P-61 "Black Widow"
Night Fighter
Northrop
The P-61 Black Widow was effective and powerful heavy-night-interceptor with a radar.
Modifications: The developing vehicles YP-61. At the end of 1943 began to flew the first P-61A of series, followed in July 1944 by the P-61B with sub-alar attachs for bombs and fuel tanks.
The P-61С had more high-power engine R-2800-73, 2800 hp.
Was also realized a long range recon version , named F-15A Reporter (after WWII, first flight at June 3, 1945).
Armament: Four fixed forward-firing .5in guns. Four 20mm cannon in remote-controlled dorsal turret (P-61B-15 and later).
Max bomb load: bombs underwing : 2900 kg
Total production (Variants): 741
-P-61A -215; P-61B - 450; P-61C - 41; F-15 - 36.
Crew |
3 |
Dimensions |
Wing span, m |
20.14 |
Length, m |
15.11 |
Height, m |
4.47 |
Powerplant |
PE 2X Pratt & Whitney R-2800-65, hp |
1850 |
Weight, kg: |
Empty weight |
10637 |
Maximum takeoff weight |
16420 |
Performance |
Maximum speed, km/h |
590 |
Time to 6000m, min |
19 |
Service ceiling, m |
10090 |
Maximum range, km |
4830 |
Armament |
Four fixed forward-firing .5 in guns. Four 20mm cannon in remote-controlled dorsal turret, bombs underwing, kg |
2900 |
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The cockpit of the Northrop P-61 Black Widow, night fighter of the Second World War.
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Northrop P-61A Black Widow, back view. Two of the three crew pose for the camera which can be dated to no earlier than June 1944.
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Northrop P-61A-1-NO Black Widow, 42-5526 'Nightie Mission' of the 6th NFS taking on 646 US-gallons (2,445 l) AN-F-48 100/130 octane fuel on Guadalcanal in August 1944.
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P-61A-1-NO Black Widow, 42-5507 of the 419th NFS which was deployed to the South Pacific in February 1943 and was operational by April at Buka Airfield, Bougainville, Solomon Islands.
42-5507 was lost 'somewhere' in the South Pacific on April 10, 1945.
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References
- "Encyclopedia of military engineering" /Aerospace Publising/
- "American Warplanes of World War II" /under cor. David Donald/
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