Aircraft [Lockheed Model 137 RB-34 Lexington NZ4600]
Maker and role
Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Manufacturer
Production date
1941
See full details
Object detail
Accession number
1982.760
Production period
Description
Lockheed Model 137 RB-34 Lexington (PV-1 Ventura variant). General reconnaissance and bomber aircraft. The aircraft is painted grey and there are roundels of yellow, blue and white. On port side of fuselage is a caricature of a face in yellow, black and red; written next to it in white is 'NZ PUT THE SQUEEZE ON 'EM'. There are 3 landing wheels - 2 at the front and one at the back.
The Ventura is a monoplane with twin engines: Pratt and Whitney R2800 Double Wasp 18 cylinder 200 HP. There is a 3-bladed propeller at each engine, painted black with yellow tips. There are Perspex windows at the nose with 2 machine guns and a gun turret mid-way down the fuselage.
The Ventura is a monoplane with twin engines: Pratt and Whitney R2800 Double Wasp 18 cylinder 200 HP. There is a 3-bladed propeller at each engine, painted black with yellow tips. There are Perspex windows at the nose with 2 machine guns and a gun turret mid-way down the fuselage.
Brief History
Lockheed Lexington RB-34 Ventura NZ4600
This is the only surviving Ventura in New Zealand. The Ventura was the standard bomber used by the RNZAF during the latter part of World War Two 1939-1945). The RNZAF operated 139 Venturas which were originally acquired to replace the Hudsons as bomber reconnaissance aircraft. However they were used more as bombers than the Hudsons had been, flying in formations of up to six, attacking Japanese land and sea targets.
Venturas operated at Guadalcanal, Espiritu Santo, and Bougainville, as well from bases in Fiji and New Zealand. As well as bombing they filled a number of roles: shipping and submarine searches, mine-laying, barge-hunting, supply-dropping, photo-reconnaissance, leaflet raids, navigation escort for fighters on transit flights and once they even carried out offensive heavy fighter sweeps.
MOTAT’s Ventura was built during 1940 for United States Army Air Force lend-lease supply to the RAF. It was never operated by the RAF, and transferred to the RNZAF, arriving in New Zealand in June1943. Registered as NZ4600, this aircraft performed advanced training and coastal patrol roles throughout New Zealand but never saw service in the Pacific. It was eventually sold for scrap to a farmer who made use of some parts of the aircraft. When acquired by MOTAT, NZ4600t was missing some parts, including the wings. These parts were later sourced from crash sites in Papua New Guinea.
Date: 1941
Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, California
Type: Twin-engined patrol bomber
Wing span: 19.96 m
Length: 15.74 m
Engine: Two 2000 HP Pratt & Whitney R-2800 18-cylinder radial engines
Armament: Four 50 calibre machine guns, two 30 calibre machine guns, up to 5000 lb of bombs and/or depth charges or one acoustic torpedo
Accommodation: Five crew
This is the only surviving Ventura in New Zealand. The Ventura was the standard bomber used by the RNZAF during the latter part of World War Two 1939-1945). The RNZAF operated 139 Venturas which were originally acquired to replace the Hudsons as bomber reconnaissance aircraft. However they were used more as bombers than the Hudsons had been, flying in formations of up to six, attacking Japanese land and sea targets.
Venturas operated at Guadalcanal, Espiritu Santo, and Bougainville, as well from bases in Fiji and New Zealand. As well as bombing they filled a number of roles: shipping and submarine searches, mine-laying, barge-hunting, supply-dropping, photo-reconnaissance, leaflet raids, navigation escort for fighters on transit flights and once they even carried out offensive heavy fighter sweeps.
MOTAT’s Ventura was built during 1940 for United States Army Air Force lend-lease supply to the RAF. It was never operated by the RAF, and transferred to the RNZAF, arriving in New Zealand in June1943. Registered as NZ4600, this aircraft performed advanced training and coastal patrol roles throughout New Zealand but never saw service in the Pacific. It was eventually sold for scrap to a farmer who made use of some parts of the aircraft. When acquired by MOTAT, NZ4600t was missing some parts, including the wings. These parts were later sourced from crash sites in Papua New Guinea.
Date: 1941
Manufacturer: Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Burbank, California
Type: Twin-engined patrol bomber
Wing span: 19.96 m
Length: 15.74 m
Engine: Two 2000 HP Pratt & Whitney R-2800 18-cylinder radial engines
Armament: Four 50 calibre machine guns, two 30 calibre machine guns, up to 5000 lb of bombs and/or depth charges or one acoustic torpedo
Accommodation: Five crew
Marks
NZ4600 Painted
Media/Materials
Credit Line
Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. 1941. Aircraft [Lockheed Model 137 RB-34 Lexington NZ4600], 1982.760. The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
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