Howard 500

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title: "Howard 500" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1950s-united-states-business-aircraft", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1959", "twin-piston-engined-tractor-aircraft"] description: "American executive transport aircraft" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_500" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American executive transport aircraft ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]

Field	Value
name	Howard 500
image	File:Howard 500 N500LN Coventry 2000R.jpg
caption	Howard 500 N500LN demonstrating at Coventry airport, UK, in August 2000
aircraft_type	Executive aircraft
national_origin	United States
manufacturer	Howard Aero Incorporated
designer	Dee HowardDee Howard and Howard Aero Inc. bear no relation to Ben Howard, racing pilot and aircraft company founder, nor to his company, Howard Aircraft Corporation. and Ed Swearingen
number_built	22
first_flight	September 1959
::

| name = Howard 500 | logo = | logo_size = | image = File:Howard 500 N500LN Coventry 2000R.jpg | alt = | caption = Howard 500 N500LN demonstrating at Coventry airport, UK, in August 2000 | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Executive aircraft | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = United States | manufacturer = Howard Aero Incorporated | design_group = | designer = Dee HowardDee Howard and Howard Aero Inc. bear no relation to Ben Howard, racing pilot and aircraft company founder, nor to his company, Howard Aircraft Corporation. and Ed Swearingen | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 22 | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = September 1959 | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded =

The Howard 500 is an American executive transport aircraft produced by Howard Aero Incorporated during the early 1960s.

Design and development

During the 1950s and '60s, Howard Aero Inc., led by Durrell U. "Dee" Howard, had been remanufacturing military surplus Lockheed Lodestars and Lockheed Venturas for the executive market. Conversions of multi-engine World War II warplanes into business aircraft were popular at the time, and Howard came to prefer Lockheed designs, as he found heavy transports such as the C-47 to be too slow and light bombers such as the Douglas A-26 lacking in interior space.

While the Howard 500 bears a strong resemblance to the Lodestar and Ventura, it is a substantially new design with a completely new fuselage designed from the outset for pressurization, unlike those of its Lockheed forebears. The 500 is a luxurious aircraft with a spacious cabin, ample baggage capacity, a large door situated close to the ground for easy entry, and an onboard toilet.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Howard_500_N500HP_interior_06.06R.jpg" caption="The spacious interior of ''N500HP'', an executive Howard 500"] ::

The engine chosen was a new, higher-power and lighter-weight version of the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 that had been developed for the Douglas DC-6. Propeller hubs were taken from F4U Corsairs, four-blade propellers and spinners from DC-7s. The Howard 500 could accommodate 10 to 14 passengers with a large window for each. Increased fuel tankage over the PV-2 Ventura gave a maximum range with full reserves of 2600 mi. Maximum cruising speed was 350 mph at 21000 ft.

The prototype flew in September 1959, and type certification was achieved on February 20, 1963. However, by the mid 1960s, turboprops and business jets with tricycle landing gear were being introduced by major manufacturers; while the Howard 500 compared favorably with these aircraft in terms of speed and range, it was an anachronistic taildragger with piston engines, resulting in limited sales.

Twenty-two Howard 500s were produced initially, with a further eight being converted from earlier PV-2s to virtually the same standard.

Operators

Commercial firms operating the aircraft included: Republic Steel, Green Construction of Indiana, Nello L. Teer Company, KF Airlines, Pacific Petroleums of Canada, Northern Natural Gas Company and U.S. Metal Refining Company.

Surviving aircraft

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Howard_500_N500HP_exterior_06.06R.jpg" caption="Operational Howard 500 ''N500HP'' of the Herrick Collection, based near Minneapolis MN in 2008"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Howard500-Flapsdown.jpg" caption="Howard 500 ''N500LN'' demonstrating at the EAA convention in 2013"] ::

Of the 17 examples built to the full Howard 500 standard, two restored aircraft remained flying in 2019: aircraft registration N500HP (serial number 500-105,) and N500LN, both owned by TP Aero and based in Anoka, Minnesota.

Specifications

|ref=Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1965-66 |prime units?=imp General characteristics

|genhide=

|crew=2 |capacity=10–14 passengers |length m= |length ft=58 |length in=5+1/2 |span m= |span ft=70 |span in=4 |height m= |height ft=13 |height in=7 |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft=592.22 |aspect ratio=8.35:1 |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb=23000 |gross weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb=35000 |fuel capacity=1550 USgal Powerplant

|eng1 number=2 |eng1 name=Pratt & Whitney R-2800-CB17 |eng1 type=eighteen-cylinder two-row radial engines |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp=2500

|prop blade number=4 |prop name=Hamilton-Standard 24E60-7037A-50 propellers |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in=

Performance

|perfhide=

|max speed kmh= |max speed mph=410 |max speed kts= |max speed note=at sea level |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph=350 |cruise speed note=at 21000 ft (econ.cruise) |stall speed mph=103 |never exceed speed mph=450 |range km= |range miles=2600 |range nmi= |ceiling m= |ceiling ft=35000 |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin=2550 |more performance=*Takeoff distance to 50 ft (15 m): 2412 ft

• Landing distance from 50 ft (15 m): 3575 ft

|avionics=

Notes

References

Bibliography

References

1. Scott, Ken. (May 1, 2019). "Purpose Built".
2. The only major components taken directly from the Lockheeds were the outer wing panels (from surplus Venturas) and undercarriage (from [[Lockheed Ventura#PV-2 Harpoon. PV-2 Harpoon]]s). Howard purchased wing and fuselage jigs from Lockheed to use as patterns for jigs for the new aircraft, while the wings were designed [[Wet wing. wet]]. The pressurization system maintained a differential of {{convert. 6.75. psi. 16000. ft.Marson, 2001, p. 26
3. Marson, 2001, p. 27
4. Marson, 2001
5. "Aircraft Inquiry - N Number 500HP".
6. Taylor 1965, pp. 243–244.

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