The Lockheed Hudson is a light bomber and coastal

reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities. Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops ( skirmishe ...

aircraft An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or by using the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in ...

built by the American Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. It was initially put into service by the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

shortly before the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

and primarily operated by it thereafter. The Hudson was a military conversion of the Model 14 Super Electra airliner, and was the first significant aircraft construction contract for Lockheed — the initial RAF order for 200 Hudsons far surpassed any previous order the company had received. The Hudson served throughout the war, mainly with Coastal Command but also in

transport Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land ( rail and road), water, cable, pipelin ...

and training roles, as well as delivering agents into

occupied France The Military Administration in France (german: Militärverwaltung in Frankreich; french: Occupation de la France par l'Allemagne) was an interim occupation authority established by Nazi Germany during World War II to administer the occupied z ...

. It was also used extensively with the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

anti-submarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapo ...

squadrons and by the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

Design and development

In late 1937 Lockheed sent a cutaway drawing of the Model 14 to various publications, showing the new aircraft as a civilian aircraft and converted to a light bomber. This attracted the interest of various air forces and in 1938, the British Purchasing Commission sought an American maritime patrol aircraft for the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

to support the

Avro Anson The Avro Anson is a British twin-engined, multi-role aircraft built by the aircraft manufacturer Avro. Large numbers of the type served in a variety of roles for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Fleet Air Arm (FAA), Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) ...

. The Commission ordered 200 aircraft for use by the Royal Air Force and the first aircraft started flight trials from

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, who ...

on 10 December 1938. The flight trials showed no major issues, and deliveries to the RAF began on 15 February 1939. Production was sped up after the British indicated they would order another 50 aircraft if the original 200 could be delivered before the end of 1939. Lockheed sub-contracted some parts assembly to Rohr Aircraft of San Diego and increased its workforce, allowing the company to produce the 250th aircraft seven and a half weeks before the deadline. A total of 350 Mk I and 20 Mk II Hudsons were supplied (the Mk II had different propellers). These had two fixed Browning

machine gun A machine gun is a fully automatic, rifled autoloading firearm designed for sustained direct fire with rifle cartridges. Other automatic firearms such as automatic shotguns and automatic rifles (including assault rifles and battle rifles ...

s in the nose and two more in the Boulton Paul dorsal turret. The Hudson Mk III added one ventral and two beam machine guns and replaced the 1,100 hp

Wright R-1820 Cyclone The Wright R-1820 Cyclone 9 is an American radial engine developed by Curtiss-Wright, widely used on aircraft in the 1930s through 1950s. It was produced under license in France as the Hispano-Suiza 9V or Hispano-Wright 9V, and in the Soviet Uni ...

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 R-1830 Twin Wasp 14-cylinder two-row radial. The RAF also obtained 380 Mk IIIA and 30 Mk IV Hudsons under the

Lend-Lease Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...

program.

Operational history

World War II

By February 1939, RAF Hudsons began to be delivered, initially equipping No. 224 Squadron RAF at RAF Leuchars,

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

in May 1939. By the start of the war in September, 78 Hudsons were in service.Kightly 2015, p. 80. Due to the United States' neutrality at that time, early series aircraft were flown to the Canada–US border, landed, and then towed on their wheels over the border into Canada by tractors or horse drawn teams, before then being flown to

(RCAF) airfields where they were then dismantled and "cocooned" for transport as deck cargo, by ship to

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

. The Hudsons were supplied without the Boulton Paul dorsal turret, which was installed on arrival in the United Kingdom. Although later outclassed by larger bombers, the Hudson achieved some significant feats during the first half of the war. On 8 October 1939, over

Jutland Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...

, a Hudson became the first Allied aircraft operating from the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isl ...

to shoot down an enemy aircraft (earlier victories by a

Fairey Battle The Fairey Battle is a British single-engine light bomber that was designed and manufactured by the Fairey Aviation Company. It was developed during the mid-1930s for the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a monoplane successor to the Hawker Hart and ...

on 20 September 1939 over

Aachen Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th ...

and by Blackburn Skuas of the

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wi ...

on 26 September 1939 had been by aircraft based in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

or on an aircraft carrier). Hudsons also provided top cover during the Battle of Dunkirk. On 23 July 1941 a Hudson shot down a

Focke-Wulf Condor The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 ''Condor'', also known as ''Kurier'' to the Allies ( English: Courier), was a German all-metal four-engined monoplane originally developed by Focke-Wulf as a long-range airliner. A Japanese request for a long-range mariti ...

, while escorting a shipping convoy off Ireland. On 27 August 1941, a Hudson of

No. 269 Squadron RAF No. 269 Squadron RAF was a maritime patrol unit of the Royal Air Force that saw service in World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. Service history World War I On 6 October 1918, No. 269 Squadron was formed from Nos. 431 and 432 Flights ...

, operating from Kaldadarnes, Iceland, attacked and damaged the causing the submarine's crew to display a white flag and surrender – the aircraft achieved the unusual distinction of capturing a naval vessel. The Germans were taken prisoner and the submarine taken under tow when Royal Navy ships subsequently arrived on the scene. A PBO-1 Hudson of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

squadron

VP-82 Patrol Squadron Eight (VP-8) is a U.S. Navy land-based patrol squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida (USA). VP-8 is tasked to undertake maritime patrol, anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and intelligence, surveillance and recon ...

became the first US aircraft to destroy a German submarine, when it sank southwest of

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

on 1 March 1942. was destroyed on 7 July 1942 while running on the surface off Cape Hatteras by a Hudson of the 396th Bombardment Squadron (Medium),

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(USAAF). A Hudson of

No. 113 Squadron RCAF No. 113 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron that was active during the Second World War. It was originally formed as an Army Co-operation squadron and then a fighter squadron before being disbanded in 1939 an ...

became the first aircraft of the RCAF's Eastern Air Command to sink a submarine, when Hudson ''625'' sank on 31 July 1942. A

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

(RAAF) Hudson was involved in the

Canberra air disaster The 1940 Canberra air disaster was an aircraft crash that occurred near Canberra, the capital of Australia, on 13 August 1940, during World War II. All ten people on board were killed: six passengers, including three members of the Australia ...

of 1940, in which three ministers of the Australian government were killed. In 1941, the USAAF began operating the Hudson; the Twin Wasp-powered variant was designated the A-28 (82 acquired) and the Cyclone-powered variant was designated the A-29 (418 acquired). The US Navy operated 20 A-29s, redesignated the PBO-1. A further 300 were built as aircrew trainers, designated the AT-18. Following Japanese attacks on Malaya, Hudsons from

No. 1 Squadron RAAF , colors= , colors_label= , march= , mascot= , battles=World War IWorld War IIMalayan Emergency , anniversaries= , decorations= , battle_honours= Egypt 1915–1917 Palestine 1917–1918 Malaya 1948–1960 , commander1= Richard Williams (1917– ...

became the first Allied aircraft to make an attack in the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vas ...

, sinking a Japanese transport ship, the ''Awazisan Maru'', off Kota Bharu at 0118h local time, an hour before the

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...

. Its opponents found that the Hudson had exceptional manoeuvrability for a twin-engine aircraft; it was notable for the tight turns achievable if either engine was briefly feathered. * The highest-scoring Japanese ace of the war,

Saburō Sakai was a Japanese naval aviator and flying ace (''"Gekitsui-O"'', ) of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Sakai had 28–64 aerial victories, including shared ones, according to official Japanese records, but his autobiography, '' Samu ...

, praised the skill and fighting abilities of an RAAF Hudson crew killed in action over

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torres ...

after being engaged by nine highly manoeuvrable

Mitsubishi A6M Zero The Mitsubishi A6M "Zero" is a long-range carrier-based fighter aircraft formerly manufactured by Mitsubishi Aircraft Company, a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and was operated by the Imperial Japanese Navy from 1940 to 1945. The A6M w ...

es on 22 July 1942."Australian Story: Enemy Lines".
''ABC-TV'', 2002. Retrieved: 30 April 2014. The crew, captained by P/O Warren Cowan, in Hudson Mk IIIA ''A16-201'' (bu. no. ''41-36979'') of No. 32 Squadron RAAF, was intercepted over Buna by nine Zeroes of the ''Tainan Kaigun Kōkūtai'' led by Sakai. The Hudson crew accomplished many aggressive and unexpected turns, engaging the Japanese pilots in a dogfight for more than 10 minutes. It was only after Sakai scored hits on the rear/upper turret that the Hudson could be destroyed. Its crew made such an impression on Sakai that, after the war's end, he sought to identify them. In 1997, Sakai wrote formally to the Australian government, recommending that Cowan be "posthumously awarded your country's highest military decoration". * On 23 November 1942, the crew of a No. 3 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Hudson Mk IIIA, ''NZ2049'', (''41-46465'') after spotting an enemy convoy near Vella Lavella, was engaged by three Japanese floatplane fighters. After skilled evasive manoeuvring at an altitude of less than 50 feet (15 metres), by the Hudson's captain, Flying Officer George Gudsell, the crew returned with no casualties to Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. Hudsons were also operated by RAF Special Duties squadrons for clandestine operations; No. 161 Squadron in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

and No. 357 Squadron in

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

Postwar use

After the war, numbers of Hudsons were sold by the military for civil operation as airliners and survey aircraft. In Australia, East-West Airlines of Tamworth, New South Wales (NSW), operated four Hudsons on scheduled services from Tamworth to many towns in NSW and Queensland between 1950 and 1955.

Adastra Aerial Surveys The Lockheed Hudson is a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built by the American Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. It was initially put into service by the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and pr ...

based at Sydney's Mascot Airport operated seven L-414s between 1950 and 1972 on air taxi, survey and photographic flights. A total of 2,941 Hudsons were built. The type formed the basis for development of the

Lockheed Ventura The Lockheed Ventura is a twin-engine medium bomber and patrol bomber of World War II. The Ventura first entered combat in Europe as a bomber with the RAF in late 1942. Designated PV-1 by the United States Navy (US Navy), it entered combat in 1 ...

resulting in them being withdrawn from front line service from 1944, though many survived the war to be used as civil transports, primarily in Australia and a single example was briefly used as an airline crew trainer in New Zealand.

Variants

;Model 414:Company designation for the military A-28 / A-29 and Hudson variants. ;Hudson I :Production aircraft for the

(RAF); 351 built and 50 for the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

(RAAF). ;Hudson II :As the Mk I but with spinnerless constant speed propellers; 20 built for the RAF and 50 for the RAAF. ;Hudson III :Production aircraft with retractable ventral gun position; 428 built. ;Hudson IIIA :Lend-lease variants of the A-29 and A-29A aircraft; 800 built. ;Hudson IV :As Mk II with ventral gun removed; 30 built and RAAF Mk I and IIs were converted to this standard. ;Hudson IVA :52 A-28s delivered to the RAAF. ;Hudson V :Mk III with two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-S3C4-G Twin Wasp engines; 409 built. ;Hudson VI :A-28As under lend-lease; 450 built. ;A-28 :US Military designation powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-45 engines; 52 lend-lease to Australia as Hudson IVA. ;A-28A :US Military designation powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-1830-67 engines, interiors convertible to troop transports; 450 lend-lease to RAF/RCAF/RNZAF as Hudson VI; 27 units passed to the

Brazilian Air Force "Wings that protect the country" , colours = , colours_label = , march = Hino dos Aviadores , mascot = , anniversaries = 22 May (anniver ...

. ;A-29 :US Military designation powered by two Wright R-1820-87 engines; lend lease version intended for the RAF, 153 diverted to

(USAAF) as the RA-29 and 20 to the

(USN) as the PBO-1. ;A-29A :As A-29 but with convertible interiors as troop transports; 384 lend-lease to the RAF/RAAF/RCAF/RNZAF Chinese Air Force as Hudson IIIA, some retained by USAAF as the RA-29A. ;A-29B :24 of the 153 A-29s retained by the USAAF converted for photo-survey. PBO-1 VP-82 NAS Argentia

;AT-18 :Gunnery trainer version of the A-29 powered by two Wright R-1820-87 engines, 217 built. ;AT-18A :Navigational trainer version with dorsal turret removed, 83 built. ;C-63 :Provisional designation changed to A-29A. ;PBO-1 :Twenty former RAF Hudson IIIAs repossessed for use by Patrol Squadron 82 (VP-82) of the USN

Operators

; *

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

**Squadrons serving in the

: ***

*** No. 2 Squadron RAAF *** No. 6 Squadron RAAF ***

No. 7 Squadron RAAF No. 7 Squadron was an Australian flying training squadron of World War I and medium bomber squadron of World War II. The squadron was formed in England in October 1917 as part of the Australian Flying Corps, and disbanded in early 1919. It was ...

*** No. 8 Squadron RAAF ***

No. 13 Squadron RAAF No. 13 (City of Darwin) Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) squadron. The unit saw combat during World War II as a bomber and maritime patrol squadron and is currently active as a mixed regular and reserve RAAF unit located in Darwi ...

***

No. 14 Squadron RAAF No. 14 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol squadron of World War II. It was formed in 1939 and was based in Western Australia throughout the war. While it conducted many patrols over the waters off Western Australia, it did ...

*** No. 23 Squadron RAAF ***

No. 24 Squadron RAAF No. 24 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron. The squadron was formed in 1940 and saw action as a bomber squadron during World War II serving in the Pacific theatre against the Japanese, and undertaking operations during the Battle ...

*** No. 32 Squadron RAAF ***

No. 1 Operational Training Unit RAAF No. 1 Operational Training Unit (No. 1 OTU) was an operational conversion unit of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II. Formed in December 1941 at Nhill Airport, Nhill, Victoria, it relocated to Bairnsdale ...

** Article XV squadrons serving with

RAF Middle East Command Middle East Command was a command of the Royal Air Force (RAF) that was active during the Second World War. It had been preceded by RAF Middle East, which was established in 1918 by the redesignation of HQ Royal Flying Corps Middle East that ...

: ***

No. 459 Squadron RAAF No. 459 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force squadron that operated during World War II. It was formed in early 1942 and served as a maritime patrol and bomber unit in the Mediterranean theatre until early 1945, operating mainly Lock ...

; *

Brazilian Air Force "Wings that protect the country" , colours = , colours_label = , march = Hino dos Aviadores , mascot = , anniversaries = 22 May (anniver ...

**2nd Medium Bomber Group (27 units A-28A) ; *

**Squadrons serving with the Home War Establishment (HWE): ***

No. 11 Squadron RCAF No. 11 Squadron RCAF was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron that was active during the Second World War. It was primarily used in an anti-submarine role and was based on the east coast of Canada and Newfoundland. It was initially formed at RCAF ...

***

No. 119 Squadron RCAF No. 119 Squadron was an RCAF Canadian Home War Establishment (HWE) Squadron. Created 15 May 1935 in Hamilton, Ontario, it came to be tasked with coastal patrol and anti-submarine duty over the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Atlantic Ocean around Nov ...

***

No. 120 Squadron RCAF The numero sign or numero symbol, №, (also represented as Nº, No, No. or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, t ...

***

No. 145 Squadron RCAF No. 145 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron was a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron that was active during the Second World War. It was primarily used in an anti-submarine role and was based on the east coast of Canada and Newfoundland. The squad ...

** Article XV squadrons serving with

RAF Coastal Command RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation ...

: *** No. 407 Squadron RCAF ; *

Chinese Nationalist Air Force Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of v ...

; * Irish Air Corps ; *

Israeli Air Force The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defens ...

; * Royal Netherlands Air Force **

No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron RAF No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force during World War II formed from the personnel of the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service. History Formation Formed on 1 June 1940 at RAF Pembroke Dock, after flying from the ...

; * Royal New Zealand Air Force **

No. 1 Squadron RNZAF No. 1 Squadron RNZAF was a New Zealand reconnaissance and patrol bomber squadron operating in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. After the war the squadron served in the transport and VIP role. History It was formed as the New Zealand Ge ...

** No. 2 Squadron RNZAF ** No. 3 Squadron RNZAF ** No. 4 Squadron RNZAF **

No. 9 Squadron RNZAF No. 9 Squadron RNZAF was a New Zealand bomber reconnaissance squadron in the Pacific War, Pacific Theatre of World War II. History The squadron formed as No. 9 General Reconnaissance Squadron operating Lockheed Hudson aircraft at Plaine Des Gai ...

No. 40 Squadron RNZAF , colors= , colors_label= , march= , mascot=Mariners compass star , equipment= Boeing 757, C-130H Hercules , equipment_label= , battles= World War II, Korean War, Malaya, Vietnam War, Rwanda, Somalia, Gulf War, East Timor, Solomon Islands, I ...

No. 41 Squadron RNZAF No. 41 Squadron was a transport unit of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). The squadron was formed in 1944, and conducted transport flights in the south Pacific during World War II. It remained active after the war, and flew supplies to th ...

No. 42 Squadron RNZAF No. 42 Squadron is an active transport squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). It was formed at Rongotai Airport (Wellington) in December 1943 to provide a communications service around New Zealand, initially using impressed civilia ...

; *

Portugal Air Force , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = 1 July , equipment = , equipment_label ...

; * South African Air Force ; *

** No. 24 Squadron RAF **

No. 48 Squadron RAF No. 48 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron that saw service in both the First and Second World Wars. History First World War No. 48 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps was formed at Netheravon, Wiltshire, on 15 April 1916. The squadron wa ...

** No. 53 Squadron RAF **

No. 59 Squadron RAF No. 59 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force, based in Norfolk, England. History No.59 Squadron was formed at Narborough Airfield in Norfolk on 1 August 1916 as a squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. On 13 February 1917, the Squadr ...

** No. 62 Squadron RAF **

No. 117 Squadron RAF No. 117 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a transport and communications unit in World War II. History Formation and World War I No. 117 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was form ...

** No. 139 (Jamaica) Squadron RAF **

No. 161 Squadron RAF No. 161 (Special Duties) Squadron was a highly secretive unit of the Royal Air Force, performing missions as part of the Royal Air Force Special Duties Service. It was tasked with missions of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) and the Secr ...

** No. 163 Squadron RAF **

No. 194 Squadron RAF 194 Squadron RAF, though formed as a training unit in Egypt and ended as a casualty evacuation unit in Malaya, was for most of its active service life a RAF transport squadron that flew in South East Asia. History Formation and World War I Fo ...

No. 200 Squadron RAF No. 200 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated during the First and Second World War. The squadron was first formed in mid-1917 and during the First World War, it undertook a training role, before being disbanded in mid-1919. It was re-formed in ...

No. 203 Squadron RAF No. 203 Squadron RAF was originally formed as No. 3 Squadron Royal Naval Air Service. It was renumbered No. 203 when the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 April 1918. History First World War The squadron can be traced to The Eastchurch Squadron, wh ...

** No. 206 Squadron RAF **

No. 212 Squadron RAF No. 212 Squadron RAF is an inactive squadron of the British Royal Air Force. First World War The squadron was first formed as No. 12 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service, a training unit of No. 1 Wing, founded at Hondschoote on 8 June 1917. H ...

No. 217 Squadron RAF No. 217 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the RAF. It was formed and disbanded four times between 1 April 1918 and 13 November 1959. In World War I it served in a strike role against enemy bases and airfields in Belgium. In World War II as par ...

No. 220 Squadron RAF No. 220 Squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF) was founded in 1918 and disbanded in 1963 after four separate periods of service. The squadron saw service in both the First and Second World Wars, as a maritime patrol unit, and finally as part of Brit ...

** No. 224 Squadron RAF **

No. 231 Squadron RAF No. 231 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force between 1918 and 1946, active in both World War I and World War II in various roles. History First World War No. 231 Squadron was formed from Nos. 329 and 330 Flights of the seaplane ...

No. 233 Squadron RAF No. 233 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron that operated from 1918–1919, 1937–1945, 1952–1957 and 1960–1964. The squadron was formed from several Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) flights and took part in the tail end of the First ...

** No. 251 Squadron RAF **

No. 267 Squadron RAF No. 267 Squadron RAF was a unit of the Royal Air Force that served during World War I & World War II. The squadron has been formed a total of four times. History The squadron was formed at RAF Kalafrana, Malta on 27 September 1918 from Nos. ...

No. 271 Squadron RAF No. 271 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was operational for two periods; a few brief months between 27 September 1918 and 9 December 1918 operating flying boats to protect shipping from German U-boats, and between 28 March 1940 and 1 December 1 ...

No. 279 Squadron RAF No 279 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force air-sea rescue squadron of World War II. The squadron was formed on 16 November 1941 and disbanded on 10 March 1946. History No 279 Squadron was formed at RAF Bircham Newton on 16 November 1941. It wa ...

No. 285 Squadron RAF No. 285 Squadron RAF was a non-operational Second World War Royal Air Force squadron that operated a variety of aircraft to provide targets for anti-aircraft gun practice initially in the North Midlands and North Wales area. History The squadron ...

No. 287 Squadron RAF No. 287 Squadron was an anti-aircraft co-operation squadron of the Royal Air Force from 1941 to 1946. History The squadron was formed at RAF Croydon on 19 November 1941 from No. 11 Group RAFs Anti-Aircraft Co-Operation Flight. The squadron flew ...

No. 288 Squadron RAF No. 288 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as an anti-aircraft co-operation unit in World War II. History Formation in World War II The squadron formed at RAF Digby on 17 November 1941 and was equipped with Lysanders, Bl ...

No. 289 Squadron RAF No. 289 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron formed as an anti-aircraft cooperation unit in World War II. History Formation in World War II The squadron formed at RAF Kirknewton on 17 November 1941 and was equipped with Lysanders a ...

No. 353 Squadron RAF No. 353 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron, active during World War II carrying out maritime patrol and transport tasks. History No. 353 Squadron was formed on 1 June 1942 at Dum Dum, British India from 62 Squadron RAF and 103 (Coast ...

No. 357 Squadron RAF No. 357 Squadron was a special operations squadron of the Royal Air Force. During the Second World War it was involved in supplying Allied ground forces operating behind enemy lines, in the South-East Asian theatre. History The squadron was f ...

** No. 500 (County of Kent) Squadron RAuxAF **

No. 517 Squadron RAF No. 517 Squadron RAF was a meteorological squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. History No. 517 Squadron was formed on 11 August 1943 at RAF St Eval, Cornwall, when No. 1404 (Meteorological) Flight RAF was re-numbered. ...

No. 519 Squadron RAF No. 519 Squadron RAF was a meteorological squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. History No. 519 Squadron was formed on 15 August 1943 at RAF Wick from 1406 Flight, equipped with Handley Page Hampdens and Supermarine Sp ...

No. 520 Squadron RAF No. 520 Squadron RAF was a meteorological squadron of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. History The squadron was formed at RAF Gibraltar on 20 September 1943 from 1403 Flight. Equipped with Lockheed Hudsons, it was tasked with c ...

No. 521 Squadron RAF No. 521 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was a Second World War meteorological observation unit operating from Norfolk. History First formation The Squadron began on 4 February 1941 as No. 401 (Met) Flight of RAF Bomber Command. When all the m ...

** No. 608 (North Riding) Squadron RAuxAF **Communication Flight Iraq and Persia *

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

** 4 aircraft from Royal Air Force ; * Sperry Gyroscope *

Civil operators

; * East-West Airlines * Adastra Air Surveys ; * COBETA Compagnie Belge de Transports Aeriens ; * TAP – Transportes Aéreos Portugueses ; *

British West Indian Airways BWIA West Indies Airways Limited, known locally as "Bee-Wee" and also as British West Indian Airways and BWIA International, was the national airline based in Trinidad and Tobago. At the end of operations, BWIA was the largest airline operating o ...

; * BOAC – British Overseas Airways Corporation

Surviving aircraft

Hudson bomber passenger variant DSC02062

;Australia * A16-105 – Hudson IV on static display at Canberra Airport in Pialligo, Australian Capital Territory. It is owned by the

Australian War Memorial The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in wars involving the Commonwealth of Australia and some conflicts involving pe ...

and was restored at the museum's Treloar Technology Centre. * A16-112 – Hudson IV airworthy at the Temora Aviation Museum in Temora, New South Wales. It is painted as a Hudson III, serial number A16-211, with the nose art ''The Tojo Busters''. Ownership was transferred to the RAAF in July 2019 and it is operated by the Air Force Heritage Squadron (Temora Historic Flight). * A16-122 – Hudson IVA in storage at the RAAF Museum in

Point Cook, Victoria Point Cook is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Wyndham local government area. Point Cook recorded a population of 66,781 at the 2021 census. Point ...

. ;Canada * BW769 – Hudson IIIA on static display at the

North Atlantic Aviation Museum The North Atlantic Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located in the town of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. History The association to establish the museum was formed in 1985 and the museum opened to the public in 1996. The muse ...

in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador. It was previously mounted on a pedestal near Gander International Airport for many years. It is painted as T9422. * FK466 - Hudson VI under restoration at the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton, Ontario. ;New Zealand * NZ2013 – Hudson III on static display at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand in Wigram, Canterbury. * NZ2031 – Hudson III on static display at the Museum of Transport and Technology in Western Springs, Auckland. * NZ2035 – Hudson III under restoration at the Ferrymead Aeronautical Society at Ferrymead Heritage Park in Christchurch, Canterbury. * NZ2049 – Hudson IIIA owned by Bill Reid and on display at the

Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre The Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre is an aviation museum located at the Omaka Air Field, from the centre of Blenheim, New Zealand. History A resurgence of heritage aviation interest began in the Marlborough area in the late 1990s when a group o ...

. * NZ2084 – Hudson IIIA with Nigel Wilcox in Christchurch, Canterbury. * Unknown – Unknown fuselage under restoration to static display in a private collection near

Ardmore Aerodrome Ardmore Airport is an airport 3 nautical miles (5.5 km) southeast of Manurewa in Auckland, New Zealand. History Ardmore was constructed during World War II by USAAF forces stationed in Auckland and was intended to be used as a base for ...

near Manurewa, Auckland. ;United Kingdom * A16-199 – Hudson IIIA on static display at the Royal Air Force Museum London in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. It is painted in the colours of the 13 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force.

Specifications (Hudson Mk I)

References

Bibliography

* Borth, Christy. ''Masters of Mass Production''. Indianapolis, Indiana: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1945. * Douglas, W.A.B. ''The Creation of a National Air Force''. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: University of Toronto Press, 1986. . * . * Francillon, René. ''Lockheed Aircraft since 1913''. London: Putnam, 1987. . * Herman, Arthur. ''Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II''. New York: Random House, 2012. . * Kightly, James."Database: Lockheed Hudson". ''

Aeroplane An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spec ...

'', Vol. 43, No. 10, October 2015. pp. 73–88. * * Marson, Peter J. ''The Lockheed Twins''. Tonbridge, Kent, UK: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd, 2001. . * Parker, Dana T. ''Building Victory: Aircraft Manufacturing in the Los Angeles Area in World War II''. Cypress, California: Amazon Digital Services, Inc., 2013. . * * * Swanborough, Gordon and Peter M. Bowers. ''United States Navy Aircraft since 1911''. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1976. . * Vincent, David. ''The RAAF Hudson Story: Book One'' Highbury, South Australia: David Vincent, 1999. * Lake, Alan. ''Flying Units of the RAF – The ancestry, formation and disbandment of all flying units from 1912.'' Airlife Publishing Ltd, Shrewsbury, UK, 1999, .

External links

RNZAF Museum Hudson pageTemora Aviation Museum Hudson page
{{Authority control Hudson Lockheed PBO Low-wing aircraft World War II patrol aircraft of the United States Aircraft first flown in 1938 Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft

Design and development

Operational history

World War II

Postwar use

Variants

Operators

Civil operators

Surviving aircraft

Specifications (Hudson Mk I)

See also

References

Bibliography

External links