Warbird Information Exchange

Here's a few photos of my favorite vintage airplane, the Howard 500. For those not familiar with it, the Howard 500 is an executive aircraft based on the Lockheed PV-1. Basicly, it's a PV-1 with R-2800's a new fuselage, new wings, and PV-2 landing gear.

Here is a great article on the history of and flying the Howard 500 by Dave Cummings, the cheif pilot and restorer of N500HP.

Dave Cumming's site has some nice photos.

N500HP/500-105






N137U/500-109

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Dan Johnson

Hi Dan-Weren't all of the Howard airplanes (350 & 500) based on the Loadstar? I'm not sure, but I thought they were. Gary

According to Mike Zoeller's Lockheed Twins site, the Howard 250 was based on the Loadstar, and the 350, 400, and 500 were based on the PV-1. It is my understanding that though the 500 is based on the Ventura there are very few interchangeable parts.

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Dan Johnson

So these are ex-military, right? Not civilian as in the topic? hehehe

From my recent workings with the Ventura/Harpoon Registries I think some of the 500's were converted while others were new build. I'm far from certain though.

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The way Dave Cumming's makes it sound in his article, you could call them conversions, but that would be pretty generous. Dee Howard did by a number of South African PV-1's, but they were mainly used for systems and accessiories. According to the article, even the parts that are "interchangable" still require some modification to be used on the 500. I guess it really comes down to what you consider a conversion, and what you'd consider a new aircraft, much like the who restoration vs reproduction debate.

According to the Lockheed Twins site, the tie-ups for the two 500's in the photos are

500-105 - 5784
500-109 - 5650

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Dan Johnson

Howard 500 N500LN has been purchased by TP Aero in Eagan, MN and it is currently based in the UK at Coventry. The reason this particular Howard has a PV-1/Ventura ex-military serial number is the fact it was one of the very few converted from a Howard Super Ventura or Howard 350, as in the case of N200G, N539N, and other US registration numbers. We were trying to ascertain why the confusion because most Howard 500's are not conversions of anything. They are in fact a new airplane with a new type certificate issued in 1963. The first 500 flew in 1959, but the CAA (FAA) was putting enormous pressure on large civilian airplanes offering non-stop pressurized stand-up comfort flying at 35,000 feet @ better than 300 KTAS. TP Aero also owns Howard 500 N500HP..

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Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons

They were originally conversions of the Lockheed PV-1/B-34 Ventura Bombers and recon aircraft. Dee Howard bought a boat load of these for spares from the RCAF and South Africa to build up a parts inventory. William Lear converted civilian Lockheed Model 18 Lodestars into the Learstar Mk.1 which were marketed through Butler Aviation Chicago, IL in 1955. Ed Swearingen was Dee Howard's first employee, Gordon Israel worked for Lear in Santa Monica, CA

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Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons

Explain then why N500LN has a PV-1/Ventura data plate and registration, when it is clearly a Howard 500..

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Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons

Feds back then were a different breed. No matter where the Howard comes from it is the sexiest thing with two props ever built.

We have a Howard 500 page on facebook, just do the search and "voila" and I'm quite active with the type. I used to crew a Howard 500 based at Pontiac, MI in 1975 it was N80BD and belonged to Boutell Driveaway, later it was sold to a Ranch in Florida and crashed in Yosemite full of pot, this was a beautiful pristine airplane and she had to end up this way..

I was a line technician for Michigan Aviation, and the pilots insisted that I personally had all access to the airplane at anytime, fueling, towing and what not. I rode in it to Florida and back and we did every bit of 370 KTAS @ 31,000 feet, although limited to 25,000 feet with passengers I was not considered a passenger, I was part of the crew...

Dee Howard invented luxurious business travel in large airplanes, he was an innovator!!

Stephen

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Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons

No doubt!!!

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Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons