Lockheed Hudson at the RAF Museum

Did you know the Lockheed Hudson bomber was in fact a military version of a civilian airliner, the Lockheed Super Electra?

The Hudson first took to the air in December 1938 and entered service with the Royal Air Force just before the Second World War kicked-off in September 1939. The RAF initially ordered 200 Hudsons and they were based up at RAF Leuchars, in Scotland.

While not the fasted and most-nimble-looking aircraft, the Hudson scored the RAF’s first aerial victory from an aircraft that was operating from mainland United Kingdom, when one downed an enemy aircraft over Jutland. A Hudson was also credited with shooting down a four engine Focke Wulf Condor in 1941, while escorting a convoy off the coast of Ireland.

The Hudson was also used to counter the German U-Boat menace and in August 1941, a Hudson from 269 squadron managed to attack U570 while operating from an airbase in Iceland. The Hudson managed to damage the submarine to such an extent it forced the Uboat captain to surrender!

An American Hudson would become the first US aircraft to destroy a German Uboat, when it sank a Hamburg-built submarine off the coast of Newfoundland. A Canadian Hudson would then become the first Royal Canadian Air Force Aircraft to sink a German submarine in 1942.

A total of 2,941 Hudsons were built between 1938 and 1943 and they were operated as air taxis until as late as 1972.