Sunday 16 September 2012

Point Cook's Lucky Star - Lockheed PV-1 Ventura 13 Sqn RAAF (ex-RCAF )





A59-67 LOCKHEED PV-1 VENTURA


The RAAF Museum's Heritage Flight Ventura VH-SFF based at Point Cook near Melbourne, Victoria is a Canadian Wolf in sheep's clothing, the machine having seen service in its original guise in the RCAF. Lockheed produced some 2,475 Venturas between 1941 and 1945 and this particular aircraft was built at the Burbank, California plant of the Vega Airplane Co., a Lockheed subsidiary during 1943 to US Navy contract as PV- 1 BuAer 33369. It was transferred to the RCAF under Lend-Lease and given the serial number 2221. Canada received 149 Venturas diverted from British contracts. In late 1943 2221 was posted to 115 (BR) Sqn at Patricia Bay, British Columbia but the squadron was disbanded in August of that same year and the Ventura was transferred to stored reserve..

via Tony O' Toole's Photobucket page

Photobucket

Photobucket



Below; a couple of rare 'internal' views'  - Rob Fox photography first published in Aeroplane Monthly January 1995






A59-67 LOCKHEED PV-1 VENTURA