|
A-28/29 "Hudson"
Attack Aircraft
Lockheed
© Michael Bykov
Hudson II from the Australian Air Forces, 1943.
The Lockheed Hudson was the first American aircraft to be used operationally by the RAF during World War II. It was designed to meet a British requirement for a martime patrol/navigational trainer aircraft. The first 200 aircraft arrived in England in February 1939, with about 1500 total procured before introduction of the Lend-Lease program. In USAAF service the various versions served as troop transports, bomber crew trainers, photo-reconnaissance aircraft, anti-submarine patrol aircraft, trainers for ai r gunners, and as a target tug. Twenty examples were used by the U.S. Navy as maritime patrol aircraft under the designation PBO-1.
In all, 2941 Hudsons were built, and many remained in service in a secondary role until the end of the war.
|
| Crew |
3 |
| Dimensions |
|---|
| Wing span |
19.96 m ( 65ft 6 in) |
| Wing area |
51.19 m2 (551 ft2) |
| Length |
13.51 m ( 44ft 4 in) |
| Height |
3.63 m (11 ft 11 in) |
| Engine |
|---|
| 2 X Wright R-1820-87 Cyclone 9 radial |
1,200 hp |
| Weight |
|---|
| Empty weight |
5,817 kg (12,825 lb) |
| Loaded weight |
9,299 kg (20,500 lb) |
| Performance |
|---|
| Maximum speed at altitude 4,572 m (15,000 ft) |
407 km/h (253 mph) |
| Cruising speed |
330 km/h (205 mph) |
| Service ceiling: |
8,075 m (26,000 ft) |
| Armament |
|---|
| 5x7.7 mm (.303 in) machine gun, Bombs |
726kg (1,600lb) |
Versions
- A-29 Re-engined A-28; lendlease to RAF, 416
- A-29A Re-egined A29 all lednlease to RAF. 384
- Hudson Mk I RAF designation for civil airliner
- Hudson Mk II As Mk I, different propellers
- Hudon III Modified I. Additional armamnt different engines
- Hudson IIIA RAF design for A29/29A.480
- Hudson IV As Mk III, engines. 130
- Hudson Mk IVA RAF designation for A28
- Hudson VI RAF designation for A28A. 450 lendlease
References
- "Encyclopedia of military engineering" /Aerospace Publising/
- "American Warplanes of World War II" /under cor. David Donald/
|
