Wish List: The Lockheed Twins
To many, perhaps even most aviation enthusiasts, Lockheed’s size-able contribution to the WWII production effort centers almost exclusively around the company’s magnificent P-38 Lightning. It was such a beautiful, high performance aircraft that, coupled with its ferocious combat reputation, the marketing around it must almost have written itself. Indeed, a domestic wartime magazine crowed that terrified German pilots dubbed it Der Gabelschwanz Teufel – or The Fork-tailed Devil - a likely myth, which persists as ‘truth' even today. It should be noted here that no contemporary German corroboration of their supposed P-38 nickname is known to exist, and that its origin likely extends from a puff piece in an August 1943 edition of Life Magazine. Regardless, this masterpiece of design, with its iconic silhouette, captured the imagination of whole generations of Americans. Clever marketing, however, should not detract from the P-38’s importance; it more than earned its perch in the pantheon of popularly recognized wartime aircraft.
Lockheed’s contributions in WWII, however were indeed significant and extended far beyond the mighty P-38. For instance, Lockheed’s wholly-owned Vega Aircraft Corporation built Boeing’s B-17 Flying Fortress under license at their facilities in Burbank, California. This story is better known today than it once was, but Lockheed produced 2,750 B-17s almost a quarter of the type’s entire production run. The US government arranged such subcontracting to accelerate the manufacture of vitally important aircraft types during WWII; a similar process saw Consolidated B-24s produced by the Ford Motor Company and others.
Lockheed was crucial to the war effort, and there is no clearer statement verifying this fact than the measures which the US military undertook to protect its infrastructure. Lockheed’s Burbank factory sat adjacent to Union Airport. With the Pacific Ocean just a handful of miles away, there were concerns early on that the Japanese could shell it from just offshore. As a result, the entire area was camouflaged. Burlap tarps, fake trees, shrubs, buildings and ersatz power lines were all created to conceal the factory. Even lightweight rubber ‘automobiles’ were positioned on the fake roads lying atop the factory to disguise it from the air.
This article however, is concerned primarily with the wartime production, and continued development, of the Lockheed ‘Twins’ – extensions, if you will, of the company’s charismatic line of twin-engined, twin-tailed Electra airliners. Collectively, over 6,500 airframes in this family were eventually built, and they played crucial, if often overlooked, roles in World War II. Hopefully, by the end of this brief historical survey, you will agree with us that at least one of these important aircraft should find a place in our collection. Each variant was a technological marvel in its own right with a meaningful wartime record, but the follow-on question regarding which of them to look for must also be asked!
The Lockheed Electra
Lockheed’s first all-metal, twin-engined aircraft, the Model 10 Electra was designed to complete with aircraft like Boeing’s Model 247 airliner. Sitting atop Lockheed’s single engine transports like the Vega, the Model 10 grew in popularity dramatically after October 1934, when the US government banned single engined aircraft from carrying paying passengers. The Model 10 enjoyed what you might call its heyday from late 1934 through mid-1937. The loss of Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan in a specially-modified Electra on their Round-the-World flight attempt during July 1937 significantly dampened the public's enthusiasm for riding in anything named ‘Electra’, and even caused wealthy executives to reconsider their purchases of the type.
However, this occurred after Lockheed had already begun development of both a smaller (Model 12 Electra Junior) and a larger (Model 14) variant. The Model 12 was developed as a feeder airliner. To qualify for the competition organized by the US Bureau of Air Commerce (the specification issuer) the aircraft had to take flight on or before June 30, 1936. Lockheed just edged in under this deadline, flying their Model 12 for the first time on June 27. While it won the competition, the airlines of the day mostly rejected it. However, the Model 12 did prove much more popular as an executive transport. The US military even purchased several as staff transports.
The larger Model 14 was known initially as the Super Electra. First flown on July 29, 1937, just 27 days after Earhart’s disappearance, the aircraft did not prove as popular as contemporaries like the Douglas DC-3. Even so, Howard Hughes used a Model 14 to circumnavigate the globe at the narrower, northern latitudes. But as we work our way towards the outbreak of World War II, we find a Model 14 serving as the personal transport for Britain’s Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, on his now infamous trip to Munich, Germany. He was famously standing beside this aircraft, registered G-AFGN, when he proclaimed that the ‘Munich Agreement’ he had achieved with Herr Hitler, would bring about “Peace in our Time.” Chamberlain may have bought vital time for the Allies, but this proclamation must forever stand as a reminder of appeasement’s heavy price.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Lockheed was in the process of selling Model 14 manufacturing licenses to the Japanese. The first of these went to Tachikawa, which built 119 examples as the Type LO Transport. Kawasaki also produced 121 examples as the Ki-56, which featured a lengthened fuselage to accommodate a larger cargo door. The Allies later assigning these aircraft the ‘reporting names’ of Thelma and Thalia respectively.
The Hudson
It wasn’t only the Japanese who were curious about Lockheed’s ‘hotrods’ though. Western military air arms also took an early interest in the Model 14. Lockheed’s design was undeniably fast, and while the airlines favored other, more economical types, the Military was more concerned with speed, range and payload capacity. When the British Purchasing Commission sought an American-built maritime patrol aircraft to support its Avro Anson, they placed an order for 200 aircraft with Lockheed, with the anticipated military configuration of this design being outlined in a cut-away drawing provided to aviation publications in 1937.
The British order was the largest Lockheed had ever received up to that point; they provided the first aircraft for evaluation in December 1938. With its flight trials complete, and no issues described, the RAF began receiving its new aircraft in February 1939, which they dubbed the Hudson. Britain’s Air Ministry agreed to purchase 50 additional airframes if their first 200 examples could be delivered by the end of 1939. In a testament to American industry, and its ability to farm out work to other regional factories, Lockheed handed over the 250th Hudson almost two months ahead of the deadline.
At that time, the United States was a neutral party in the emerging Second World War. In order to avoid breaching the provisions of its neutrality, the Hudsons could not be shipped directly to Britain, or even flown into Canada for shipment east. Instead they had to fly to the northern US border, where they could then be pulled into Canada by teams of horses. Once in Canada, they flew to regional facilities where they were made ready for transport to Britain. Only once in the United Kingdom could the aircraft’s defensive turret armament be added, as these were of British design and manufacture.
Another view of the stricken Kondor, photographed by a crewman aboard the victorious Lockheed Hudson. The convoy the Hudson was protecting is visible in the background.
Designed prior to WWII as a long range airliner, the Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Kondor was a formidable maritime attack aircraft in its day.
While this turret armament is often described as being defensive, there were more than a few occasions where Hudson crews tangled with enemy aircraft fairly effectively! For instance, on July 23, 1941 Lockheed Hudson AM536 of No. 233 Squadron, based at RAF Aldergrove in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, shot down a German Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor of KG 40 while defending a convoy off the Irish coast.
Their service, once expanded to include the US military, saw Hudsons becoming troublesome for the Germans all across the North Atlantic. Indeed, it was a US Navy Hudson (PBO-1) from VP-82 which became the first American military aircraft to destroy a German submarine when it encountered the U-Boat U-656 operating south of Cape Race, Newfoundland. Closer to home for us here at the Museum, it was a Hudson (A-29) of the US Army Air Forces’ 396th Bomb Squadron, based out of Cherry Point, NC which sank U-701 just off Cape Hatteras.
It turned out, through the recollections of U-701’s surviving crewmen, that the stale air inside the submarine had become utterly unbearable in the summer heat off North Carolina. The U-boat had surfaced to give the crew a respite, but a drowsy lookout missed the Hudson as it screamed in for the attack. The submarine attempted to dive, but two of the Hudson’s bombs struck it as it descended beneath the waves, crippling the vessel and ultimately leading to its loss.
As other, more capable aircraft became available, the Hudsons transitioned into training roles. In the USAAF, these aircraft became known as the AT-18, performing the function of an advanced trainer, typically used in aerial gunnery instruction. Hudsons also equipped Australian, Brazilian, Canadian, New Zealand, South African, Dutch and Chinese air arms during the war.
The Lodestar
Even with a Global War breaking out, Lockheed’s Engineers continued to work on their civilian transport line. In fact, while Hudson production was ramping up to meet Britain’s order deadline, Lockheed’s civilian team was preparing for the first flight of their new Model 18 Lodestar. Adapted from a Model 14 returned by Northwest Airlines after a series of mishaps, the Model 18 was 5 feet 6 inches longer than the Model 14. This allowed two extra rows of seats to be fitted, hopefully improving the aircraft’s operational economics when compared to the DC-3.
Indeed these improvements worked, with the Model 18 now comparing favorably on a cost/seat/mile basis with its contemporaries. However, the effort to ramp up the country for war, saw a number of Lodestars impressed into Army Air Forces service as the C-56, with new production examples built directly for the military as the C-60. They were seen as potential troop transports, as was the case with other impressed airliners, however the C-60 simply wasn’t as capable as the other available aircraft types like the Douglas DC-3 when it came to hauling armed soldiers or cargo.
One place where it did find a role for itself was as a Glider tug. It had power in spades, and could easily pull two gliders in training configuration. They became common sights in the skies over areas like Western Texas with its large Glider bases.
The Ventura
Model 18 development was not destined to conclude as an underused transport aircraft however, as improvements made to the Model 14's design, would be offered to the British in the form of a new bomber and maritime patrol aircraft named the Ventura. In addition to being larger, the Model 18-based Ventura also featured more powerful engines. If the Hudson was hastily militarized, the Ventura involved a more careful, comprehensive approach to its adaptation for military use.
The dorsal turret was similar to those fitted in Hudsons, but it had a better field of fire. The fuselage was also modified to permit a ventral, tunnel-gun position, and the aircraft was fast – particularly down low. Its larger, more powerful engines and commensurately higher speed did require a compromise in range over the Hudson, however. With a 2,000hp, Pratt&Whitney R-2800 either side of the fuselage, the aircraft consumed fuel like two F4U Corsairs strapped together! These thirsty engines, however, are also why Venturas are commonly pictured with additional, wing-mounted fuel tanks. The aircraft also had some troublesome vices in single engine situations, and it did not take to slow flight gracefully – requiring the use of fowler flaps to enable safe landing speeds.
In RAF service, the type still proved too vulnerable to enemy fighters on daylight missions, so Coastal Command withdrew it from service when its replacement, the legendary de Havilland Mosquito, became available. With the US entering the war, some of the Venturas originally slated for Britain were earmarked for the US Army Air Forces instead, where the aircraft served as the B-34 Lexington. Of the 487 Ventura Mk.IIs built, the USAAF acquired 264 of them, while the US Navy accepted 27 as the PV-3.
In the Summer of 1942, the US Army Air Forces agreed to redirect some of their B-34s to the US Navy, with the latter taking responsibility for land-based anti-submarine patrols. Taking the Navy’s requirements into consideration, Lockheed switched the production lines over to produce what was now referred to as the PV-1. The PV-1 (first flown on November 3, 1942) featured a re-designed bomb bay (to accommodate a torpedo) and a nose-mounted radar. The bomb-aimer’s windows were retained in early production examples, behind the radome, but were eventually eliminated in favor of fixed, forward-firing machine guns. Commonwealth forces, such as the Royal New Zealand Air Force and South African Air Force, also operated the improved PV-1 as the Ventura GR Mk.V
Amidst a sea of capable ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) platforms, like the PBY Catalina, it is fair to ask what exactly the navy wanted with these erst-while medium bombers. Their interest in the PV-1 may have initially stemmed from a need to get airframes into the air; they were available, and having more in flight to oppose the enemy was better than nothing. However, it soon become evident that Venturas could do some things which other platforms could not – like dogfight!
Perhaps not envisioned as a dogfighter per se, Venturas were imagined as a platform which could operate in range of enemy fighters, where the risks to something slow and stately like a PBY were considerable. The Navy envisioned anti-submarine warfare operations taking place in contested skies, and they saw the Ventura as their solution. Those which the British initially acquired featured single-pilot cockpits, which the US Navy did not like – so, alongside their new airplanes, US Navy Squadron’s also received kits from Lockheed to install a copilot’s seat and controls.
The US Navy also fielded the aircraft in all of WWII’s combat theaters, with the US Marines in the Pacific even using Venturas as night fighters. Another curious mission for the PV-1 saw them perform as lead ships for Army Air Forces bomber formations on long distance, over-water raids. The PV-1s would lead a group with their Radar aiding navigation.
Stories of Ventura engagements from across the Pacific Theatre abound, and not just from US Navy air crews. One Royal New Zealand Air Force example, while searching for crewmen downed during a bombing mission against the Japanese fortress of Rabaul, came under attack from between six and nine enemy fighters (recorded as Zeros). A running fight ensued, with three of the enemy fighters confirmed as being shot down, with two others possibly destroyed. The Ventura was badly damaged in this fight, but got its whole crew safely back to base; certainly not a bomber to be tangled with lightly.
The Harpoon
First flown on December 3, 1943, the PV-2 Harpoon was a major re-design of the PV-1. It had larger outer-wing panels, integral fuel tanks and a larger tail plane and vertical fins. Later versions of the PV-1 struggled during takeoffs with a full fuel load, so that was one of the key deficiencies the Harpoon sought to remedy.
The first variant with modified outer wing panels (PV-2C) did not cure the issue however, so Lockheed completely redesigned the wing for subsequent aircraft. Correcting this issue meant that only 69 PV-2s were delivered by the end of 1944. The PV-2D was the first example fielded, with the Cs having all been retained Stateside for training purposes.
The PV-2D, perhaps the ultimate expression of the Lockheed Twins, could carry up to 4,000lbs of bombs, 30% more than the PV-1. It too featured five, forward-firing machine guns, and could also field the new 8-inch HVAR rockets under the wings.
The PV-2 first saw service with VP-139 in the Aleutian Islands. January of 1945 would see this unit completing its training on PV-1s and preparing to travel north from its base at Ault Field, on Whidbey Island in Washington State. Poor weather meant that it took until March 12, 1945 for all of the squadron’s PV-2s (with one exception) to arrive on Attu. The unit relieved VPB 136, and was tasked with flying missions to the Kuril Islands, Japanese held territory off the Soviet coast. These missions, known as The Empire Express, were initially flown with PV-1s. In addition to struggling through the weather, the US Navy crews routinely had to tangle with enemy fighters and heavy anti-aircraft defenses as well.
The Harpoon
First flown on December 3, 1943, the PV-2 Harpoon was a major re-design of the PV-1. It had larger outer-wing panels, integral fuel tanks and a larger tail plane and vertical fins. Later versions of the PV-1 struggled during takeoffs with a full fuel load, so that was one of the key deficiencies the Harpoon sought to remedy.
The first variant with modified outer wing panels (PV-2C) did not cure the issue however, so Lockheed completely redesigned the wing for subsequent aircraft. Correcting this issue meant that only 69 PV-2s were delivered by the end of 1944. The PV-2D was the first example fielded, with the Cs having all been retained Stateside for training purposes.
The PV-2D, perhaps the ultimate expression of the Lockheed Twins, could carry up to 4,000lbs of bombs, 30% more than the PV-1. It too featured five, forward-firing machine guns, and could also field the new 8-inch HVAR rockets under the wings.
The PV-2 first saw service with VP-139 in the Aleutian Islands. January of 1945 would see this unit completing its training on PV-1s and preparing to travel north from its base at Ault Field, on Whidbey Island in Washington State. Poor weather meant that it took until March 12, 1945 for all of the squadron’s PV-2s (with one exception) to arrive on Attu. The unit relieved VPB 136, and was tasked with flying missions to the Kuril Islands, Japanese held territory off the Soviet coast. These missions, known as The Empire Express, were initially flown with PV-1s. In addition to struggling through the weather, the US Navy crews routinely had to tangle with enemy fighters and heavy anti-aircraft defenses as well.
On March 28th, the Squadron was assigned its first mission to Paramushiro, but bad weather forced its cancellation. On April 6, 1945 four Harpoons raided Kokutan Zaki. Their primary targets were enemy ships, but shore targets could be attacked if they presented themselves. Typically, when about 150 miles away from the enemy-held islands, the Harpoons would drop down to wave-top height and accelerate. These low, high-speed passes made it difficult for enemy Guns to track them, allowing the Harpoons to hit their targets and move on quickly. The weather improved as summer found its way to the Northern Hemisphere, allowing more frequent missions; that is until VPB-135 landed at Attu to relieve 139.
In analyzing these strikes into the Northern-most reaches of the Pacific, it is incredible to realize what was being asked of the crewmen and their machines. Launching out of Attu, and flying roughly 650 nautical miles over some of the most inhospitable open ocean to strike targets and hopefully return home safely seems almost unimaginable today - especially considering there was little chance of rescue should an aircraft have to ditch. Much was being asked of an airplane which owed its roots a mid-1930s airliner design. They were exceptionally capable and adaptable platforms, to be sure, and should not be overlooked in favor of Lockheed’s more glamorous war-winners of the era.
No-doubt this discussion raises the question about which of the Lockheed Twins might prove to be the right fit for us? The answer, of course, is that we don’t know yet! That being said, we are certain our Museum would make a great home for one of these magnificent beasts - without having to know which specific variety right at the moment.