Northrop P-61 Black Widow

[David]

The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first American warplane designed specifically as a nightfighter. Radar equipment installed in the nose of the aircraft allowed the crew to 'see' enemy aircraft in the cover of total darkness and engage with impunity as necessary, often achieving an element of surprise.
Nightfighting, as a concept, was relatively new for the Second World War, with Britain finding a good level of success utilizing their De Havilland Mosquitoes in the role and Germany with their BF-110s. P-61 Black Widows served this same role over the skies of Britain, Europe and in the Pacific Theater and arguably served it quite well.
The USAAF watched the events in Europe unfold closely, noting how nightfighting was becoming a standard facet of the war. Thusly, provisions were enacted to produce the first ever official nightfighter for military service.
A unique aircraft in many respects, the twin-boom design akin it to the other successful twin-boom fighter of the time - the Lockheed P-38 Lightning. The P-61 Black Widow was a much larger aircraft, capable of fulfilling the role of fighter and bomber, to go along with its nighttime advantage.
The first series A aircraft, of which about 200 were produced, saw its first action in July of 1944, destroying four German bombers en route to their target. Several 'Widow' aircraft were also credited with the downing of at least nine V-1 'terror' rockets in flight during the war.
The series A was plagued with the general battlefield unserviceable R-2800-65 engines, leading up to the designation of the next series - the B model. The initial series also suffered from the lower forward-fixed 20mm cannon emplacement causing unusual instability, thus the deletion of the lower underbelly gun mount altogether from the 38th aircraft onwards. Success for the Black Widow in the Pacific was also instantly apparent. Black Widows were credited with their first kills in that theater of war on the night of July 6 through the 7th of 1944. As availability of this aircraft increased, the USAAF replaced the serviceable Douglas P-70 as the primary nightfighter of the war for the Americans.
The standard P-61 was armed with a radio-controlled top turret, fitted with four .50 caliber machine guns. An additional four 20mm cannons were fitted in an underbelly fixed forward-firing emplacement as well, adding to the ferocious head-on firepower of the aircraft. The B model provided (including increased length of the fuselage) the ability to fit an additional four drop bombs or fuel tanks externally, with the B model reaching production numbers of about 450. The B model also brought back the underbelly forward-fixed 4 x 20mm cannons into the production lines after the instability issues were ironed out.
P-61 B models in the Far East Theater also tried modifications for rockets to shellac Japanese surface vessels. This design addition was abandoned after it was found that the launching rockets had a particularly blinding effect to the crew when launching in the darkness of night.
The further developed P-61 C models were powered by the new and improved R-2800-73 engines delivering increased performance at 2,800 hp each engine. Adding to the increased weight of the aircraft, the take-off distance had to be increased to 3 miles of runway distance to compensate.
P-61 Black Widows served the armed forces up until 1950, which by then "P" designations (for pursuit) were replaced by the more modern "F" designations as in F-61 Black Widow (for fighter). Widows were the first aircraft added to the inventory of the newly established US Air Defense Command, a security element charged with defending America from Soviet Attack in the early years of the Cold War.
Naturally, with the dwindled and ineffective German Air force held at bay, the need for a dedicated nightfighter was less and less apparent. But in the end, the P-61 Black Widow served its newfound purpose and design beautifully and paved the way for the modern age of nightfighters leading up to the stealth age.
Specifications for the Northrop P-61B Black Widow:

Designation: P-61B Black Widow
Type: Nightfighter; Bomber
Manufacturer: Northrop
Powerplant: 2 x 2,000 horsepower Pratt 7 Whitney R-2800-65 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines in twin-boom configuration.
Length: 49 feet, 7 inches
Wing Span: 66 feet
Height: 14 feet, 8 inches
Weight: 22,000 lbs (empty); 29,700 lbs (maximum take-off weight)
Maximum Speed: 366 mph
Maximum Range: 2,800 miles
Armament: 4 x .50 caliber (12.7 mm) heavy machine guns mounted in radio-controlled dorsal turret; 4 x 20 mm cannons mounted in a forward-firing position in the underbelly fuselage.
Crew: 3
Models: A model saw the lower 20mm gun mount removed for instability issues after the 38th production aircraft; B model saw increased length in the fuselage and the ability to carry external stores in the form of drop tanks and four bombs; C model featured the improved and more powerful engines and increased weight as a result.
More Pictures of the P-61 Black Widow Nightfighter Plane

		An F-61 Black Widow