Horse Drawn Bombers

[earl1937]

  The "Hudson Bomber", an aircraft designed and built by Lockheed aircraft company for the RAF in the late 30's. One of "Kelly Johnsons" first designs, 200 were purchased by the British after seeing a cut-away of the Lockheed model 14, a commercial airliner which Lockheed was building, as a proposed light bomber and marine patrol aircraft. The Hudson had a "cloak and dagger" type of beginning, being flown to the Canada border, then either pulled across the boarder with a tractor or with HORSES, then flown to CRAF base, dismantled and shipped to Liverpool. The Hudson had a number of "firsts" in WW2, the first allied aircraft to shoot down a German aircraft, over Jutland on Oct 8th, 1939. Was first a/c to capture a naval vessel, a German U-boat, U-570, as a U.S. Navy designated PBO-1, was first U.S. military a/c to destroy a German sub, U-656.
Several designations were bestowed on the Hudson bomber, AAF was a A-28, A-29's and Navy versions PBO-1 and AT-18's. The Hudson was the first major contract for Lockheed aircraft company and as history records, when on to produce some the top aircraft in the world. A total of 2,941 were built counting all the variants which were improved or modified.

[Zacherof]

I want this plane so bad

[Oldman731]

The "Hudson Bomber", an aircraft designed and built by Lockheed aircraft company for the RAF in the late 30's.

I've liked the Hudson since I saw "A Yank in the RAF" back when....well...quite awhile ago.  One of those forgotten warhorses.  Would be nice to have one today, if you could afford the oil and gas.

- oldman

[Fish42]

The RAAF was forced into using these and Wirraways for fighters and CAP after the buffalo were destroyed by the japanese forces in the first strikes of the war.

Hudsons were fighting the Japanese hours before pearl harbour was hit. They sunk and straffed the landing craft and helped hold them back until the last few flyable aircraft was ordered to evac. Packed full of people the last Hudsons flew out under light arms fire from the edge of the airstrip.

[earl1937]

I've liked the Hudson since I saw "A Yank in the RAF" back when....well...quite awhile ago.  One of those forgotten warhorses.  Would be nice to have one today, if you could afford the oil and gas.

- oldman

You would probably be surprised at how many companies in American used these good aircraft as personal transports. Gulf oil had 2 at one time that I know of, and I think Shell oil and Gulf oil both used these aircraft in the late 40's and though out the 50's and early 60's. Then in the middle 60's the Beechcraft Model 18 and the Kingaire begin to dominate the executive travel market and then later, the Lear jet and etc. 100 Octane, back in those days cost, at the pump, if I remember correctly, about 35 cents a gallon. I was paying 22 cents a gallon for regular car gasoline in those days.