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{{short description|Family of bomber aircraft}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
<!-- This article is a part of [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft]]. Please see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Aircraft/page content]] for recommended layout. -->
{|{{Infobox aircraft begin
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[[File:Lockheed Ventura Mk I of No. 21 Squadron RAF at Methwold, Norfolk, 27 February 1943. CH8885.jpg|thumb|An RAF Ventura Mk 1]]
At the start of the war, Lockheed proposed military conversions of the Lodestar for the RAF as replacement for the Hudson reconnaissance aircraft and the [[Bristol Blenheim]] bomber. The first British order was placed in February 1940 for 25 Model 32 as bombers.
The Ventura was very similar to its predecessor, the [[Lockheed Hudson]]. The primary difference was not in layout; rather, the Ventura was larger, heavier, and used more powerful engines than the Hudson. The RAF ordered 188 Venturas in February 1940, which were delivered from mid-1942. Venturas were initially used for daylight raids on occupied Europe but, like some other RAF bombers, they proved too vulnerable without fighter escort, which was difficult to provide for long-range missions. Venturas were replaced by the faster [[de Havilland Mosquito]]. The Venturas were transferred to patrol duties with [[Coastal Command]] as the Mosquito replaced them in bomber squadrons; 30 went to the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] (RCAF) and some to the [[South African Air Force]] (SAAF). The RAF placed an order for 487 '''Ventura Mark II'''s but many of these were diverted to the USAAF, which placed its own order for 200 '''Ventura Mark IIA''' as the '''B-34 Lexington''', later renamed '''RB-34'''.
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===Royal Air Force===
[[File:RAF Ventura over IJmuiden NAN15Sep43.jpg|thumb|A [[No. 21 Squadron RAF]] Ventura attacking [[
The first Ventura Mark Is were accepted by the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF) in September 1941, with aircraft being delivered to Britain from April 1942.<ref name="Frnclock p198">Francillon 1982, p. 198.</ref><ref name="Bowyer2 p254">Bowyer 1974, p. 254.</ref> By the end of August, enough Venturas had arrived to equip [[No. 21 Squadron RAF]], [[No. 487 Squadron RNZAF]] and [[No. 464 Squadron RAAF]].<ref name="Bowyer2 p255-6">Bowyer 1974, pp. 254–256.</ref> The Ventura flew its first operational mission for the RAF on 3 November 1942, when three Venturas of 21 Squadron attacked railway targets near [[Hengelo]] in the [[Netherlands]].<ref name="Bowyer p261">Bowyer 1974, p. 261.</ref><ref name="Carey p12">Carey 2002, p. 12.</ref> On 6 December 1942, 47 Venturas from 21, 464 (RAAF) and 487 (RNZAF) squadrons participated in [[Operation Oyster (1942)|Operation Oyster]], the large daylight 2 Group raid against the [[Philips]] radio and [[vacuum tube]] factories at [[Eindhoven]]. Also committed to the raid were 36 [[Douglas A-20 Havoc|Bostons]] and 10 [[de Havilland Mosquito|de Havilland Mosquitos]].<ref name="Bowyer2 p263,6,3">Bowyer 1974, pp. 263, 266, 273.</ref>
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===Royal Australian Air Force===
In the United Kingdom, [[No. 464 Squadron RAAF]] formed (
In Australia, 55 PV-1s were supplied to the RAAF for use in the [[South West Pacific Area]]. [[No. 13 Squadron RAAF]] was the only operational squadron in Australia equipped with the Ventura. It operated primarily in north-eastern [[Queensland]] and then the [[Northern Territory]], and later serving in the [[Borneo campaign (1945)|Borneo campaign of 1945]]. After the war, the squadron used its aircraft to help transport liberated [[Prisoner of war#Empire of Japan|prisoners of war]].
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The first 19 RB-34s that arrived by sea from the U.S. in June had much equipment either missing or damaged. Six airworthy machines were hurriedly produced by cannibalization and sent into action with [[No. 3 Squadron RNZAF]] in [[Fiji]]. On 26 June the first PV-1s were flown to [[Whenuapai]] and [[No. 1 Squadron RNZAF]] was able to convert to 18 of these by 1 August, then replacing the mixed 3 Squadron in action at [[Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)|Henderson Field]], [[Guadalcanal]] in late October.
By this time [[No. 2 Squadron RNZAF]] at [[Ohakea]] and [[No. 9 Squadron RNZAF]] were also using the type. The following year [[No. 4 Squadron RNZAF]] and [[No. 8 Squadron RNZAF]] also received Venturas. Some squadrons were retained on ''garrison'' duty while others followed the allied advance to [[Emirau]] and [[Green Island, Papua New Guinea|Green Island]] and to [[New Britain]]. RNZAF Venturas were tasked with routine patrols, anti-shipping strikes, minelaying, bombing and strafing missions, [[air-sea rescue]] patrols, and photographic reconnaissance missions
RNZAF machines often clashed with Japanese fighters, notably during an air-sea rescue patrol on Christmas Eve 1943. NZ4509 was attacked by nine Japanese single-
By late 1944 the Ventura began to be phased out of
Planned re-equipment with de Havilland Mosquitos did not take place until after the cessation of hostilities. The last Ventura unit was No. 2 Squadron, which continued to operate PV-1 and PV-2 aircraft on meteorological duty until 1948. A restored RNZAF RB-34 (NZ4600) is owned by the [[Museum of Transport and Technology]] in [[Auckland]].
===United States Army Air Forces===
Some 264 Ventura Mark IIs ordered by the RAF were transferred to the U.S. Army Air
===United States Navy===
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==Operators==
[[File:SAAF-Lockheed PV1 Ventura-001.jpg|thumb|Retired PV-1 at the SAAF Museum]]
[[File:JMSDF PV-2.jpg|thumb|[[Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force]] PV-2]]
;{{AUS}}
* [[Royal Australian Air Force]] 75 aircraft, 1943–1946
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** [[No. 624 Squadron RAF]]
** [[RCAF Station Pennfield Ridge|No. 34 OTU, RAF, operated from Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick]]
** Air Headquarters Iraq Communication Flight<ref>Lake, Alan 1999 p. 18.</ref>
{{Div col end}}
* [[Royal Navy]] 1 aircraft for evaluation only
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{{Div col end}}
==Surviving aircraft==
===Australia===
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;Under restoration
* PV-1 33315 – under restoration by the Ventura Memorial Flight Association in [[Edmonton]], [[Alberta]].<ref>[http://www.warbirdregistry.org/pv1venturaregistry/pv1ventura-33315.html "PV-1 Ventura/33315."] ''Warbird Registry.'' Retrieved: 1 June 2011.</ref>
===Italy===
;On display
Lokheed PV-1 Ventura Harpoon m.m.80074 – Museo Piana delle Orme - Latina - Italy
===New Zealand===
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*PV-2 37466 – privately owned in [[Orange, California]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=6855C "FAA Registry: N6855C."] ''FAA.gov'' Retrieved: 19 July 2021.</ref>
*PV-2 37507 - privately owned in [[Mesa, Arizona]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=86492 "FAA Registry: N86492."] ''FAA.gov'' Retrieved: 19 July 2021.</ref>
*PV-2 37535 – [[Erickson Aircraft Collection]] in [[Madras, Oregon]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=83L "FAA Registry: N83L."] ''FAA.gov'' Retrieved: 19 July 2021.</ref><ref>[http://www.ericksoncollection.com/aircraft/#/lockheed-pv-2-harpoon/ "PV-2 Harpoon/Bu. 37535."] ''Erickson Aircraft Collection.'' Retrieved: 21 August 2014.</ref>
*PV-2 37633 – Wingspan Air Heritage Foundation in [[Mesa, Arizona]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=7454C "FAA Registry: N7454C."] ''FAA.gov'' Retrieved: 19 July 2021.</ref>
*PV-2 84062 – Stockton Field Aviation Museum in [[Stockton, California]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=6657D "FAA Registry: N6657D."] ''FAA.gov'' Retrieved: 19 July 2021.</ref><ref>[http://www.twinbeech.com/PV2D84062.htm "PV-2 Harpoon/Bu. 84062."] ''Stockton Field Aviation Museum.'' Retrieved: 23 February 2014.</ref>
;On display
*B-34 41-38032 – [[Orlando Sanford International Airport]] (former [[Naval Air Station Sanford]]), [[Sanford, Florida]]. Aircraft is on loan from the [[National Museum of Naval Aviation
*PV-2 37230 – [[National Museum of Naval Aviation]] at [[Naval Air Station Pensacola]] in [[Pensacola, Florida]].<ref>[http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/attractions/aircraft-exhibits/item/?item=pv-2_harpoon "PV-2 Harpoon/Bu. 37230."] ''National Museum of Naval Aviation.'' Retrieved: 10 April 2012.</ref>
*PV-2 37257 – [[Pima Air Museum]], adjacent to [[Davis-Monthan Air Force Base]] in [[Tucson, Arizona]].<ref>[https://pimaair.org/museum-aircraft/lockheed-vega-pv-2/ "PV-2 Harpoon/Bu. 37257."] ''Pima Air Museum.'' Retrieved: 19 July 2021.</ref>
*PV-2 37492 – painted (yellow) and marked "Air Tropic Island Charters" at Mayday Golf in [[North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina]].<ref>[http://maydaygolf.com/ "PV-2 Harpoon/Bu. 37492."] ''Mayday Golf.'' Retrieved: 21 August 2012.</ref>
;Under restoration or in storage
*PV-1 33327 - Parts of the tail, propellers, wings and flight controls were preserved when the aircraft was inadvertently destroyed pending future display at the [[Orange County Great Park]] (former [[Marine Corps Air Station El Toro]]) in [[Irvine, California]].<ref>[https://warbirdsnews.com/aircraft-restoration/the-city-of-irvines-lockheed-pv-1-ventura.html ''The City of Irvine’s Lockheed PV-1 Ventura''] ''warbirdsnews.com'' Retrieved 18 October 2023.</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Estes |first=Adam |date=2023-11-28 |title=The City of Irvine Neglects and Destroys PV-1 Ventura |url=https://warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/the-city-of-irvine-neglects-and-destroys-pv-1-ventura.html |access-date=2023-11-29 |work=Vintage Aviation News |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kang |first=Hanna |date=2023-12-11 |title=Why Irvine quietly scrapped a vintage WWII PV-1 Ventura bomber |url=https://www.ocregister.com/2023/12/11/why-irvine-quietly-scrapped-a-vintage-wwii-pv-1-ventura-bomber/ |access-date=2023-12-12 |work=Orange County Register |language=en-US}}</ref>
*PV-2 37202 – in storage at the [[Fantasy of Flight]] in [[Polk City, Florida]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=7483C "FAA Registry: N7483C."] ''FAA.gov'' Retrieved: 19 July 2021.</ref>
*PV-2 84060 – in storage at the [[Cavanaugh Flight Museum]] in [[Addison, Texas]].<ref>[https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=86493 "FAA Registry: N86493."] ''FAA.gov'' Retrieved: 19 July 2021.</ref><ref>[https://cavflight.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=119 "PV-2 Harpoon/Bu. 84060."] ''Cavanaugh Flight Museum.'' Retrieved: 19 July 2021.</ref> To be moved to [[North Texas Regional Airport]] in [[Denison, Texas]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Cole |date=1 January 2024 |title=Historic Addison flight museum announces closure |url=https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/addison-texas-cavanaugh-flight-museum-closing/287-85fe72cf-3131-4919-88ed-e92d8cfa30c0 |work=WFAA |location=Dallas, Texas |access-date=4 January 2024}}</ref>
*RB-34 AJ311 – in storage at the [[National Museum of the United States Air Force]] at [[Wright-Patterson Air Force Base]] in [[Dayton, Ohio]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Airframe Dossier - Lockheed RB-34 Lexington, s/n AJ311 FABr, c/n 237-4449 |url=http://aerialvisuals.ca/AirframeDossier.php?Serial=14796 |website=Aerial Visuals |access-date=16 January 2022}}</ref>
==Specifications (B-34 Lexington)==
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{{Lockheed Model 10 Electra family}}
{{Lockheed}}
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