All Thomas Gunn aircraft are hand carved in mahogany and take around 60 hours to manufacture, each comes with a full interior and all are limited editions.

The Lockheed Ventura was a bomber and patrol aircraft of World War II, used by United States and British Commonwealth forces in several guises. Developed from the Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar transport, as a replacement for the Lockheed Hudson bombers then in service with the RAF.  Used in daylight attacks against occupied Europe, they proved to have weaknesses and were removed from bomber duty and were then used for patrols by Coastal Command.

American Ventura’s saw service as a bomber, a night fighter and would lead bomber formations, since they were equipped with radar.  The Ventura was first delivered to US Forces in December 1942, and entered regular service in February 1943. The first squadron in combat was VP-135, deployed in the Aleutian Islands in April 1943. They were operated by three other squadrons in this theatre. From the Aleutians, they flew strikes against bases Japanese islands in the Kurile chain.

Thomas Gunn have created the aircraft flown by VP-133 and based out of Tinian in the last year of the war.  The whole squadron carried the octopus tentacles around the turret.  The squadron flew 400 miles (640 km) sector searches to the west and southwest of Tinian and conducted frequent reconnaissance flights to Caroline island group and raided by-passed Japanese bases including Truk.  In 23 March 1945 a detachment of six aircraft was sent to Iwo Jima to spearhead attacks against Japanese picket boats guarding the approaches to the home islands. The heavily armed picket boats served as Japan’s early warning system to give the Japanese air defense command notice of incoming raids by B-29 aircraft.

Lieutenant (JG) Wilson was the first squadron pilot to tangle with these vessels, sinking one and damaging another. Both he and his co-pilot, Ensign McCarthy, were so badly wounded by AA fire in the attack that the plane captain, AMM 1c Henry M. Sandler, had to take over the controls and fly the damaged Ventura back to Iwo Jima.

*This 1/30 scale hand carved Mahogany wood version is only 1 of 5. The figures and accessories are shown for scale comparison purposes only and are not included. 

Info: Lockheed Ventura, WWII Display Model