Northrop P-61C 'Black Widow' by junge1
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Description
Apparently there are only four P-61s in existence world-wide. Besides this P-61C, (43-8330) here at the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F.Udvar-Hazy Center, there is a P-61C (43-8352) at the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson, OH, a P-61A (42-39417) at the Beijing Aeronautics Institute, Beijing, China and a P-61B (42-39445) which has been recovered from a mountain top near Hollandia, Papua New Guinea and is being restored to flying condition by the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum at Reading, PA.
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow , named for the American spider, was the first operational U.S. military aircraft designed specifically for night interception of opposing aircraft, and was the first aircraft specifically designed to use radar.
The P-61 had a crew of three: pilot, gunner, and radar operator. It was armed with four 20 mm (.79 inch) Hispano M2 forward-firing cannons mounted in the lower fuselage, and four .50 mm (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns mounted in a remote-controlled dorsal gun turret.
It was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom design developed during World War II. The first test flight was made on 26 May 1942, with the first production aircraft rolling off the assembly line in October 1943. The last aircraft was retired from government service in 1954.
Although not produced in the large numbers of its contemporaries, the Black Widow was effectively operated as a night-fighter by the United States Army Air Forces squadrons in the European Theater, the Pacific Theater, the China Burma India Theater, and the Mediterranean Theater during World War II.
It replaced earlier British-designed night-fighter aircraft that had been updated to incorporate radar when it became available.
After the war, the P-61 - re-designated the F-61 - served in the United States Air Force as a long-range, all weather, day/night interceptor for Air Defense Command until 1948, and Fifth Air Force until 1950 (Wikipedia and other sources).
This picture was taken on 3 June 2015,
Sig...
Comments (18)
Faemike55
very impressive aircraft almost looks like the predecessor to the current Warthog Cool capture and information
SunriseGirl
A short but useful history for this fine little aircraft.
starship64
Great shot of this beautiful airplane!
giulband
Great documentation and very well taken photo !!
prutzworks
nicely designed plane and interstin info
jayfar
This is a great shot Sig.
ontar1
Love the POV, and thank you for the info!
farmerC
Fantastic shot.
kgb224
Wonderful capture my friend. God bless.
rawdodb
The Yellow one in the foreground is also one of Jack Northops, The prototype flying wing.... Excellent shot and interesting History... Wasn't sure any had survived...
lyron
Great image!!!
jocko500
wonderful
danapommet
Did not know most of this information Sig so thanks for the history lesson and a super photo!
flavia49
fabulous shot
auntietk
Such an interesting design! It looks quite menacing. I particularly like the windows at the back. :)
Richardphotos
looks like it has had it's share of bumps. MIT engineers suggested to paint them Jet Black. after several months they were(factory) but almost too late for service in WWII
debbielove
I have seen and photographed the one at Dayton, thanks Bill for that.. Impressive aircraft, interestingly some U.S. Night Fighter units when they finally were offered these wouldn't give up their Mosquito's.. There is a Mosquito and two Spitfires in the Dayton Museum.. (And a Beaufighter!). They were used in the Pacific much more, Mosquito's were not, the heat melted the glue holding the wooden body in place! Nice POV mate. Rob
junge1
@debbielove ; Thanks for the information on the Mosquito and Beaufighter Rob. BTW, when I saw the Beaufighter at Duxford I didn't even know what it was, but I liked the looks of it!