Lockheed Ventura

The Lockheed Ventura is a twin-engine medium bomber and patrol bomber of the Second World War, developed from the Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar transport as a replacement for the Lockheed Hudson then serving with the Royal Air Force. The first British order, in February 1940, was for 25 Model 32 bombers, followed by 300 Model 37 with Double Wasp engines, and Lockheed moved the production line to its Vega Aircraft Corporation subsidiary at Burbank. It was slightly larger, heavier and more powerfully engined than the Hudson. The Ventura first entered combat in Europe with the RAF in late 1942, but it proved too vulnerable in daylight raids without fighter escort and was moved to Coastal Command patrol duties as the Mosquito took over. The US Navy designated it PV-1 and used it in the Pacific from 1943, the USAAF used it as the B-34 Lexington, and a revised Navy design entered service as the PV-2 Harpoon.