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Hudson
Manufacturer : Lockheed
In 1938, the British Purchasing Commission sought an American maritime patrol aircraft and light bomber for the United Kingdom to support the Royal Air Force's Avro Anson. On 10th December 1938, Lockheed produced a modified version of the Lockheed Model 14 Super Electra which was a commercial airliner and the Hudson Mk I went into production. The Hudson was the first significant aircraft construction contract for the Lockhead Aircraft Corporation with the initial RAF order for 200 Hudsons far surpassed any previous order the company had received. By February 1939, Hudsons began to be delivered. A total of 350 Mk I and 20 Mk II Hudsons were supplied in total. These had two fixed Browning machine guns in the nose and two more in a Boulton Paul dorsal turret. Initially the first batch of Hudsons were supplied to No.224 Squadron RAF based at RAF Leuchers in May 1939. By the start of the war in September 78 Hudsons were in service. Not only did the RAF use the Hudson but the Hudson also served throughout the war with Coastal Command and was also used in transport and training roles as well as delivering agents into occupied France. They were also used extensively with the Royal Canadian Air Force wiht their anti-submarine squadrons. They were operated by RAF Special Duties squadrons for clandestine operations, with No.161 Squadron in Europe and No.357 Squadron operating in Burma. During the war, they were used as maritime patrol aircraft in the Pacific by the US Navy, the RAAF and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. A total of 2,584 Hudsons were built. They began to be withdrawn from front line service in 1944. The Hudson provided the basis for the development of the Lockhead Ventura. |
Hudson
Hudson Artwork Collection |
Hudson Attack by Marii Chernev. |
Squadrons for : Hudson | ||
A list of all squadrons from known to have used this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name. | ||
Squadron | Info | |
Country : UK Founded : 1st January 1918 Fate : Disbanded 17th December 1945 It shall be done | No.117 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 1st June 1918 Fate : Disbanded 2nd June 1945 Liberate | No.161 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 1st April 1918 Nihil nos effugit - Naught escapes us | No.206 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 1st April 1918 Fate : Disbanded 10th July 1963 We observe unseen | No.220 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 1st April 1918 Fate : Disbanded 31st October 1966 Fedele all amico - Faithful to a freind | No.224 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 31st August 1918 Fate : Disbanded 31st January 1964 Fortis et fidelis - Strong and faithful | No.233 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : May 1918 Fate : Disbanded 30th September 1946 However wind blows | No.251 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 27th September 1918 Fate : Disbanded 30th June 1970 Sine mora - Without delay | No.267 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 6th October 1918 Fate : Disbanded 24th May 1963 Omnia videmus - We see all things | No.269 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 16th November 1941 Fate : Disbanded 10th March 1946 To see and be seen | No.279 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 1st June 1940 Fate : Disbanded 2nd August 1945 Dutch Animo libere dirigimur - We are guided by the mind of liberty | No.320 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 1st February 1944 Fate : Disbanded 15th November 1945 (Special Duties) Mortem hostibus - We bring death to the enemy | No.357 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : Canada Founded : 8th May 1941 Fate : Disbanded 4th June 1945 Demon To hold on high | No.407 Sqn RCAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : Australia Founded : 10th February 1942 Fate : Disbanded 10th April 1945 Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.459 Sqn RAAF | No.459 Sqn RAAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 15th April 1916 Fate : Disbanded 7th January 1976 Forte et fidele | No.48 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 16th March 1931 Fate : Disbanded 10th March 1957 County of Kent (Auxiliary) Qua fata vocent - Whither the fates may call | No.500 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 7th August 1943 Fate : Disbanded 31st May 1946 Undaunted by weather | No.519 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 1st August 1941. Fate : Disbanded 1st April 1946 Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.521 Sqn RAF | No.521 Sqn RAF 521 Squadron was formed on the 1st August 1941 from No 1401 Flight at Bircham Newton, it continued to conduct meteorological reconnaissance duties. 521 Squadron flew Hudsons and Blenheims for North Sea patrol duties, Spitfires and Mosquitoes over Europe. It was disbanded when it was divided into Flights again, No's 1401 and 1409. But on the 1st September 1943 it was reformed in its previous role at Docking. 521 Squadron was re equipped with Hampdens, Hudsons and Gladiators, with Venturas arriving in December 1943. In August 1944 Hurricanes joined the Gladiators and Hudsons returned to replace the Venturas in September 1944. In December 1944 Flying Fortress IIs arrived for long range sorties and these were operated together with Mk IIIs from May 1945 until February 1946. Halifax Mk.III bombers replaced the Flying Fortresses in December 1945 and following the withdrawal of the Fortresses, 521 Squadorn was disbanded on 1st April 1946 at Chivenor. | |
Country : UK Founded : 21st June 1916 Fate : Disbanded 4th January 1961 Ab uno disce omes - From one learn all | No.59 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. | |
Country : UK Founded : 17th March 1930 Fate : Disbanded 10th March 1957 North Riding (Auxiliary) Omnibus ungulis - With all talons | No.608 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available. |
Signatures for : Hudson | |||||||
A list of all signatures from our database who are associated with this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | |||||||
Name | Info | ||||||
Flight Lieutenant Owen V Burns Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by Flight Lieutenant Owen V Burns | Flight Lieutenant Owen V Burns Owen Burns was a Wirelss Operator and ir Gunner on Blenheims with 235 Sqn in May 1940, and flew during the Battle of Britain. In 1941 was injured when the aircraft he was on crash landed, killing the observer.Owen Burns went onto join 279 Sqn on Hudsons carrying out Air Sea Rescues | ||||||
Air Chief Marshal Sir Lewis Hodges KCB CBE DSO DFC* Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by or with the mounted signature of Air Chief Marshal Sir Lewis Hodges KCB CBE DSO DFC*
| Air Chief Marshal Sir Lewis Hodges KCB CBE DSO DFC* Lewis Hodges flew with 49 Sqn from June 1940 until he was shot down over occupied France in Sept 1940 and taken prisoner by the Vichy French. He managed to escape and made his way back to England, rejoining 49 Sqn. He took part in the attacks against the German Channel dash operation in Feb 1942. In Nov of that year he joined 161 (Special Duties) Sqn, flying Halifaxes, Lysanders and Hudsons landing and parachuting agents into German occupied territory. Among the people he brought out of France were two future Presidents - Vincent Auriol and Francois Mitterand. He died 4th January 2007.
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Max R Stanley Click the name above to see prints signed by Max R Stanley | Max R Stanley Max Stanley's first employment as a professional pilot was by Lockheed as a co-pilot ferrying newly built Hudson bombers from the Burbank factory to the East Coast. These aircraft were then shipped by boat to England. With the advent of America's Lend Lease Program, Lockheed loaned Max to Pan Am where he spent two years as a Captain shuttling all types of twin-engine aircraft from Miami across the South Atlantic to British forces in Africa, Egypt and India. When Pan American terminated its ferry operations, Max was employed by United Air Lines as a Captain of four-engine cargo/passenger aircraft flying the route from San Francisco to Australia. In early 1943 Max resigned from United and accepted an offer of employment from Northrop as an experimental test pilot. His war time work included serving as the primary test pilot on the P-61 Black Widow program, where he made the first flight in all variants accept the XP-61. He also recorded first flights in the Northrop F-15, the Trimotor Pioneer, and the Trimotor C-125 Raider. Max also participated as a test pilot in the F-89 Scorpion and T-38 Talon programs. His most significant test pilot assignments involved his participation in Jack Northrop's Flying Wing program. Max made numerous flights in the N-9M, which was a 1/3 d scale model of a large flying wing bomber. When the first full size aircraft was ready, the X13-35, Max was selected as Chief Test Pilot of the huge flying wing for the Contractor Phase 1 Test Program, and began preparing for the first flights. As the program evolved, Northrop's designers converted the B-35, which was powered by four huge piston engines, into the Y13-49, which was powered by eight early jet engines. Max was also selected to be Northrop's Chief Test Pilot on the B-49. During the course of this program Max would set a World Record for jet aircraft with a non-stop, unrefueled flight of 3,950 miles in a little over 9 hours, while carrying a simulated 10,000 pound bomb load. Once the Air Force accepted delivery, Max turned over primary test pilot chores to his Air Force counterpart on the program, Bob Cardenas. Max' next assignment was with the SM-62 Snark missile program where he served as the Chief Pilot for the numerous manned aircraft which were used during the development and testing of the missile. Max Stanley is a Founding Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and he served for several years as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots Scholarship Foundation. Max is also a member of the Caterpillar Club, having qualified on two occasions. After a twenty-eight year career at Northrop, Max is generally known as the Dean of Northrop test pilots. | ||||||
Flying Officer J A Tommy Thomas Click the name above to see prints signed by Flying Officer J A Tommy Thomas | Flying Officer J A Tommy Thomas Trained in 1941/2 as a winch operator on Fairy Battles and Lysanders, target towing for Spitfire OUT. In 1942 Tommy remustered as Air Gunner and in 1943 he joined 161Special Duties Squadron at Tempsford on Halifax's B flight, He later detached to A flight on Hudsons and Lysanders for mail pick-up duties. His training and quick thinking saved him and Bob Large when on one memorable flight Tommy reacted instantly to a tow wire fouling the elevators of their Lysander. Between July 43 and July 45 he completed 33 Ops. out of Tempsford and Tangmere. | ||||||
Fl/Lt G A White Click the name above to see prints signed by Fl/Lt G A White | Fl/Lt G A White Fl/Lt G A White volunteered for the RAF in January 1940, aged 19. He trained as a Wop/Ag and from October of that year, flew on 86 operational flights on Lockheed Hudsons of 206 and 279 Squadrons of Coastal Command, totalling 923 operational flying hours. On one occasion, in November 1941, after successfully bombing and sinking one of three German mine sweepers off Ushant at low level, the port engine caught fire from the intensive return barrage from all three ships. With the pilot, Sgt John Whitfield DFM, of 206, we somehow managed to make it back to Predannock in Cornwall, smoking all the way!. Commissioned in May 1942, and after an official suggestion, as a result of his operational experience, he volunteered to fly Spitfires without guns. Qualifying as a PR pilot, he joined 682 Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron in May 1945 at San Severo, Italy, where he took part in high level photography up until VE Day in Mk XIs. In August 1945 he became Staff Photographic Officer for Desert Air Force until his discharge in 1946. |
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