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WW2 Chronicles vehicles: The PV-2 Harpoon

You can unlock this vehicle during the special event : War Thunder Chronicles!

The PV-2 Harpoon is no PT boat, as the name would usually suggest, but a significantly redesigned Lockheed Ventura - a very popular and well known twin engined medium bomber used in a massive numbers towards the end of the World War 2. ​

The Harpoon was a twin-engined Naval reconnaissance patrol bomber aircraft derived from the PV-1 Ventura (the version build for the US Navy). It was massively reworked model build on the good experience gained with its predecessor, even so, some issues were addressed. The wing area was increased by around 12 square metres, giving it an increased bomb load and shorter take-off time, which was one of the major weaknesses of the PV-1. The tail area was produced as a completely new construction, the structure of the fuselage was reworked for strengthening and the bomb bay area enlarged. Even though the total mass of the aircraft was increased by quite a large factor (around 900 kg), the new machine had better flight characteristics and was more controllable.

Additional armament in the form of multiple forward-firing machine guns and an option to carry HVAR rockets. This was enhanced even more with the D version (the model that will be introduced into the game), which increased the total count of the forward firing 0.5 inch Browning M2 machine guns to the number of 8.

The PV-2 was powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engines with a maximum of 2,000 horsepower each that gave it maximum speed up to 282 mph (454 km/h) at an altitude of 13,780 ft (4,200 m). Its maximum service ceiling was 23,620 ft (7,300 m) with an empty weight of 21,000 lbs (9,538 kg) and a maximum weight with fuel and bomb load was 36,000 lbs (16,300 kg). It was able to carry up to 6,000 lbs of bombs.

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The PV-2 Harpoon was a reliable and successful aircraft, but due to the end of World War 2 additional orders were canceled and its career ended shortly after the war, in the USA the aircraft remained in service until 1948 (much longer in other countries, though; e.g. until 1975 in Portugal) and many were converted to the PV-2T trainer version.

Its career doesn't need to come to the end in War Thunder though - version D of the PV-2 will come as a unique reward for the Chronicles of World War 2. It is sure to please many fans of the US Naval bomber branch, especially admirers of the PBJ type aircraft which it will share its specific and similar playstyle with.

Do not forget to check details about War Thunder Chronicles!