Content deleted Content added
→PV-1 Ventura: Added details about PV-1 field modifications to significantly increase strafing volume from the nose of the aircraft. Tags: Reverted Mobile edit Mobile web edit |
sp |
||
(23 intermediate revisions by 16 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{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
Line 54 ⟶ 55:
[[File:Lockheed Ventura.jpg|thumb|A 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 [[#United States Navy|Venturas in U.S. Navy 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 1,345 gal (5,081 L) to 1,607 gal (6,082 L), 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 5-inch (127 mm) [[HVAR]] rockets on launchers underneath the wings.
Line 94 ⟶ 91:
===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>
Line 102 ⟶ 99:
===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]].
Line 125 ⟶ 122:
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===
Line 188 ⟶ 185:
==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
Line 270 ⟶ 267:
** [[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
Line 313 ⟶ 310:
{{Div col end}}
==Surviving aircraft==
===Australia===
Line 329 ⟶ 326:
;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===
Line 350 ⟶ 351:
*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)==
Line 472 ⟶ 474:
{{Lockheed Model 10 Electra family}}
{{Lockheed}}
{{AircraftDesignationNavboxShell
{{USAF bomber aircraft}}▼
|1={{
|2={{
|4={{ADF aircraft designations}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
|