Trying to stir up RB-37 conversation...again!

[jet1]

keep it down or the MUSEUM will crush it into beer cans.....for the common good of course.

[The Inspector]

Or paint it blue and deposit it in salt water to pickle it next to some navy airframes-

[Michel C-GNCJ]

Strange markings...

French colors on the rudders and the US star on the sides ????

[blurrkup]

Strange markings...

French colors on the rudders and the US star on the sides ????

They are not French colours on the rudders, they are RAF fin flashes.

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/pv1ventu ... aj311.html

[RMAllnutt]

What's the difference between an RB-34 and an RB-37? I see both listed as Venturas, and it' a bit confusing.

Cheers,
Richard

[Robbie Roberts]

What about the one on a stick at "Mayday Golf" in Myrtle Beach SC, on the Grand Strand? Tortured alongside a UH-1C...

Robbie

[Dave Lindauer]

I believe that the Mayday Golf a/c is a PV-2.

[Obergrafeter]

Didn't the B-34 have different engines?

[jdvoss]

Yes, they did indeed have different engines. The B-34 Ventura had R-2800's and the B-37 Lexington had R-2600's. The B-37 started life as an observation aircraft with the designation of O-56 and later changed to B-37. There were 550 of them ordered but only 18 ever delivered. I believe that Pueblo has the only surviving A/C.

Yes, I agree it need to be saved. The NMUSAF has neither a B-34, B-37 or for that matter an A-28 Hudson on display.

[Mark_Pilkington]

.
The MOTAT museum in NZ has a beautifully restored RNZAF B-34 "Ventura" which is actually ex RAF aircraft diverted from a USAF order.

This is a B-34 with the R-2800-31 engines.

NZ4600 (c/n4773) was built as 41-38117 for the USAAF, but was transferred to the RAF as FD665





Thats an equally rare RNZAF Lockheed Hudson in the second picture.

photos from this site which has more info:

http://www.kiwiaircraftimages.com/ventura.html

regards

Mark Pilkington

[Oscar Duck]

why would MOTAT display the Hudson with the prop in feather???

How about the PV-1 at Pt Cook?

[Mark_Pilkington]

:?: why would MOTAT display the Hudson with the prop in feather???

How about the PV-1 at Pt Cook?

The RAAF operated 104 former USN PV-1's (equivalent to the RB-34) in the Pacific, and a further 39 RAF aircraft in the RAAF 464 squadron in Europe.

The RAAF museum swapped the last flying RAAF Canberra for a EX-USN flying PV-1 Ventura painted as a RAAF aircraft, but since grounded after a forced landing due to fuel starvation. It remains in storage awaiting repair to its belly.

Originally built to a US Navy contract as BuAer 33369, VH-SFF rolled off the production line of the Vega Airplane Company at Burbank, California, USA, in 1943. Transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) under Lend-Lease, and re-serialled 2221, the aircraft briefly served in the RCAF's No 115 (BR) Squadron before going into stored reserve, Western Air Command. After nearly six years in storage, 2221 was struck off charge in August 1950.

In 1954 the aircraft was sold to Spartan Aircraft of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and an extensive modification program commenced to convert the aircraft for executive use. It was used as an executive aircraft until 1968 when it was converted for agricultural use, registered N159U. After several changes of ownership through to 1981, N159U languished at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida before being purchased by Aero Nostalgia in 1985 and restored to airworthy condition.

In 1988 the aircraft was traded to the RAAF Museum, and N159U became VH-SFF, painted as A59-67 of the RAAF's No 13 Squadron. The aircraft was flown by the RAAF's Historic Flight until an accident in November 1996. VH-SFF is currently in storage awaiting repair to static display condition.

http://www.airforce.gov.au/RAAFmuseum/exhibitions/b_scenes/air_store/ventura.htm

Image of the RAAF Museum's "A59-67" by John Parker via the adf-serials.com.au website.





Two other original RAAF Ventura's survive in Australia.

At RAAF Darwin, the derelect A59-73 is on its gear and stored following a stalled static restoration, the aircraft was recovered from the Aboriginal Reserve at Gove NT, and was intended to be restored and returned for display at that site.

as it was for many years at Gove, photo by Allyn Eckford via the adf-serials.com.au website





At the Queensland Air Museum, the derelict fuselage of A59-96 was acquired from the defunct Chewing Gum Field museum, and has been restored back onto its gear with the wing stubs of a Hudson centre-section from the former Warbirds of Australia A16-22, and a Hudson tailplane from another wreck, wing outer panels are being sought to complete the aircrafts static restoration.


A59-96 under active static restoration at QAM, photo by Martin Edwards, via adf-serials.com.au website.




regards

Mark Pilkington

[Mark_Pilkington]

:?: why would MOTAT display the Hudson with the prop in feather???

How about the PV-1 at Pt Cook?

The RAAF operated 104 former USN PV-1's (equivalent to the RB-34) in the Pacific, and a further 39 RAF aircraft in the RAAF 464 squadron in Europe.

The RAAF museum swapped the last flying RAAF Canberra for a EX-USN flying PV-1 Ventura painted as a RAAF aircraft, but since grounded after a forced landing due to fuel starvation. It remains in storage awaiting repair to its belly.

Originally built to a US Navy contract as BuAer 33369, VH-SFF rolled off the production line of the Vega Airplane Company at Burbank, California, USA, in 1943. Transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) under Lend-Lease, and re-serialled 2221, the aircraft briefly served in the RCAF's No 115 (BR) Squadron before going into stored reserve, Western Air Command. After nearly six years in storage, 2221 was struck off charge in August 1950.

In 1954 the aircraft was sold to Spartan Aircraft of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and an extensive modification program commenced to convert the aircraft for executive use. It was used as an executive aircraft until 1968 when it was converted for agricultural use, registered N159U. After several changes of ownership through to 1981, N159U languished at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida before being purchased by Aero Nostalgia in 1985 and restored to airworthy condition.

In 1988 the aircraft was traded to the RAAF Museum, and N159U became VH-SFF, painted as A59-67 of the RAAF's No 13 Squadron. The aircraft was flown by the RAAF's Historic Flight until an accident in November 1996. VH-SFF is currently in storage awaiting repair to static display condition.

http://www.airforce.gov.au/RAAFmuseum/exhibitions/b_scenes/air_store/ventura.htm

Image of the RAAF Museum's "A59-67" by John Parker via the adf-serials.com.au website.





Two other original RAAF Ventura's survive in Australia.

At RAAF Darwin, the derelect A59-73 is on its gear and stored following a stalled static restoration, the aircraft was recovered from the Aboriginal Reserve at Gove NT, and was intended to be restored and returned for display at that site.

as it was for many years at Gove, photo by Allyn Eckford via the adf-serials.com.au website





At the Queensland Air Museum, the derelict fuselage of A59-96 was acquired from the defunct Chewing Gum Field museum, and has been restored back onto its gear with the wing stubs of a Hudson centre-section from the former Warbirds of Australia A16-22, and a Hudson tailplane from another wreck, wing outer panels are being sought to complete the aircrafts static restoration.


A59-96 under active static restoration at QAM, photo by Martin Edwards, via adf-serials.com.au website.




regards

Mark Pilkington