Lockheed Hudson

Lockheed Hudson
Description
Role	Maritime bomber and reconnaissance
Crew
First Flight	July 29, 1937 (civil Model 14) December 10, 1938 (Hudson Mk I)
Entered Service	February 1939
Manufacturer	Lockheed
Dimensions
Length	44 ft 4 in	13.51 m
Wingspan	65 ft 6 in	19.96 m
Height	11 ft 10 in	3.62 m
Wing area	551 ft²	51.2 m²
Weights
Empty	12,000 lb	5,443 kg
Loaded	17,500 lb	7,930 kg
Maximum takeoff	18,500 lb	8,393 kg
Powerplant
Engines	2 x Wright Cyclone (I, II, III) 2 x Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp (IV, V, VI)
Power	2 x 1,100-1,200 hp	kW
Performance
Maximum speed	246 mph (I) 261 mph (VI)	397 km/h (II) 420 km/h (VI)
Combat range	1,960 miles (I) 2,160 miles (VI)	3,150 km (I) 3,475 km (VI)
Ferry range	miles	km
Service ceiling	24,500 ft	7,468 m
Rate of climb	1,200 ft/min	366 m/min
Wing loading	31.8 lb/ft²	155 kg/m²
Power/Mass	hp/lb	kW/kg
Armament
Guns	7 x .303-in Browning machine guns (2 in nose, 2 in dorsal turret, one in each beam window, one in ventral hatch)
Bombs / Depth Charge	750 lb	341 kg

The Lockheed Hudson was a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of World War II. The Hudson was the first significant aircraft construction contract for the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation—the initial RAF order for 200 Hudsons far surpassed any previous order they company had received. The Hudson served throughout the war, mainly with Coastal Command but also in transport and training roles as well as delivering agents into occupied France. The Hudson was also operated by the USAAF, US Navy, RAAF, RCAF and RNZAF.

In 1938 the British sought an American maritime patrol aircraft to support the Avro Anson. On December 10, 1938, Lockheed demonstrated a modified version of the Model 14 commercial airliner as the Hudson Mk I which swiftly went in to production. By February of 1939 Hudsons began to be delivered, initially equipping No. 224 Squadron RAF. By the start of the war in September, 78 Hudsons were in service.

A total of 350 Mk I and 20 Mk II Hudsons were supplied. These had two fixed Browning machine guns in the nose and two more in a Boulton Paul dorsal turret. The Hudson Mk III added one ventral and two beam machine guns and replaced the 1,100 hp Wright Cyclone 9-cylinder radials with 1,200 hp versions (428 produced).

The Hudson Mk V (309 produced) and Mk VI (450 produced) were powered by the 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp 14-cylinder two-row radial. The RAF also obtained 380 Mk IIIA and 30 Mk IV Hudsons under the Lend-Lease programme.

In 1941 the USAAF began operating the Hudson; the Twin Wasp-powered variant was designated the A-28 (82 produced) and the Cyclone-powered variant was designated the A-29 (418 produced). The US Navy operated 20 A-28s, redesignated the PBO-1. A further 300 were built as air-crew trainers, designated the AT-18.

The Hudson achieved some significant feats during the war. On October 8, 1939, over Jutland, a Hudson became the first RAF aircraft to shoot down a German aircraft. They operated as fighters during the Battle of Dunkirk. A PBO-1 Hudson of Squadron VP-82 became the first US aircraft to sink a German submarine.

A total of 2,584 Hudsons were built. They began to be withdrawn from frontline service in 1944.

Related content
Related Development	Model 14
Similar Aircraft	Avro Anson
Designation Series	A-28 - A-29
Related Lists	List of aircraft of the RAF - List of military aircraft of the United States

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