Steve Searle's new Lockheed twins

[AirJimL2]

I have heard that Steve Searle has purchased an executive Lodestar, a stock Lodestar, and a Hudson hulk "ex-scrap yard in Canada" to provide parts to convert his stock Lodestar into a Hudson. Anyone have IDs for these planes, especially the Hudson ex-scrap yard in Canada?

Jim

[Jack Cook]

The IDs were all somewhere or on the NZ warbirds forum.
They were all purchased before the B-2/C-131 and possibly the A-20.
The 2 more on courtesy for a long time.

[Jack Cook]

N6166 LOCKHEED L18-56 LODESTAR s/n 2322
http://www.courtesyaircraft.com/N6166%20Lockheed%20Lodestar%20Spec.htm

[valdez25]

Awesome! Did he get the one in Little Rock too? I've heard it's gone. Where will he keep them? There's one sitting in Richmond, VA, near the Virginia Aviation Museum. http://www.vam.smv.org/ If you GOOGLE the museum, look at the satellite view. It's just northeast of the museum, between a couple hangars. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ri ... tnG=Search There was an awesome ex-Goodyear corporate Lockheed at Jim Hankins Air Service in Jackson, MS http://www.jimhankins.com/page3.sales.html 10 or 12 years ago. It'll be great to see some of the Lockheed's saved!

[jdvoss]

To my knowledge there are not any Hudsons on display ( or flying?) in the USA. It would be great to see one in the air again given its role in the early WWII days. I believe a Navy PBO flying out of NAS Argentia Canada (VP-82) sank the first U-Boat in early 1942. What kind of components were salvaged out of Canada ?? Boulton Paul Turret ??
The Lodstar and the Hudson were identical airframes other than the length...the Hudson being 5.5 feet shorter. Like many other early twin engine attack A/C the The Hudson did not have a co-pilot position.

[Holedigger]

Some nice pics here of the "Live" Hudson down under. It would be nice to have an example stateside, they just don't have the draw of fighters, but probably cheaper to purchase!

http://flickr.com/photos/craigs1/207959 ... 751466048/

[Jack Cook]

Wirraway Air Museum
http://www.wirrawayaviationmuseum.com/index.html

[jdvoss]

Holedigger:

Thanks for posting the Hudson photo! Over 100 additional images of that aircraft can be viewed on www.warbirdz.net

[warbirddriver]

The Hudson hulk out of Canada is actually a just nose section. It was used as part of an outhouse at one time. Also some other Hudson and Lodestar parts went with it.

[jdvoss]

FWIW, here's a photo of a RAAF Hudson that I photographed in 1992 at the Morrabbin Airport, Victoria, Australia (just south of Melbourne).
Apparently the fuselage still remains as is at RAAF Point Cook. It has a rather interesting history. see www.adf-serials.com for details.

[JDK]

It'll be great to see some of the Lockheed's saved!

Absolutely. It's one of the most under-rated, yet critically important warbirds of W.W.II

Some nice pics here of the "Live" Hudson down under. It would be nice to have an example stateside, they just don't have the draw of fighters, but probably cheaper to purchase!

Sadly, you're right. There's not a lot of airframes out there either, but still several are 'outside' which is disgraceful (not having a go at the museums trying their best, but it's not a great way to treat such an important machine.)
It's ironic that the far less significant Lockheed Harpoon ( ) is getting much greater attention from preservationists; again, not detracting from the 'Pooners here at all, but the Harpoon's record is far less significant (though, of course still important) to the Hudson family's. Even the generally unloved Commonwealth version the Ventura has more claims to fame than the Harpoon, including a pilot winning a VC. The Harpoons main advantage is availability of airframes, and a later, better provided for in terms of parts and equipment, machine. Any comment from the 'Pooners? Obviously the Harpoon fans will be putting me straight.

To my knowledge there are not any Hudsons on display ( or flying?) in the USA.

AFAIK, no. There have been several later Lockheeds pretending to be Hudsons. There are 14 identities listed in Blewett's Survivors 2002. Six in NZ, One in the UK, a wreck in Luxembourg, four in Australia, two in Canada (both outside) and only one in the US, with Mr Weeks.

It would be great to see one in the air again given its role in the early WWII days. I believe a Navy PBO flying out of NAS Argentia Canada (VP-82) sank the first U-Boat in early 1942.

The list of Hudson achievements and firsts is extensive and includes the first shots of the Pacific air war, first Japanese ship sunk, all before Pearl Harbor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_I ... _of_Malaya

What kind of components were salvaged out of Canada ?? Boulton Paul Turret ??

Doubt it, although it would be most useful. They are very hard to find.

The Lodstar and the Hudson were identical airframes other than the length...the Hudson being 5.5 feet shorter.

Now this is doing my head in. The Hudson and Ventura's wing is given as identical, yet the Hudson has a straight taper wing throughout production. The Ventura, Lodestar and other post Hudson Lockheed twins seem to often have a kinked trailing edge for a slightly larger area wing. What's going on? I can't find a reliable reference!

Like many other early twin engine attack A/C the The Hudson did not have a co-pilot position.

The Lockheed Hudson was developed by Lockheed from the Model 14 to British spec, which had a standard British single pilot requirement, whereas the 14 was a two-pilot aircraft. The initial Lockheed tender was whipped up in no time by a very savvy Lockheed when the British Purchasing Commission was in town, but while the Brits were impressed, the first idea was scrapped as not fitting the British way of doing things. (The single pilot was one, more realistic turret positions another and a navigator who could see out a third...) The US Hudsons were generally developed, with US turrets and fitting from Lockheed's British version - by then in service with the Australia and New Zealand as well.

Anyone able to give a quick Lockheed twins 'wing 101'?

Oh, and great pic JDV. Thanks!

Cheers,

[helinut]

While, Iam from ACAM and we have the fuselage of Hudson FK 466, a MKVI that was used dring the war for airsea rescue with a Ulfa Fox lifeboat mounted under it, the the fuselage is outside along with a wing that came from a ventura, we still need the missing parts of the fuselage nose and last 4 feet of the tail section, we do have factory drawings for these parts, plus we need the centre section , and tail and one more wing, thats all....lol. www.atlanticcanadaaviation.ca is the new web site address if your intersted in looking at the pics of it.

[JDK]

Thanks for the feedback, helinut. Not much wanted there, then, and just a shed to go over it all!

Maybe not the right bit and may have gone, but what about:

http://www.warbirdz.net/phpBB2/showthread.php?t=2891

It's not far at least, just 1/2 the globe.

[gary1954]

To my knowledge there are not any Hudsons on display ( or flying?) in the USA. It would be great to see one in the air again given its role in the early WWII days. I believe a Navy PBO flying out of NAS Argentia Canada (VP-82) sank the first U-Boat in early 1942. What kind of components were salvaged out of Canada ?? Boulton Paul Turret ??
The Lodstar and the Hudson were identical airframes other than the length...the Hudson being 5.5 feet shorter. Like many other early twin engine attack A/C the The Hudson did not have a co-pilot position.

5 February 1942 A B-25 Bomber on patrol duty 100 miles off the Atlantic Coast, became the first U.S.Army airplane to sink a Nazi Submarine. The Army, in commending the bomber crew said that their "striking success" symbolized "what the Air Corps has been doing."

[helinut]

JDK, thanks but have been in touch with them already its gone, your commit just a shed to put over it, I don,t understand what you ment, we have a 14000 sq ft hanger and other large display biuldings.