Warbird Information Exchange

Does anyone know of anyone in the States who is in the process of restoring or has plans to restore a PV-1 Ventura? To my knowledge there are no flying PV-1 in existance.

There is a group in Canada... I think New Foundland, that is restoring one to fly. I think that they are the only ones in the world trying to do a flying restoration.

Cheers,
Richard

Anyone know if efforts are being made to get this example airworthy once again?

http://www.airliners.net/open.file?id=1 ... id=1166439

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

There is at least one PV-1 project underway in Canada; don't know about Newfoundland, but the Ventura Memorial Flight Association, based at the Alberta Aviation Museums Association "double double" hangar at Edmonton, Alberta, have a former Arctic survey and RCAF PV-1 under rebuild to fly. At least one WIXer is directly involved with that project and could provide way more info than I can. Did see the project once, twelve years ago, at which time it had a long way to go but was an impressive sight nonetheless. The big Lockheed twins are sadly underrated as Warbirds.

Also, BTW, I seem to recall that the Howard 500 "boardroom bomber" was a made-over Ventura (the Howard 250 was certainly a modified Lodestar); if so, there are a couple of those still flying Stateside and, I think, one in the UK...

S.

We currently own the Type Certificate for the Howard 500, which is now called the Sierra 500 thanks to the FAA.

There is one fully functional and flying Howard 500 that I know of. What a great and amazing airplane!!

There are a couple Howard 250s still running, one in Chino that I know of.

I think the only active PV-1/B-34 restoration in the U.S. is a group in Florida doing a static restoration of N1000X on behalf of the Navy. There was another project in the U.S., out East I think, but I believe the plane moved to Brazil(?) and is now on display in a Museum there.

There are a couple of ex-RCAF Venturas still extant in the U.S. N183PL I assume is still in storage at Chico and N234P was involved in the Hurricane in New Orleans. Both are Super Venturas I believe. I'd love someday to try to bring one back to PV-1 status, but I'm sure it would take more time, money and patience then I posses.

Jim

That aeroplane belongs to the RAAF Museum and unfortunately suffered a wheels up forced landing near Richmond, New South Wales, after the magneto switch shorted out both engines. The RAAFM simply does not have the resources to put it back in the air again and the last time I saw it, was in store at Point Cook, Victoria. The damage to the aircraft was aircraft was pretty minimal, all considered, basically engine cowls, propellors. Both engines had had recent overhauls, which is a real shame.

The only PV-1 Ventura at this time being restored to fly is up here in Canada. I don't know if it was by sheer providence or B.S. luck but we have managed to get all the original RCAF interior bits to restore the aircraft as a stock PV-1/GR.V aircraft when it was in service with 149BR Squadron on our 'left-coast' during the war. We are still, slowly, getting it done and it only seems to be the lack of $$$ that is holding us back. Anyone got some deep pockets that would like to help us get this rare bird back into the airshow circuit?
Check us out at www.rcafventura.ca for more info!

Tony Jarvis
President
Ventura Memorial Flight Association

There was a awesome 500 based in Troutdale before going back east to WI or MN. Painted olive with checkerboard cowls . Jeez what a machine!!!!

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Don't touch my junk!!

There's some info on the Howard 500 on this site: http://www.flightsimonline.com/howard500/

It's about a Flightsim project but includes images and videos of the real thing, as well as a lot of background info.

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A Little VC10derness - A Tribute to the Vickers VC10 - www.VC10.net

The 500 Jack saw is based at Anoka county airport in Minnesota.
I've seen it alot and it used to fly to alot local airshows here.
They also have another one in rough shape just for parts I think.
Here is a website with a phoyo shoot of the Howard.
www.maxair2air.com

According to the FAA search site, there are 34 registered PV-1s in the U.S. How many are in warbird config, don't know.

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Bob

Another PV-1 seen at Oshkosh in 2002.....Any ideas as to owner or registration?

http://home.att.net/~p.david.pride/AirV ... 2k_079.htm

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Bob

That's Hot Stuff...PV-2 .

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

The FAA may list that many PV-1's in existence, but that is just not the case. Ventura's are rare, rarer than many think, as the FAA list misleads you. Almost all of the aircraft on the list are executive conversions, none are stock, and the majority of them no longer exist or have deteriorated to the point of being rendered unairworthy.
The only near stock Ventura left in the U.S. is at the Fred E. Weisboro Museum in Pueblo, Colorado. Even this aircraft has had it's left outer wing panel blown off during it's stint as a lightning research test bed and been replaced with a wood reproduction. It is also reported to be a B-37, which makes it even rarer still!
Most PV-1 conversations morph into Howard 500 or PV-2 Harpoon discussions and there always seems to be a lot of confusion over just how many are still around. To date, we have been only able to find 35 examples WORLDWIDE and some of these are just bit's and pieces from wreck sites. When you consider that just under 2500 were produced, the survivors deserve more recognition than has been forthcoming.