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P-61 Black Widow Nightfighters of World War Two

$17.95

Aircraft of the Aces: Men & Legends - Book 23
Published in 2000 by Del Prado / Osprey, UK
Softcover, 64 Pages
Size - 25cm * 19cm

This first aircraft to be purposely designed as a radar-equipped nightfighter, Northrop's P-61 Black Widow was heavily influenced by early RAF combat experience with radar-equipped aircraft in 1940-41.

Built essentially around the bulky Radiation Laboratory SCR-720 radar, which was mounted in the aircraft's nose, the P-61 proved to be the largest fighter ever procured for frontline service by the USAAF. Twin-engined adn twin-boomed, the Black Widow was armed with a dorsal barbette of four 0.50-in Browning machine guns and two ventrally-mounted 20 mm cannon.

After initial structural and radar problems, the aircraft was finally issued to a frontline until (the 481st NFG) in march 1944, and both ETO and Pacific squadrons went into action almost simultaneously that spring - the honour of scoring the first kill (a Japanese "Betty" bomber) went to the 6th NFS on 6 july 1944.

Some 704 Black Widows were built in three distinct variants by Northrop, and the type saw action as a night intruder operating against ground targets as well as in its designated role.

Fully Illustrated with B&W photos, 3 pages of line drawings, and 12 pages of colour drawings