| The Lockheed Ventura was the result of a | | | | Only 196 Ventura IIs actually reached Commonwealth |
| September 1939 proposal by Lockheed to the British | | | | forces, with 264 being retained by the USAAF as |
| Air Ministry for a military version of the Model 18 | | | | Model 37s. For some reason, they never got USAAF |
| Lodestar twin-engined 15/18-passenger commercial | | | | designations or serial numbers. The Ventura I was first |
| transport. It was viewed as a successor to the | | | | delivered to the RAF in September of 1941 and went |
| Lockheed Hudson in RAF service. The Hudson was | | | | into service with No 21 Squadron at Bodney, Norfolk, in |
| itself a military version of an earlier model of the Super | | | | May of 1942. It also served with Nos 464 (RAAF) and |
| Electra 10/14-passenger commercial transport. | | | | 487 (RNZAF) Squadrons. It flew its first combat |
| Under the temporary design designation of L-108, the | | | | mission on November 3, 1942, an attack by three |
| Lockheed Company considered several different | | | | aircraft of No. 21 Squadron against a factory at |
| proposals for a military version of the Model 18. The | | | | Hengelo which had to be diverted into a raid against |
| final plans was designated as the Model 37-21-01 | | | | railway lines instead. |
| which was powered by a pair of 1850 hp Pratt & | | | | 47 Venturas from Nos 21, 464 and 487 Squadrons |
| Whitney S1A4-G Double Wasp eighteen-cylinder | | | | took part along with Mosquitos and Bostons in a |
| air-cooled radials. This engine was a commercial | | | | daylight low-level attack on December 6, 1942 against |
| version of the military R-2800. The RAF was pleased | | | | the Philips radio and vacuum tube factory at Eindhoven |
| with this proposal and ordered 300 examples in May | | | | in the Netherlands. The raid did not go well--nine of the |
| of 1940 under the name "Ventura". Later in 1940, 375 | | | | Venturas were shot down and 37 were damaged. |
| more Venturas were ordered. | | | | After this disaster, the Venturas switched to |
| Since Lockheed now had sizable orders in hand from | | | | medium-altitude missions and attacked numerous |
| both domestic and overseas customers, they decided | | | | targets in occupied Europe. On April 4, a formation of |
| to have the Model 37 built by the Vega Airplane | | | | 24 Venturas were sent to bomb the Caen/Carpiquet |
| Company. The Vega Airplane Company was located | | | | airfield whereas another 24 Venturas were sent to |
| right next door to Lockheed at Burbank, California. It | | | | attack the shipyards at Rotterdam. Two Venturas |
| had been founded in 1937 and had become a | | | | attacking Rotterdam were shot down by German |
| subsidiary of Lockheed. In recognition of the need for | | | | fighters and three more were shot down by fighters |
| expanded output caused by the outbreak of war in | | | | on the Brest raid. On April 21, when Venturas of No 21 |
| Europe, Vega built a new plant at the Union Air | | | | Squadron hit the marshaling yards at Abbeville, three |
| Terminal at Burbank about a mile from the parent | | | | more were shot down by fighters. On May 3, 1943, |
| Lockheed plant. On December 31, 1941, the Vega | | | | eleven Venturas from No 487 Squadron attacked a |
| Airplane Company formally merged with Lockheed. On | | | | power station in Amsterdam, but only one Ventura |
| November 30, 1943, the name Vega finally | | | | survived determined attacks from German fighters. |
| disappeared when the Vega Airplane Company was | | | | The formation leader, Sqdn Ldr Leonard H. Trent, |
| formally absorbed into Lockheed, its facilities becoming | | | | managed to shoot down a Bf 109 with his |
| Lockheed's Plant A-1. | | | | forward-firing guns before being shot down himself. |
| The Venture I had twin 1850 hp Pratt & Whitney | | | | Sqdn Ldr Trent was captured and spent the rest of |
| S1A4-G Double Wasps air-cooled radial engines. It had | | | | the war in a POW camp. He managed to survive the |
| a Maximum speed of 312 mph at 15,500 feet with a | | | | war and was later awarded the Victoria Cross for his |
| Cruising speed of 272 mph. Initial climb rate was 2035 | | | | bravery. |
| feet per minute with a service ceiling of 25,000 feet. | | | | On May 24, No. 487 Squadron resumed operations. |
| Normal range was 925 miles. The wingspan was 65 | | | | An attack on a power station and coking plant at |
| feet 6 inches, with a length of 51 feet 5 inches and the | | | | Zeebrugge came off without losses. On May 29, No. |
| height was 11 feet 10 1/2 inches. It weighed 17,233 | | | | 21 Squadron attacked Zeebrugge again. Two |
| pounds empty, 22,500 pounds loaded and 26,000 | | | | Venturas got involved in a midair collision. One made it |
| pounds for maximum take-off. Its armament consisted | | | | back safely, but the other was lost. |
| of four 0.303-inch machine guns installed in dorsal | | | | The Ventura was never very popular with its RAF |
| turret, twin flexible 0.303-inch machine guns were | | | | crews. It was 50 mph faster than the Hudson which |
| mounted in the extreme nose and a pair of flexible | | | | preceded it and had a bombload of 2500 pounds |
| 0.303-inch machine guns were mounted in a ventral | | | | instead of the former's 1000 pounds, but it was over |
| position behind the wing trailing edge. Two fixed | | | | 7500 pounds heavier. Losses were high and the |
| forward-firing 0.50-inch machine guns were installed in | | | | aircraft was not really suitable as a bomber. The RAF |
| the upper decking of the nose. A bomb load of 2500 | | | | Ventura I and II bombers were replaced by deHavilland |
| pounds could be carried in an internal bomb bay. | | | | Mosquitos by the summer of 1943. The last Ventura |
| The first Ventura took off on its maiden flight at the | | | | sortie took place with No. 21 Squadron on September |
| Lockheed Air Terminal on July 31, 1941 and deliveries of | | | | 9, 1943. |
| Venturas to Britain began in September of 1941. 21 of | | | | 21 Ventura Mk. Is and 108 Mk. II/IIAs were diverted to |
| the early production run of Ventura Is were retained in | | | | the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) from British |
| Canada for the RCAF. At least six were transferred | | | | contracts. The first Ventura I was received in June of |
| to the South African Air Force. | | | | 1942. The Ventura I and II aircraft retained in Canada |
| The Ventura II was generally similar to the Ventura I, | | | | were used exclusively in training roles and never saw |
| but was powered by 2000 hp Pratt & Whitney | | | | combat. They retained their RAF serial numbers and |
| R-2800-31s instead of the Double Wasp S1A4-Gs of | | | | were assigned to No 340 Operational Training Unit at |
| the Mark I version. It had a redesigned bomb bay | | | | Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick and No 1 Central |
| capable of carrying 3000 pounds of bombs or | | | | Flying School at Trenton, Ontario. |
| 780-gallon ferry tanks. Production totaled 487 aircraft. | | | | |