PV-1 pilot's seat, any photos??

[wanganui]

Bit of a strange request, do any of the readers have photos of a PV-1 pilots seat?? Either period photos or perhaps taken recently from any museum examples??
Thanks in advance, Kerry.

[trx850]

Hi Kerry. Here's a selection from my files.
Hope they are of use.

Seat in MOTAT's RB-34.



PV-1 seat from the 'web'.



Scan from my PV-1 manual.



RAF Ventura II pics from the 'web'.

Cheers,
Pete M.

[wanganui]

Thanks Pete, just what the doctor ordered!! Kerry.

[markrogers]

Hi there, I just found these pictures here of the PV-1, RB-34, and RAF Ventura II cockpit interiors. These pictures are good, but I'm looking for more pictures of the rear area in the cockpit in the PV-1 Ventura and RB-34, showing the wall behind the pilot's seats. Was there just one wall on the left side behind the pilot's seat in the PV-1, or was there a full wall with a door in the middle? Were the PV-1 cockpit and RB-34 cockpits both the same? The information is needed for a flight simulation project. If anyone could help that would be much appreciated, thanks.

[davidd]

From memory, there was just the partial bulkhead behind the pilot's seat, nothing at all on the right-hand side, and most certainly no door! The PV-1 and B-34 cockpits were fairly similar, but certainly not identical, I believe the Wireless operators compartment had some differences in equipment arrangements. I imagine the earlier Venturas as used by RAF were pretty much the same set up too. Incidentally, RNZAF never used or recognized the "R" prefix bestowed by the USAAF on their B-34s, similarly the name Lexington was unknown in New Zealand, and nobody seems to know if it was ever used anywhere in the world, certainly not by USAAF or RAF.
David D

[Mustang51]

Sorry cannot help you there. Our's had B-24 seats fitted and the bulkhead extended behind the co-pilot after its civil transport conversion

[Dave Homewood]

Have you looked here?

rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/20036/lockheed-34-ventura-motat

and
rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/21969/ventura-interior

[markrogers]

Thanks for all the replies, much appreciated. Dave, the photos certainly help too. A lot of these photos didn't show before but they do now. Thanks Dave. I agree that there was just one wall behind the pilot's seat on the left and that there was just a open space on the right for easy access I presume. I'm also inclined to believe that both the PV-1 and the B-34 (left out the R as it wasn't recognised in NZ!) had the same basic cockpit wall behind the pilot's seat.

The B-34 were just called Ventura in NZ so no recognition of the name Lexington here it seems.

Does anyone know if the PV-1 Ventura Pilot's manual would have diagrams and pictures of the whole cockpit structure including the rear wall?

I'm also wondering if much of the interior items in the MOTAT B-34 came from NZ4522 at Talasea? Some guys from MOTAT went to Talasea to salvage things from NZ4522 to use in the restoration of the B-34, in the 1970's I think. Were there exterior items salvaged from NZ4522 as well?

[Dave Homewood]

The interior of the Ventura is surprisingly similar to the interior of the Hudson, although I'm sure those who've worked closely on the Hudsons like Denys would probably be able to point out hundreds of differences. But my general impression was how similar it felt in the cabin and cockpit.