Copyright 2009 by Brandon Cope
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Lockheed Hudson Mark I
The Lockheed Hudson is one of the lesser-known combat aircraft of WWII,
despite playing an important role for the British early in the war. The
Hudson had its origins in a 1938 British request for an aircraft for
the maritime patrol and navigational trainer roles. Lockheed used the
export version of their Model 14 Super Electra passenger plane, as the
basis for the new plane.
The Hudson was primarily used by Coastal Command of the RAF. However,
it was also used in the Pacific by the US Navy, Australia and New
Zealand. Three-hundred and fifty Mark I’s (and just under 2,600 of all
versions) were built and it saw service throughout the war, although it
began to be pulled from frontline service in 1944.
Apart from use as a light bomber and maritime reconnaissance, the
Hudson was also used for air-sea rescue (carrying an external,
droppable life boat), transport and (in Burma) covert operations. The
Hudson was the first American-built plane in RAF service to shoot down
a German airplane. Hudsons were also the first Canadian and American
planes to sink U-boats.
The Hudson Mark I had a crew of five: pilot, co-pilot/navigator,
bombardier (who operates the front MGs), turret gunner, and radio
operator. The plane burns 52 gallons of aviation fuel per hour.
Subassemblies: Medium
Fighter-Bomber chassis +4, Heavy Fighter-Bomber Wings +4, full-rotation
Medium Weapon turret [Body:T] +0, two Large Weapon Pods [Wings:F] +2,
three retractable wheels +1.
P&P: two 820-kW aerial HP
gasoline engines w/820-kW prop each [Pod:F] with 644-gallon
self-sealing tanks [Wings & Body]
Occ: 5 CS
Cargo:
22.5 Body.
Armor
All: 2/3
Weaponry
2¥Aircraft LMG/Vickers K [Tur:F] (960 rounds)
2¥Aircraft LMG/Vickers K [Body:F] (1,920 rounds)
4¥250-lb Bombs [Body:U]
Equipment
Body: Large radio receiver and transmitter, IFF, autopilot, navigation
instruments, bombsight, 1,400-lb bomb bay.
Statistics
| Size: 44'x65'x12' |
Payload: 3.6 tons |
Lwt: 8.76 tons |
Volume: 448
|
Maint.: 35 hours |
Price: $31,000 |
HT: 7.
HP: 210 Body, 225 each Wing, 20 each Wheel, 75 each Pod, 75 Turret.
aSpeed: 246
|
aAccel: 6
|
aDecel: 20
|
aMR: 4.5
|
aSR: 2
|
Stall: 77
|
gSpeed: 190
|
gAccel: 9
|
gDecel: 10
|
gMR: 0.5
|
gSR: 2
|
|
Design Notes
The historical wing surface of 551 sf was used. Weight was increased 3%
to match historical weight. Design aSpeed was 282 mph.
The Hudson could alternatively carry ten 100-lb bombs.
Variants
Seventy of the Hudson II were built, with a stronger airframe (HT 10,
HP 420). Twenty went to the RAF, 50 to Australia.
The Hudson III used more powerful engines (895-kW, aSpeed 255) and
added three more .303 Vickers ‘K’ MGs (one ventral and one in each beam
position) and one more gunner. Bombload was also increased to 1,600
lbs. Some 428 were built, the last 241 with fuel tankage increased to
1,028 gallons.
The eighty Hudson IVs were conversions of II’s to the III standard, but
with 783-kW engines (aSpeed 284).
The Mk IVA was 52 A-28’s used by Australia.
The Mk V was similar to the Mk IIIs, with 409 being built. The last 207
were equipped with 1,028 gallon fuel tanks.
The Mk VI was 450 A-28A’s used by the RAF.
The A-28 and A-29 were the designation for Hudsons in American service
(they differed only in power plant; aSpeed 260 and 253 respectively).
The RBO-1 was the classification of 20 A-28’s operated by the USN. The
A-29A and A-29A had interiors that could be reconfigured as troop
transports. About 800 were build, about half the -A models. Those used
by the US replaced the powered dorsal turret with a single open-mount
12.7mm M-2 Browning. The American planes reduced crew to four.
The AT-18 was a gunnery trainer for the US, equipped with a powered
turret with two Browning M-2HB’s; 217 were built.
The AT-18A (83 of which were built) was the same but unarmed and was
used as a navigational trainer.
The civilian L-14 Super Electra (1937) was similar in game terms.
It had a crew of two and carried twelve passengers at 247 mph.