PV-2D

PV-2D

PV-2D

USA

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.3	3.7	3.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Bomber

Torpedo bomber

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Description

The Lockheed PV-2 "Harpoon" was a significant development from the PV-1 "Ventura". The Harpoon, much like the name implies, was intended for maritime duties. One of the biggest complaints about the PV-1 was its lacklustre takeoff performance. To fix that, the PV-2 featured a longer wingspan to increase lift. Further modifications included more provisions for fuel, the removal of the bombardier's position, and other air frame changes. The R-2800-31 Double Wasp engine was kept in place from the Ventura. Performance was expected to be a bit worse except for range and take-off due to the extra fuel provisions and wing change. During initial testing, it was found that the wings would wrinkle, and another completely new redesign was needed to fix the issue. After the problem was remedied, the PV-2 Harpoon was quite popular within service and was also exported to other countries like Brazil and New Zealand. 

The PV-2D Harpoon was introduced in Update 1.67 "Assault" as a reward for the 2017 World War Two: Chronicle event. It is quite a rare aircraft but packs a much more powerful punch compared to its predecessor, the B-34 "Lexington". It features a much larger bomb load capacity, more defensive armament, and an incredible eight offensive 12.7 mm machine guns. Unfortunately, the Harpoon does not receive late-war .50 cal belts. However, it does receive two belts (stealth and universal), which have a belt composition of 4 out of 5 rounds being incendinary or AP-I. With its bomber spawn and flight performance, players can easily bomb targets before switching to attack other enemy bombers or fighters. Thanks to its flaps, the Harpoon can turn tight, which can surprise many enemy fighters. Overall, the PV-2D Harpoon is an excellent aircraft due to its numerous capabilities.

General info

Flight performance

Max speed

at 4 267 m478 km/h

Turn time28 s

Max altitude9 500 m

Engine2 х Pratt & Whitney R-2800-31

TypeRadial

Cooling systemAir

Take-off weight16 t

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 4,267 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	448	435	9500	29.2	30.1	8.9	8.9	549
Upgraded	513	478		26.9	28.0	16.2	12.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
601	277.8	326	309	222	~5	~3

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 260	< 290	< 320	> 337

Survivability and armour

Crew5 people

Speed of destruction

Structural0 km/h

Gear278 km/h

• 12.7 mm Steel - Armour plate cockpit, in front of the pilot
• 12.7 mm Steel - Armour plate cockpit, behind the pilot
• 12.7 mm Steel - Armour plate cockpit, behind radio operator/navigator
• 12.7 mm Steel - Armour plate - tail section and ventral gunner protection
• 12.7 mm Steel - Armour plate - dorsal gunner protective plate
• Fuel tanks at wing roots to middle of wing

Modifications and economy

Repair cost

AB665

RB1 186

SB2 091

Crew training10 000

Experts67 000

Aces400

Research Aces570 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

2 × 70 / 150 / 250 %

2 × 136 / 136 / 136 %

Modifications

Flight performance	Survivability	Weaponry
Fuselage repair Radiator Airframe Compressor Wings repair Engine Cover Engine injection	EFS	DGP-1 bmg50_belt_pack FRC mk.5 Mk 13 Mod 0 ITC mk.III bmg50_turret_belt_pack bmg50_new_gun SBC-17 bmg50_turret_new_gun LBC-25

Armaments

Offensive armament

The PV-2D is armed with:

• 8 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, chin-mounted (250 rpg = 2,000 total)

Suspended armament

The PV-2D can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

• 6 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (1,500 lb total)
• 8 x HVAR rockets
• 1 x 2,216 lb Mk.13-6 Case torpedo
• 6 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (3,000 lb total)
• 6 x 1,000 lb AN-M65A1 bombs (6,000 lb total)
• 6 x Type A Mark I mines
• 2 x Tiny Tim rockets
• 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns (340 rpg = 1,360 total)

Note: Gunpods are fired separately from nose armaments if fired via "Additional guns" keybinds.

Defensive armament

The PV-2D is defended by:

• 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, dorsal turret (400 rpg = 800 total)
• 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, ventral turret (1,000 rpg = 2,000 total)

Usage in battles

The PV-2D Harpoon is a bomber and should be played as such. Its gigantic and versatile payload options allow for enough power against ground/naval targets and bases. The eight nose-mounted 12.7 mm machine guns deal excellent damage, and can be used offensively with the dorsal turret able to point forward. Though the gunners provide ample top and bottom protection, the tail of the vehicle is a blind spot to the two turret gunners and thus a tailing pursuant would be a priority threat.

It is also viable for bomber hunting due to the bomber spawn and its offensive armaments. Engaging unsuspecting fighters is also good, provided that you utilise BnZing and extend away. If your nose guns are out, consider using your dorsal for emergency shooting. Without an arrestor hook, you must land on carriers with some risk. Approach low and slow, use your flaps to slow down more and land on the deck without deploying your gear. Your plane won't break, the fuselage and engines will eat the brunt of impact. Same applies to landing on ground, you can do a soft belly landing without dying.

If you do engage, try to drag the enemy to ground level. Dragging hostiles down is great for your team to pick off, and you can force pursuers to your tail by diving down. Dogfighting is not encouraged, but it can turn on a dime occasionally.

Enemies worth noting:

Yak-2 KABB: Do not think that the PV-2D can confidently outmanoeuvre this plane just because it is twin-engined. The Yak-2 has an amazing turn rate for a heavy fighter, thus the PV-2D must avoid turning with it, if not dogfighting with it in general. It bears a pair of ShVAK cannons that can easily damage vital parts like engine or cooling systems. It has green camo, greatly resembling an Me 410 but with an H-tail like a Bf 110's.

ZSD63: Though it is hard to identify specific SPAA vehicles on the ground from the air (especially when they are shooting tracers at the plane), if a ZSD63 is identified, avoid it at all costs and do not attempt head-ons with it, ever. It can easily snap a wing off by causally putting a short burst in the PV-2D's flight path. Don't even get close to it unless it is occupied with another friendly or if the PV-2D is equipped with a bomb that it can use. One identifying feature of the ZSD63 is its rather boxy and tall hull with a geometric turret sitting at the back, slightly similar to a Wirbelwind's. The firing manner is also distinctive: the sound and green tracers are very rapid, much like a buzz saw, but then it will remain silent for half a minute reloading. Note that an experienced ZSD player will hold its fire or shoot in single salvos with long halts between, making it look like that it's reloading. Armour-piercing belt is recommended since their high penetration can tear through the ZSD's armour with ease and knock out its crews.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 2 gears	Not controllable

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Very deadly offensive armament with plenty of ammunition
• Effective defensive armament with good coverage over rear section of aircraft
• The dorsal turret can swivel 360 degrees and even fire at targets off the nose of the plane
• Defensive armament has lots of ammo
• Good acceleration overall
• Acceptable climb rate
• Good energy retention in turns due to heavy weight(But do not turn too much, else you bleed all your energy)
• Large and versatile payload options

Cons:

• Huge airframe: prone to damage
• Big tail section is prone to attacks, usually crippling tail control
• Belly is a blindspot for gunners
• Cannot sustain multiple turns, energy will bleed despite nice energy retention
• Mediocre manoeuvrability
• Cannot fly on one engine: you cannot sustain flight with just one

History

Ventura

After the success of the Lockheed Hudson, Lockheed sought to introduce another bomber named the Ventura based off their Model 18 Lodestar transport aircraft. Though similar to the Hudson, the Ventura was a lot bigger. The Royal Air Force adopted the plane under the Ventura name, and the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) adopted it as the B-34 Lexington. Though the Ventura was faster and could hold twice as many bombs than the Hudson, the Royal Air Force did not like the plane very much and replaced them with Mosquitoes, the surplus Venturas sent to Coastal Command. America's usage of the B-34 Lexington was complicated with a feud in air power between the USAAF and the US Navy (USN). The USAAF had a monopoly on manufacturing and command of land-based bombers, leading to naval activities such as anti-submarine duties with bombers shouldered by the USAAF rather than the USN, forcing the usage of float planes like the Catalina in the Navy's role. It wasn't until a compromise with the B-29 Superfortress in a naval manufacturing factory that the Army finally gave the Navy the aircraft and jurisdiction to act in their roles.

Naval adoption

The Lockheed Ventura bomber, an aircraft the USN had an eye for, was converted for their usage. The adapted Venturas were adopted under the designation PV-1 Ventura for the navy, with special equipment for patrol bombing, increased fuel storage along with a decrease in forward defensive armaments, and the addition of search radar. The first PV-1s arrived in December 1942, then entered naval service in February 1943.

The PV-1 was an adequate bomber but provided some weaknesses needed addressing, most notably in that the increased fuel weight made it difficult to take-off without problems. The Ventura design was modified with an increased wing area in order to improve take-off and load-carrying capability. This allowed the aircraft to carry not only up to 4,000 lb of bombs but even rockets under the wings. The redesigned aircraft was accepted by the USN as the PV-2 Harpoon. More than 500 Harpoons were built in the course of the war, with several variants. The original PV-2 had five forward armaments whereas the PV-2D updated it with eight forward guns. The PV-2C and PV-2T models were models built for training.

Combat usage

The PV-1 was operated by three squadrons in the Pacific Theatre and flew bombing strikes against Japan. The PV-1 usually accompanied B-24s due to having a more sophisticated radar system. A few were also given to the Marine Corps fighter squadron VMF(N)-531 at the Solomon Islands.

The PV-2's design had a shaky start, issues with the wings wrinkling came off as dangerously problematic. Another redesign was needed, delaying the introduction into the Navy until early 1945, with the ones already delivered converted for training purposes as the PV-2C. When the Harpoons were finally shipped, it went as the PV-2D model, and these aircraft designs proved reliable and popular with the crews that used them.

After the war, the Venturas and its variants were eventually declared obsolete. A number were scrapped, some were given away to foreign nations during and after the war. A number of the aircraft still survive today in both airworthy and display-only conditions.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the PV-2D from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #93 - Pages of History section at 03:43 discusses the PV-2D.

PV-2D Harpoon - Today Is Payday - Napalmratte

Premium Review: PV-2D Harpoon [Hard Hitting] - Jengar

See also

Related development

• B-34
• Hudson Mk V (Great Britain)

External links

• [Devblog] WW2 Chronicles vehicles: The PV-2 Harpoon
• Official data sheet - more details about the performance

Lockheed Corporation
Fighters	XP-38G · P-38E · P-38G-1 · P-38J-15 · Bong's P-38J-15 · P-38K · P-38L-5-LO · YP-38
Bombers	B-34 · PV-2D
Jet Fighters	F-80A-5 · F-80C-10
	F-104A · F-104C
Strike Aircraft	F-117
Export / License	A-29 · ▄Hudson Mk V
	␗P-38L-1
	␗F-104A · ▀F-104G · ␗F-104G · ▄F-104G · ▅F-104J · ▄F-104S
	The Lockheed Corporation merged with Martin Marietta Corporation in 1995 to form Lockheed Martin Corporation.
See Also	SABCA · Mitsubishi Heavy Industries · Fiat Aviation