The business aviation community wanted a vehicle that was fast, far reaching, pressurized and new. Dee Howard had the answer the Howard 500.
By 1959, Howard was flying his prototype of the 500, a larger aircraft that was based upon the PV 1 but had a redesigned fuselage and a 25% larger wing area. Howard’s 500 featured pressurization 6.75 psi; maximum cruising speed of 338 knots; with its 2,500 hp P&W R 2800 CB 17 engines throttled back to 1,100 hp each, the 500 could cruise for more than 8.5 hours and cover about 2,400 nm. But most importantly, the Howard 500 was constructed from new metal. At least the fuselage and the wing centre sections were new; the outboard wing panels were from surplus PV 1’s. The aircraft was granted a new aircraft certificate under the transport category regulations that existed then, on February 20, 1963.

The 10 to 14 passenger 500, with its cabin high enough to accommodate a standing six¬ foot two inch man, had water injection (officially called AD1 for anti detonation injection) and four blade, 11¬ foot diameter props; a 0.45 to one propeller drive re¬duction gear reduced the prop revolutions to less than half the engine’s speed. A two speed supercharger enabled the 34,000 pound Howard to fly up to 35,000 feet, although the maximum certificated ceiling with passengers was 25,000ft. Hydraulically operated rudder boosts lowered the minimum control speed, with one engine inoperative, from nearly 200 knots on the original Navy versions of the PV 1 Ventura to 95 knots. A yaw limiter system, which sensed the aircraft’s yaw angle and provided an electrical signal to the rudder boost system, was necessary to produce the required positive rudder force gradient with increasing yaw angles. Auto feathering assured that any loss of power below a BMEP of 75 psi with the throttle advanced beyond the 45 inch mp position would streamline the blades and eliminate the performance and Vmc penalties. The aircraft’s sole compressor for cabin pressurization was located on the left engine, and it would declutch itself automatically if the right engine failed, thus enabling the left engine to produce maximum power during single engine operations.
Production continued through the mid ’60s with twenty two 500s sold.

Cabin height: 6ft 2in.
Pax cap: 14.
Cruise: 300 kt.
Range: 2,100 nm.

By 1954, Howard had decided that the next step for corporate aircraft (which were mostly Twin Beeches and DC 3s at the time) was faster, farther ranging machines like his modification of the Lockheed PV 1 Ventura.
Howard introduced the Super Ventura, which led to development of the Howard 250, the 350, and culminated in the Howard 500.

By 1954, Howard had decided that the next step for corporate aircraft (which were mostly Twin Beeches and DC 3s at the time) was faster, farther ranging machines like his modification of the Lockheed PV 1 Ventura.
Howard introduced the Super Ventura, which led to development of the Howard 250, the 350, and culminated in the Howard 500.

By 1954, Howard had decided that the next step for corporate aircraft (which were mostly Twin Beeches and DC 3s at the time) was faster, farther ranging machines like his modification of the Lockheed PV 1 Ventura.
Howard introduced the Super Ventura, which led to development of the Howard 250, the 350, and culminated in the Howard 500.

In 1964 Business AirCraft Corp (successor to Howard Areo) announced sale of the first BA 400 pressurised Super Ventura. It cruised at 350 mph at 21,000 ft with a useful load of 10,100 lb. It was the only pressurised plane in production available for $550,000.