Hudson IVA

The Lockheed Hudson IVA was the final production variant of the company’s World II‑era light bomber and coastal‑reconnaissance aircraft. Developed from the earlier Hudson I–III models, the IVA entered service in early 1944 after the United States and British Commonwealth air forces requested increased range and payload for anti‑submarine patrols over the Atlantic. The aircraft retained the rugged, all‑metal monocoque fuselage and low‑wing layout of its predecessors but incorporated a strengthened wing spar, enlarged fuel tanks in the wing roots and a revised bomb‑bay that could hold up to 1,200 lb of depth charges or rockets. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney R‑1830‑94 Twin Wasp radials delivering 1,200 hp each, the Hudson IVA could cruise at 215 knots and reach a maximum altitude of 22,000 ft. Advanced navigation equipment, including the GEE radio‑beacon system and an APS‑4 radar set, gave crews reliable all‑weather capability. Though only 250 units were built before production switched to the larger Lockheed Ventura, the Hudson IVA proved decisive in closing the “mid‑Atlantic gap,” reducing U‑boat losses in the war’s final months. Its combination of reliability, range and modest payload made it a benchmark for post‑war transport aircraft and a lasting icon of Lockheed’s wartime ingenuity.

Lockheed Corporation

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