The Lockheed Hudson was an American-built light bomber and coastal reconnaissance aircraft built initially for the Royal Air Force (RAF) shortly before the outbreak of the Second World War and primarily operated by the RAF thereafter. The Hudson served throughout the war, mainly with Coastal Command, but also in transport and training roles, as well as delivering agents into occupied France. They were also used extensively with the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) anti-submarine squadrons. 

In all, a total of 2,584 Hudsons were built. They began to be withdrawn from front line service in 1944. Some Hudsons were converted to civil transports after the war, and the Hudson formed the basis for development of the Lockheed Ventura. Lockheed Hudson Mk VI, FK466, was built in September 1942. It was ferried from Burbank, California, to Eastern Air Command at RCAF Station Debert, Nova Scotia, on October 5, 1942. It was first assigned to No. 31 (RAF) Operational Training Unit (OTU) at RCAF Station Debert to train crews to ferry Hudsons to England.

On May 22, 1944, FK466 began the process for modification to Air Sea Rescue (ASR) configuration. As part of the ASR conversion, FK466 was equipped with an Uffa Fox, Mk. I, Airborne Lifeboat. These boats, which were mounted under the aircraft’s fuselage, were equipped with two gas engines, one sail and emergency rations. FK466 was then transferred back to Eastern Air Command. FK466 was then attached to No. 1 (Composite) Detachment on April 1, 1945 and was based at RCAF Station Torbay, Newfoundland. No. 1 Composite Detachment had been formed to provide target towing, search and rescue, and communications duties as part of Eastern Air Command.
The Air Sea Rescue element of the squadron, which included FK466 and other aircraft and personnel, was transferred to the control of RCAF Station Torbay when No. 1 Composite Squadron was disbanded on July 7, 1945. The Air Sea Rescue Flight operated for about two months using Hudsons FK466 and FK495.

FK466 was flown to No. 1 Reconnaissance and Navigation School at Summerside, Prince Edward Island, by the Officer Commanding (OC) of the Air Sea Rescue Flight, George Webster, after disbandment of the Air Sea Rescue Flight, on September 15, 1945. The school was moved to RCAF Station Greenwood, Nova Scotia, where FK466 was utilized by “Station Flight” for general transport duties until September 9, 1947, when it was placed on Aircraft Pending Disposal At Location (APDAL) at RCAF Station Greenwood, and then transferred to War Assets on November 10, 1947.

FK466 was purchased from War Assets, along with a number of B-24’s and other Hudson’s, by Mr. Pat “Airplane” Murphy, who was in the scrap metal business in Berwick, Nova Scotia. He cut off the wings in order to make transporting the aircraft easier, and then cut off the nose section to make storage easier in his scrap yard. Over the years, various parts and pieces from all of these aircraft were sold as scrap metal or for use by area locals. Mr. Laurie Layton, of L.W. Layton Salvage, in Canning, Nova Scotia purchased FK466 from Mr. Murphy in 1980 for $175. It remained at L.W. Layton Salvage as a dismantled hulk until 1988. FK466 was subsequently found and acquired by ACAM members and transported to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where it remained until October 2010, when it was moved into the restoration shop at the NAFMC.