The success of the Hudson in RAF service led Lockheed to propose a military version of the larger Lockheed 18 Lodestar and resulting British interest led to development of the Lockheed 37. During 1940 a total of 675 of these aircraft was contracted for the RAF, which named the type the Ventura, and the company lost little time initiating production in the Vega factory. By comparison with the Hudson, the Ventura had far more effective armament, a heavier bomb load and more powerful engines, and appeared to have considerable potential. First used operationally by the RAF on 3 November 1942, the type was soon found to be unsuited to daylight operations and was transferred to Coastal Command. Nevertheless, the Ventura was procured in large numbers under Lend-Lease, and was built for the US Army Air Force and US Navy, this last service designating it the PV-1 Ventura. Venturas served with all the Commonwealth nations, the Free French and with the Brazilian air force. A long-range version, the PV-2, had been ordered by the US Navy in June 1943 and, differing in several respects from the Ventura, was named the Harpoon; Ventura and Harpoon production totalled 3,028 in September 1945. Post-war surplus PV-2 aircraft were supplied to Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Peru and Portugal.
