I can’t imagine how it must have been to do and see the things those young men did. Not only did I learn about the history of this awesome airplane, but also got a small (very small…) glimpse of how the crew might have felt as they prepared for war. It was truly one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had! I couldn’t help but feel like I was sent back in time as I sat in the cockpit looking at the old steam gauges and original instruments. They headed out to a practice area and started doing maneuvers (steep turns, stalls, etc.). They taxied to the end of the runway and with 2,000 horsepower per engine we barreled down the runway and off into the sky. I listened to the pilots as they started the powerful Pratt and Whitney R-2800 engines and completed their checklists. They had me sit up in the cockpit and put a headset on. I walked up to take a closer look and ask a few questions and was surprised when the pilots offered to take a few of us on a ride! They were doing some training and were gracious enough to offer an unforgettable experience for us. I had never seen one of these before so I was very interested in learning more. It proved to be a capable and reliable airplane and eventually became popular with operators all over the world. Though they had complications that required several wing redesigns, they created the PV-2 Harpoon.
Lockheed beefed up the wings and increased the useful load in order to make a more capable machine. As with many early designs, there was plenty of room for improvement. The Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon was a major redesign of the PV-1 Ventura which was a patrol and bomber aircraft used by the United States and British Commonwealth forces during World War II.
This past week was no exception as I had the opportunity to learn about the Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon! This was an airplane that I had never heard of so I got to learn a lot about a really cool piece of history. It seems like every day that I see a new airplane or meet an interesting person. Aircraft of the Week – Lockheed PV-2 HarpoonĪs I mentioned in my last article, I have the unique opportunity to be around all kinds of airplanes.
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