were used in the Mediterranean and by the Coastal Command. 55 PV-1s were used by the RAAF, serving primarily in New Guinea. 116 were acquired by the RNZAF, and were used extensively in the Solomon Islands. Initially, air crews and ground staff disliked the Ventura, preferring the B-25 Mitchell; due to accidents and enemy action, 40 of the 116 were destroyed by the wars end. But in many cases, the PV-1 had developed a grudging respect from its operators. 134 were diverted from British contracts to the South African Air Force, and were used to protect shipping. Some served well into the 1960s.
PV-2 Harpoon
The PV-2 Harpoon was a major redesign of the Ventura with the wing area increased from 551 ft² (51.2 m²) to 686 ft² (63.7 m²) giving an increased load-carrying capability. The motivation for redesign was weaknesses in the PV-1, since it had shown to have poor-quality takeoffs when carrying a full load of fuel. On the PV-2, the armament became standardised at five forward-firing machine guns. Many early PV-1s had a bombardier's position, which was deleted in the PV-2. Some other significant developments included the increase of the bombload by 30% to 4,000 lb (1,800 kg). Another development was the ability to carry eight 5 in (127 mm) HVAR rockets under the wings.
While the PV-2 was expected to have increased range and better takeoff, the anticipated speed statistics were project lower than those of the PV-1, due to the use of the same engines but an increase in weight. The Navy ordered 500 examples, designating them with the popular name Harpoon.
Early tests indicated a tendency for the wings to wrinkle dangerously. As this problem could not be solved by a 6 ft (1.8 m) reduction in wingspan (making the wing uniformly flexible), a complete redesign of the wing was necessitated. This hurdle delayed entry of the PV-2 into service. The PV-2s already delivered were used for training purposes under the designation PV-2C. By the end of 1944, only 69 PV-2s had been delivered. They finally resumed when the redesign was complete. The first aircraft shipped were the PV-2D, which had 8 forward-firing machine guns and was used in ground attacks. When World War II ended, all of the order was cancelled.
With the wing problems fixed, the PV-2 proved reliable, and eventually popular. It was first used in the Aleutians by VP-139, one of the squadrons that originally used the PV-1. It was used by a number of countries after the war’s end, but the United States ceased ordering new PV-2s, and they were all soon retired from service.
Operational history
Army Air Force Service
The Ventura Mark I was first delivered to the RAF in 1941 September, and flew its first combat mission on 1942 November 3, against a factory in Hengelo, the Netherlands. On 1942 December 6, 47 Venturas engaged in a daylight, low-altitude attack against Eindhoven, also in the Netherlands. This was the primary event that demonstrated the Ventura's weakness in such raids: of the 47, nine of the bombers were downed. Following this tragedy, tactics were switched to medium-altitude raids. The Ventura faired little better in this strategy. During one attack on a power station in Amsterdam on 1943 May 3 by 487 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, ten of eleven Venturas were lost to German fighters. Squadron Leader Leonard Trent, (latter the last of the Great Escapers), won the Victoria Cross for this raid.
It was never a very popular plane among RAF crews, and despite the fact that it was 50 mph (80 km/h) faster and carried more than twice as many bombs as its predecessor, the Hudson, it proved ill suited to its task as a bomber. By the summer of 1943, the Ventura had been phased out of service in favour of the de Havilland Mosquito. Its last mission was flown by Number 21 Squadron on 1943 September 9. After leaving bombardment service, a number were modified to be use by the Coastal Command; they served as the Ventura G.R.I.
A small number of Venturas were also used in other countries, including Canada and South Africa. 129 Venturas were used by the Royal Canadian Air Force for training purposes, provided to them by British contracts. The South African Air Force also received some 135 aircraft, which were used to protect shipping around the Cape of Good Hope, and to bomb Italian shipping in the Mediterranean. They were used by the South African Air Force as late as 1945; most other nations used the Ventura as a transport at that time.
Some 264 Ventura Mark IIs ordered by the RAF were seized by the U.S. Army Air Force. Though some were used as anti-submarine patrol bombers under the designation B-34 Lexington, most were used for training with various stateside units. 27 of these were used by the United States Navy for anti-submarine patrols as well; these were designated PV-1 Ventura and PV-2 Harpoon.
Naval service
During the early months of 1942, the primary responsibility for anti-submarine warfare in the United States was shouldered by the Army Air Force. This irked the Navy, as it considered this region of battle its burden. To carry out such a task, the Navy was pursuing a long-range, land-based patrol and reconnaissance aircraft with a substantial bombload. This goal was always resisted by the Army Air Force, which carefully protected its monopoly on land-based bombing. This forced the navy to use long-range floatplanes for these roles. The Navy was unable to upgrade to better planes until the Army Air Force needed the Navy plant in Renton, Washington to manufacture its B-29 Superfortress. In exchange for use of the Renton plant, the Army Air Force would discontinue its objections to Naval land-based bombers, and provide planes to the Navy. One of the clauses of this agreement stated that production of the B-34 and B-37 by Lockheed would cease, and instead these resources would be directed at building a navalised version, the PV-1 Ventura.
The PV-1 began to be delivered in 1942 December, and entered service in 1943 February. The first squadron in combat was VP-135, deployed in the Aleutian Islands in 1943 April. They were operated by three other squadrons in this theatre. From the Aleutians, they flew strikes against Paramushiro, a Japanese island. Often, PV-1s would lead B-24 bomber formations, since they were equipped with radar. In late 1943, some PV-1s were deployed to the Solomon Islands.
Units using the Lockheed Ventura
Royal Air Force
- Number 13 Squadron (Coastal Command)
- Number 21 Squadron
- Number 299 Squadron
- Number 500 Squadron
- Number 519 Squadron (Coastal Command)
- Number 521 Squadron (Coastal Command)
Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
- Number 8 Squadron
- Number 113 Squadron
- Number 115 Squadron
- Number 145 Sqadron
- Number 149 Squadron
Royal New Zealand Air Force
- Number 1 Squadron
- Number 2 Squadron
- Number 3 Squadron
- Number 4 Squadron
- Number 9 Squadron
- Number 9 Squadron
- Number 487 Squadron
South African Air Force
- Number 17 Squadron
- Number 22 Squadron
- Number 22 Squadron
- Number 22 Squadron
- Number 22 Squadron
- Number 22 Squadron
- Number 60 Squadron
- Number 452 Squadron
United States Army Air Force
United States Navy
- VP-131
- VP-135
- VP-136
- VP-139
- VB-145
Variants and design stages
- Ventura Mark I. ×675
- Ventura Mark II. ×487
- Ventura Mark IIA (B-34). ×200
- B-34A. ×101, converted
- B-34B. ×13, converted
- B-37. ×18
- PV-1. ×1600
- PV-2. ×104
Specifications (B-34 Lexington)
General characteristics
- Crew: 6
- Length: 51 ft 5 in (15.7 m)
- Wingspan: 65 ft 6 in (20 m)
- Height: 11 ft 10 in (3.6 m)
- Wing area: 551 ft² (51.2 m²)
- Empty: 20,197 lb (9,160 kg)
- Loaded: 31,000 lb (14,000 kg)
- Maximum takeoff: 34,000 lb (15,000 kg)
- Powerplant: 2× Pratt & Whitney GR-2800 geared radials, 2,000 hp (1,500 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 322 mph (518 km/h)
- Cruising speed: 230 mph (370 km/h)
- Combat range: 1,660 miles (2,670 km)
- Ferry range: 2,600 miles (4,200 km)
- Service ceiling: 26,300 ft (8,020 m)
- Rate of climb: 2,035 ft/min (923 m/min)
- Wing loading: 56.4 lb/ft² (275 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.13 hp/lb (0.21 kW/kg)
Armament
- 4× .50-caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns
- 2× .30-caliber (7.6 mm) machine guns
- 3,000 lb (1,400 kg) bombs or
- 6× 325 lb (147 kg) depth charges or
- one torpedo
References
- Wagner, Ray (1982). American Combat Planes, Third Enlarged Edition. New York, New York: Doubleday. ISBN 0930083172.
External links
- Encyclopedia of American Aircraft (http://home.att.net/~jbaugher2/b34.html)
- USAF Museum B-34 (http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/bombers/b3-65.htm)
- USAF Museum B-37 (http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/bombers/b3-86.htm)
Related content
Designation sequence: XB-31 - B-32 - XB-33 - B-34 - YB-35 - B-36 - B-37 - XB-38 - XB-39 - YB-40
Related lists: List of military aircraft of the United States - List of bomber aircraft
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