#1085

Lockheed Hudson

🇺🇸 United States ·first flew 1938· bomber, reconnaissance, transport, maritime patrol aircraft

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences

1. Lockheed A-29 Hudson USAAF in flight c1941: USAAF· Public domain
2. A Lockheed Hudson Bomber (2820267847): Powerhouse Museum Collection· No restrictions
3. Hudson V 48 Sqn RAF in flight 1942: No. 48 Squadron RAF· Public domain
4. Hudson bomber passenger variant DSC02062: Yewenyi at English Wikipedia· CC BY-SA 3.0
5. Lockheed Hudson III Point Cook Vabre: Phil Vabre· GFDL
6. RAF Lockheed Hudson: Bzuk ( talk )· Public domain
7. RNZAFMuseumLockheed Hudson: Winstonwolfe· Public domain
8. A Lockheed Hudson Bomber A16-10 from The Powerhouse Museum: Clyde works in Granville, NSW· Public domain
9. Hudson Bomber Aircraft Model: Huddart39· CC0
10. Lockheed Hudson Bomber (5570741442): Powerhouse Museum from Sydney, Australia· Public domain

what is it?

The Lockheed Hudson is a light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built by the American Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. It was initially put into service by the Royal Air Force shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by it thereafter. The Hudson was a military conversion of the Model 14 Super Electra airliner, and was the first significant aircraft construction contract for Lockheed: the initial RAF order for 200 Hudsons far surpassed any previous order the company had received.

How to recognise it: 2 piston engines with propellers · 20 m wingspan

base stats

speed 396 km/htop speed
range 3,150 kmwithout refuelling
size 7,938 kgmax take-off weight
built 2,941made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

First flew 88 years ago, in 1938.
Top speed is 3.0× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
Wingspan of 20 m: about 4 cars parked nose to tail.
Range of 3,150 km: 18× Amsterdam to Brussels.

piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.

spec sheet

first flight: 1938-12-10
introduced: 1939
number built: 2,941
role: bomber, reconnaissance, transport, maritime patrol aircraft
origin: 🇺🇸 United States
makers: Lockheed Corporation
engines: 2× Wright GR-1820-G102A Cyclone
length: 13.5 m
wingspan: 20 m
height: 3.6 m
max take-off weight: 7,938 kg
top speed: 396 km/h
cruise speed: 354 km/h
range: 3,150 km
ceiling: 7,620 m

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.

family

Sources: Wikidata Q1328822, Wikipedia: Lockheed Hudson (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.