Lockheed Hudson Mk.III

RAF Reconnaissance Bomber

A British Purchasing Commission arrived in the United States in April 1938 seeking maritime patrol aircraft for the RAF. In response, Lockheed offered a modified Model 14 Super Electra airliner, which legendary designer Clarence “Kelly” Johnson redesigned overnight – notably adding a glazed nose for a navigator and bomb aimer.

A contract for 200 aircraft was signed in late June 1938, making the newly named Lockheed Hudson the first American aircraft to enter RAF service in World War II.

Though adapted from a civilian design, the Hudson became a vital warhorse. It executed diverse roles – including anti-submarine patrols, convoy escorts, bombing strikes, and covert insertion missions for resistance fighters in occupied Europe – before shifting to transport and training duties later in the war.

Among its variants was the 1940 Hudson Mk III, powered by twin 1,200 hp Wright Cyclone radial engines and fitted with a retractable ventral gun for lower-rear defense.