What is the P-61 Black Widow?
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow, named for the North American spider, was the first operational U.S. warplane designed as a night fighter, and the first aircraft designed to use radar. The P-61 had a crew of three: pilot, gunner, and radar operator.
How many planes did the Black Widow kill in WW2?
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow gets a lot of attention considering the relatively small role it played in World War II. Unlike the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang, it did not have an impressive number of kills. It downed only about 127 aircraft (18 were V-1 Buzz Bombs).
What kind of engines did the Black Widow have?
The nose of the Black Widow was fiberglass, and the radar dish sat inside the nose. The P-61 was outfitted with (2) Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engines, 18 cylinders each, with an output of 2000 HP per engine.
How powerful was the Black Widow?
The Black Widow had a 66-foot wing span, was about 50-feet long, and sat 14-foot 8-inches tall. She weighed in at 24,000 pounds empty, and could carry an additional 16,000 pounds of payload and fuel. The offensive sting was powerful… (4) 50-caliber machine guns and (4) 20mm cannons. The P-61 benefited from being developed later during the war.
What was the name of the Black Widow plane in WW2?
One particular P-61, Lady in the Dark, piloted by Captain Lee Kendall, was reportedly one of the most photographed Black Widows in the Pacific Theater, and also was the aircraft that scored the final two aerial “kills” of World War II.
What was the most photographed black widow in World War II?
One particular P-61, Lady in the Dark, piloted by Captain Lee Kendall, was reportedly one of the most photographed Black Widows in the Pacific Theater, and also was the aircraft that scored the final two aerial “kills” of World War II. The Second World War saw a major leap forward in aircraft design.
Who designed the Black Widow night fighter?
On 5 November, Northrop and Pavlecka met at Wright Field with Air Material Command officers and presented them with Northrop’s preliminary design. Douglas ‘ XA-26A night fighter proposal was the only competition, but Northrop’s design was selected and the Black Widow was conceived.