PV-1 Ventura, U.S. Patrol
| 
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia | |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | |
Library of Congress. Via Wikipedia Commons
Lockheed PV-1/B-34 Ventura
| Crew | 4 or 5 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 65'6" by 51'9" by 11'11"19.96m by 15.77m by 3.63m |
| Weight | 20,197-31,077 lbs13,697-14,096 kg |
| Speed | 322 mph at 13,800 feet518 km/h at 4200 meters |
| Cruising speed | 164 mph264 km/h |
| Rate of climb | 37 feet per second11.3 meters per second |
| Ceiling | 26,300 feet8020 meters |
| Power plant | 2 1850 hp (1379 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-2800-S1A4G Double Wasp 18-cylinder radials driving three bladed propellers. |
| Armament | Dual 0.50 machine gun nose turretDual 0.50 machine gundorsal turretTwo ventral 0.30 machine guns |
| Bomb load | 3000 lbs (1360 kg) internal2000 lbs (910 kg) under wings |
| Range | 1660 miles2670 km |
| Sensors | ASD surface search radar |
| Production | 2475 of all models |
The Ventura was developed from the Lodestar transport to Britishspecifications in 1940. Deliveries began in June 1942 with the PV-1. It was initially employed by the British as a daylight strategic bomber, at which it was not terribly successful in spite of a strong start with its first mission over Eindhoven. The British aircraft were reallocated to Coastal Command and the remaining production was widely distributed among the Alliesas a training and patrol aircraft. A few of the Marineaircraft were converted to night fighterswith airborne intercept radar, and saw modest success in the Solomons. The PV-1P was a photoreconnaissancevariant.
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007 by Kent G. Budge. Index
