P-61 named “Blood and Guts” of the 426th Night Fighter Squadron, Liangshan, China 1945
P-61A-10-NO 42-5618 of the 427th NFS, Suichuan China January 1945
cockpit of a P-61 Black Widow
P-61B 42-39532 “Doubtful Doris” nose art 414th NFS
Inside photo of the Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighter 1945
P-61 Black Widow #332 “Vivacious Vivian” of the 550th Night Fighter Squadron
P-61 Black Widow 42-39397 ETO 2
P-61 Black Widow 42-5547 of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron
P-61 Black Widow 42-39397 ETO
P-61A 42-5506 “311”, pilot Maj Emerson Barker commander of the 419th Night Fighter Squadron. Guadalcanal, Carney airfield
P-61A 42-5524 Midnight Mickey of the 6th NFS
P-61 assembled at Guadalcanal
P-61 of the 6th NFS and pilot 1Lt Dale F. Haberman
P-61 of the 6th NFS landing on Saipan 1944
Black Widow 42-39628
P-61B 42-39408 Lady In The Dark of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron and P-61 42-5609 Bat Outa Hell
P-61 Black Widow and aircrew member
P-61 A-5-NO Black Widow 42-5562 of the 421st NFS
P-61 Black Widow on delivery Pacific
P-61A serial 42-5524 Midnight Mickey of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron Saipan
P-61 Black Widow Night Fighter Pacific 1945
P-61A 42-5580 Wabash Cannon Ball IV of the 425th Night Fighter Squadron France
P-61 Black Widow of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron 42-5564 Jukin Judy and 42-5536 Husslin Hussey 1944
P-61A 42-5544 of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron France
P-61 Black Widows of the 548th NFS Iwo Jima 10 March 1945
P-61A 42-5505 of the 419th Night Fighter Squadron on Guadalcanal is refueled for another mission June 1944
P-61 Black Widow of the 547th Night Fighter Squadron Luzon 1945
P-61 Black Widows of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron in flight
Black Widow 42-39682
P-61 Black Widow of the 422nd night Fighter Squadron France
Observation Post Of A Northrop P-61 Black Widow France. 27 September 1944 425th NFS
42-5610 Midnite Madness of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron and P-51D 44-63454 of the 47th Fighter Squadron 15th FG Iwo Jima
P-61A 42-5610 Midnite Madness of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron in flight
P-61 Black Widow Okinawa
P-61A 42-5531 personalized for Gen Barnes 13th Fighter Command 1944
Northrop P-61 A-10-NO Black Widow 42-39397 Germany 1945
P-61 Black Widow of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron
P-61 Black Widow of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron in flight
P-61A 42-5528 Jap Batty of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron taxiing at Saipan airfield
P-61 Black Widow of the 414th Night Fighter Squadron
P-61A Black Widow 42-5560 “The Creep” of the 425th Night Fighter Squadron and 42-5585 “Plenty Peed Off Patootie III” Europe
P-61 of the 6th NFS stop over at Kwajalein en route to Saipan 10 June 44 2
P-61 and Mustangs of the 47th FS 15th FG on Iwo Jima
P-61 Black Widow Mississippi Nite Mare nose art
P-61 Black Widow France 8 October 1944
P-61B Beautiful Ass of the 414th Night Fighter Squadron
P-61 A of the 6th NFS stop over at Kwajalein en route to Saipan 2
P-61 Black Widow Guadalcanal 1944
P-61 A of the 6th NFS stop over at Kwajalein en route to Saipan 10 June 1944
Black Widow 42-5628 of the 427th Night Fighter Squadron Burma 1944/45
P-61B 42-39478 “Black Magic” of the 414th Night Fighter Squadron pilot 1lt Robert G. “Rip” Bolander
P-61A Black Widow of the 6th NFS and P-47 of the 19th FS 318th FG Saipan
Northrop P-61 Black Widow of the 418th Night Fighter Squadron Being Refueled On Kadena Strip B
20 mm cannons bay on a P-61A of the 419th Night Fighter Squadron on Guadalcanal June 1944
P-61 Black Widow MTO
P-61 Black Widow with D-Day stripes of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron August 1944
Lt Herman E Ernst pilot of the 422nd NFS 9th AF P-61 42-5547 “Borrowed Time” in the cockpit
Black Widow “Little Joe” from the 549th Night Fighter Squadron Iwo Jima June 1945
P-61 Black Widow of the 425th NFS at Coulommier airstrip France 27 September 1944
P-61B 42-39405 Anonymous III of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron pilot 1lt Mel Bode
P-61 Black Widow “332” of the 550th Night Fighter Squadron. Vivacious Vivian nose art
Northrup P-61 Black Widow of the 9th Air Force France 27 September 1944
P-61 Black Widow PTO
P-61A 42-5528 Jap Batty of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron Saipan 2
P-61A 42-5560 Fearless Fosdick of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron, France September 27, 1944
Servicing the four guns in the top turret of a P-61 Black Widow Four 12,7 mm Brownings
Northrop P-61 Black Widow Crew Chief Of Lt. Colonel Oris B. Johnson 422nd Green Bats Night Fighter Squadron
Black Widow of the 547th Night Fighter Squadron lands on Lingayen airstrip Luzon, 17 May 1945
P-61 Black Widow in flight France 9th AF
Crashed P-61A Black Widow 42-5610 Midnite Madness of the 548th NFS April 1945
Black Widow 42-5486 undergoing cold weather testing at Ladd Field
Black Widow 42-5526 Nightie Mission of the 6th NFS on Saipan 10 July 1944
P-61 Black Widow named Carolyn
P-61 The Graveyard At Wheeler Field Oahu April 1945
Gen Earl Barnes personal P-61A, Middleburg Island, New Guinea 1944
P-61 Black Widows of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron
Black Widow Midnight Mickey of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron and F6F-3 Hellcats on Saipan, 1944
Clean And Fix The Brake On A Northrop P-61 Black Widow of the 9th AF France 27 September 1944
radar observer of the P-61 Black Widow 9th Air Force 422nd NFS
Northrup P-61 Black Widows Night Fighters of the 9th AF 27 September 1944
P-61A 42-5526 Nightie Mission of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron Saipan
Maintenance of the SCR 720 radar system on a P-61A Black Widow of the 6th NFS Saipan
P-61A 42-5524 Midnight Mickey of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron
P-61B 42-39403 The Spook 548th Night Fighter Squadron Iwo Jima
P-61 Black Widow 6th NFS Kwajalein
P-61A 42-5524 Midnight Mickey of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron Saipan June 1944
P-61A Black Widow 42-5570 of the 425th Night Fighter Squadron
P-61 42-5585 of the 425th Night Fighter Squadron Coulommier France 27 September 1944
P-61 Black Widow of the 425th Night Fighter Squadron lifts off the runway at Coulommiers Airfield A-58 France
Assembly of P-61 Black Widow on Guadalcanal
P-61A Black Widow 42-5561 assigned of the 548th NFS
P-61A Black Widow 42-5528 Jap Batty of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron Saipan
Black Widow of the 6th NFS stop over at Kwajalein en route to Saipan 10 June 1944
P-61 A of the 6th NFS stop over at Kwajalein en route to Saipan
P-61A 42-5583 Dangerous Dan of the 425th Night Fighter Squadron pilot 1lt Carl Byars
P-61A 42-5528 Jap Batty of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron Saipan
P-61A 42-5580 Wabash Cannonball IV pilot Maj Leon G. Lewis commander of the 425th NFS
Line of P-61 Night Fighter Planes Parked on Airfield
P-61 Black Widow night fighter of the 9th AF somewhere in France
P-61A Black Widow 42-5526 Nightie Mission of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron Saipan
P-61 Black Widows of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron over Pacific
Crashed “Jap Batty” P-61A 42-5528 of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron
P-61 Black Widow Night Fighter 42-5554 of the 6th NFS. “The Virgin Widow” nose art
Northrop P-61 Black Widow Bomb Loading
P-61A 42-5524 Midnight Mickey of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron Saipan
P-61 Black Widow of the 7th AF Base In The Marianas
Black Widow 42-39684 of the 416th Night Fighter Squadron in flight over Italy
Panagarh India P-61B formerly of the 426th or 427th NFS awaiting for salvage 1945
P-61A 42-5524 Midnight Mickey 6th Night Fighter Squadron taxiing at airfield Saipan June 1944
Northrop P-61A-5-NO Black Widow, Europe 1944 s/n 42-5564, 42-5536
Northrop P-61 Black Widow, 6th NFS, Husslin Hussy Nose Art
Northrop P-61 Black Widow ,left engine Europe
Northrop P-61 7AF rear view
Northrop P-61 Black Widows in flight during World War II – 7th AF
Northrop P-61 front view
Northrop P-61 Black Widow Blackout Hostess Nose Art
Northrop P-61 Black Widow 7AF at night
Northrop P-61 Black Widow
Northrop P-61A-1-NO Black Widow “Moonhappy” nose art, 6th NFS Saipan 1944, s/n 42-5527
Black Widow, #312 419th NFS (Night Fighter Squadron), Guadalcanal 1944
Northrop P-61A-5-NO Black Widow, “The Virgin Widow” Nose Art, 6th NFS Saipan 1944 – 1945, s/n 42-5554
Northrop P-61A-1-NO Black Widow “Sleepy Time Gal” Nose Art. 6th NFS Saipan 1945, s/n 42-5598
P-61 Black Widow “No love no nothing” nose art, Lt Col Oris Johnson 422nd NFS
Northrop P-61A-10-NO Black Widow, “Tabitha” 425th Night Fighter Squadron D-Day, s/n 42 5569 color photo
P-61B Black Widow Times A’ Wastin 547th Night Fighter Squadron Pacific
P-61 Black Widow pilot Lt. Smith 422nd Night Fighter Squadron october 1944
P-61 Black Widow rear view, 1944 9AF D-Day stripes
P-61B Black Widow nose art Times A Wastin 547 night fighter squadron
Northrop P61 Black Widow fighter
P-61B-2 Black Widow nose art “COOPERS SNOOPER”, 548th NFS Iwo Jima 1945, s/n 42-39454
P-61 Black Widow night fighter
Night fighter P-61 Black Widow
Northrop P-61 Black Widow
Crashed P-61B 42-39403 The Spook 548th Night Fighter Squadron Iwo Jima
Northrop P-61 Black Widow “315” of the 419th Night Fighter Squadron
Northrop P-61A-5-NO Black Widow, 1944 42-5552
P-61A-1 Black Widow nose art Nocturnal Nemesis, 421st NFS Tacloban Philippines, 42-5502
Maintenance of 425th NFS P-61 A Black Widow at Vannes airfield (A-33N) France, September 1944
Northrop P-61B-2-NO Black Widow, 42-39462 “340” of the 550th Night Fighter Squadron
Northrop P-61A-10-NO Black Widow, “Sleepy Time Gal”, 422nd NFS 9AF, France 1944, 42-5576
Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first US aircraft designed and built specifically for night fighting. The first of two XP-61 (s/n 41-19509) flew on 21st May 1942. By the summer of 1944 the type was in service, and by the end of that year was operating over Europe from bases in France. The P-61 was radar equipped and carried a usual armament of four 20 mm. cannon and four 12,7 mm machine guns. The principal models in service before Victory Day were the P-61-1/5, P-61 A, P-61 B and C. These were generally similar except in powerplant model and in the absence of dorsal turret on the P-61A and B and some P-61-1. A photographic version was designated F-15.
Production: 706 aircrafts.
Specifications:
variant | P-61A | P-61B-20 | F-15 Reporter |
crew | 3 | 2-3 | |
wingspan (m) | 20,12 | 20,12 | 20,12 |
lenght (m) | 14,88 | 15,11 | 15,34 |
height (m) | 4,32 | 4,47 | 4,32 |
wing area (m2) | 61,53 | 61,53 | 61,53 |
wheel base (m) | 5,24 | ||
empty weight (kg) | 7830 | 10637 | 9680 |
max take-off weight (kg) | 12090 | 16420 | 16870 |
engines | Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 DoubleWasp, radial, twin row 18 cylinders, air cooled, 2000 hp at 305m (at 2700 rpm); 1800 hp at 4700 m (at 2700 rpm). From P-61A-5: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-65 | Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 DoubleWasp, radial, twin row 18 cylinders, air cooled, 1850 hp for take-off (at 2700 rpm); 2250 hp at 457 m War Emergency Power (WEP) | Pratt & Whitney R-2800-73 DoubleWasp, radial, twin row 18 cylinders, air cooled, 2800 hp |
fuel (l) | 2385 | 2385 – 7115 (with external fuel tanks) | 4383 |
max speed (km/h) | 599 | 589 at 6100 m566 ar 3000 m 531 at 0 m | 708 |
cruising speed (km/h) | 322 | 322 | 507 |
landing speed (km/h) | 151 | 150 | 129 |
ceiling (m) | 10363 | 12500 | 12497 |
range (km) | 1947 | 885 – 3000 (with external fuel tanks) | 6437 |
climbing time | 8’30” at 6100 m | 12’00” at 6100 m | |
armament | 4 x 20mm, 4 x 12,7 mm | 4 x 20mm, 4 x 12,7 mm | – |
Bibliography:
- P-61 Black Widow Units of World War 2 – Warren Thompson, Mark Styling, Osprey Combat Aircraft 8
- Northrop P-61 Black Widow – Warren E. Thompson, Warbird Tech Series Volume 15, Specialty Press 1997
- P-61 Black Widow in Action – Larry Davis, David W. Menard, Squadron/Signal Publications Aircraft Number 106
- Pilot Training Manual for the P-61 Black Widow – Headquarters AAF, Office of Flying Safety 1944
- Northrop P-61 Black Widow – Miroslav Balous, MBI 1994
- Northrop P-61 Black Widow – Bunrin-Do Famous Airplanes of the World 72
- The 421st Night Fighter Squadron in World War II – Jeff Kolln, Schiffer Publishing (A Schiffer Military History Book, 2001)
- Conquering The Night – Army Air Forces Night Fighters At War – Stephen L. McFarland
- Queen of the Midnight Skies: The Story of America’s Air Force Night Fighters – Garry R. Pape, Ronal C. Harrison, Schiffer Publishing 1992
- The Concise Guide to American Aircraft of WWII – David Mondey
- Air Force Colors 1942-47 volume 3: Pacific & Home Front 1942-47 – B.Stadt & D.Bell, Squadron-Signal Aircraft Specials 6152
- Air Force Colors Vol. 2, ETO & MTO 1942-45 – Dana Bell, Squadron/Signal Publications 6151
- USAAF Aircraft Markings and Camouflage 1941-1947: The History of USAAF Aircraft Markings, Insignia, Camouflage, and Colors – Victor G. Archer, Robert D. Archer, Schiffer Publishing 1997
- 421 NFS – Andre Zbiegniewski, Kagero 31
- American Nightfighter Aces of World War 2 – Andrew Thomas & Warren Thompson, Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 84
- Support and Strike! A Concise History of the U.S. Ninth Air Force in Europe – John F. Hamlin
- Northrop P-61 Black Widow: The Complete History and Combat Record – Garry R. Pape, John M. Campbell, Donna Campbell – Motorbooks International (1991)
- The Evolution of the P-61 Black Widow – Squadron-Signal Aircraft Specials 6126
- Northrop’s Night Hunter: P-61 Black Widow – Jeff Kolln
- Darkly Dangerous: The Northrop P-61 Black Widow Night Fighter – Frederick A. Johnsen
- Black Widow: The story of the Northrop P-61 – David R. McLaren
- Combat Chronicles of the P-61 Black Widow – Warren Thompson, Squadron-Signal 2011
- Night Hawks & Black Widows: 13th Air Force Night Fighters in the Southwest Pacific 1943-1945 – Terry M Mays (A Schiffer Military History Book, 2009)
- Deny Them the Night Sky: A History of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron – Eric Shulenberger