PV-1 Ventura

[Invader26]

The Ventura was an unsung hero of many nations and all theatres from Europe, Middle East and the Pacific.

Are there any examples capable of restoration to serve as a flying memorial to the thousands of RAF, USN, USMC, USAAF, RCAF, RAAF, RNZAF, SAAF and other who flew and maintained them?

[hercrat]

Yes there is!
The Ventura Memorial Flight Association here in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada has the only Ventura left in North America that is capable of being restored to Flying condition. Due to a change in the airport/hangar status in Edmonton, we have been forced to relocate the VMFA assets to Red Deer where the aircraft and parts are in outside. secure storage beside the Buffalo Airways hangar.
Currently our website is down but more info can be had at the following email: rcafventura@hotmail.com

Thanks for asking!

Tony Jarvis
President, VMFA

[Invader26]

Thanks for the update. There are three PV-1's In Australia with two static [Queensland Air Museum's looking good] and ex-flyer held by RAAF Museum slightly damaged after a landing accident many years ago and sadly not on display...

[Brenden S]

Where is the 3rd one in Australia?

[hercrat]

If I am not mistaken, there is one that has been returned to Gove in the Northern Territories. I lost track of it when it was removed with the idea of restoring it to static so my info may not be entirely correct. It was a burned out airframe that had been pushed to the side during the war after a maintenance accident. Don't have the registration right in front of me but yes, there are 3 extant Ventura's in Aussie.

[avenger2504]

There is an ex RNZAF Ventura at MOTAT Auckland New Zealand too.

[ErrolC]

There is an ex RNZAF Ventura at MOTAT Auckland New Zealand too.

Technically a RB-34-VE Lexington Mk 2

I thought I had a more recent photo of it, but apparently not - this from 2016.I think it is in temporary storage while they finish the DC-3 (which is in the restoration hangar now, and can't get past the Solent under scaffolding just outside).

Ventura hasn't looked this good for years! by Errol Cavit, on Flickr

[Taigh Ramey]

We have an ex RCAF Ventura (buNo 34602) that flew lots of coastal patrol in WWII with 115BR. She is a project and has Howard mods and is presently a Super Ventura. Not a lot of PV-1 left but as rare as they are she is better than nothing. With enough effort she could go back to stock but she will stay a Super Ventura for the time being. She is probably closer to flying than many. She has been on the back burner with very slow progress.

[Fouga23]

Any pics you could share, Taigh?

[Dave Homewood]

There is an ex RNZAF Ventura at MOTAT Auckland New Zealand too.

Technically a RB-34-VE Lexington Mk 2

Nope, despite what you may have seen written in the past in modelling magazines and the likes, technically it is a B-34 Ventura. It was built as a Ventura for the RAF, served briefly as a B-34 with the USAAF (not in the Aleutians as some have stated) and then served in the RNZAF as a B-34 Ventura.

I quote from historian David Duxbury who posted this on the Wings over New Zealand Forum on the 12th of September 2014:
"Incidentally, not only did the RNZAF never use the designation RB-34, but it never used Lexington either - both PV-1s and B-34s were known in RNZAF service simply as Venturas for generic purposes, or by the two designations employed earlier in this sentence if they wanted to be specific. Even the fleet of PV-2s intended for service with the RNZAF were referred to in most correspondence simply as PV-2s, or sometimes "PV-2 Venturas". I have never come across any reliable evidence that in fact any operator of the B-34s ever used the name Lexington, and feel that this name should not be used in connection with their RNZAF service. Can anybody contradict this theory? "

His further research found that he actually cannot find any evidence of Lockheed ever using the name Lexington too, and I followed that up with a search that turned up nothing too.

[ErrolC]

Any chance of getting MOTAT to change their website do you think, because that is where I checked!

[Dave Homewood]

Probably not Errol, they still seem to think Richard Pearse was the first man to fly

[Taigh Ramey]

Any pics you could share, Taigh?

Here you go:
http://www.twinbeech.com/PV-1superventuraN183PL.htm

[Mark Sampson]

A data point: My father (who passed in 1979) dis some of his aerial gunnery training in a B-34 (Lexington or Ventura) in 1943. It's listed in some of his remaining USAAF paperwork; he went on to fly 32 missions out of England as a B-17 FE/waist gunner. So the Ventura provided important non-combat service as well. Hope we can see one or more flying soon!

[Invader26]

Looking forward to see that Super Ventura airborne again...

The RAAF PV-1 sits disassembled at RAAF Museum Pt Cook. It's a shame as the damage from her double engine failure forced landing is relatively minor. The engines stopped because of a short in the magneto switch which dead cut the engines. It was an old style switch..