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).
Was the Black Widow the first night fighter?
When the Black Widow did work, the results were spectacular. It was the first purposely built night-fighter aircraft, unlike the Douglas Havoc, Grumman F6F Hellcat, Bristol Beaufighter and de Havilland Mosquito which were adapted for the role.
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.
Was the Black Widow used in WW2?
Although not produced in the large numbers of its contemporaries, the Black Widow was effectively operated as a night-fighter by United States Army Air Forces squadrons in the European Theater, Pacific Theater, China Burma India Theater, and Mediterranean Theater during World War II.
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.