All Wood Wings: P-61 Black Widow Model, USAF

- quality wooden model WWI and WWII airplanes -

P-61 Black Widow, USAF

Home

Other
WWI+WWII

How to Order

Refund Policy

Contact Us

Scale 1:42 Length 14" Wingspan 19"

The heavily armed P-61 Black Widow was the United States' first aircraft designed specifically as a night-fighter. In the nose it carried radar equipment that enabled the crew to locate enemy aircraft in total darkness and fly into proper attack position. It was flight-tested in 1942 and delivery of production aircraft began in late 1943.

The P-61B flew its first operational intercept mission as a night fighter in Europe on July 3, 1944. In the Pacific a P-61 claimed its first kill three nights later. As Black Widows became available they replaced interim Douglas P-70s in all USAF night fighter squadrons. During WW II, Northrop built 700 P-61s of which , in the summer of 1945, 41 were P-61Cs that had a greater speed and higher operating altitude. Northrop fabricated 36 more Black Widows in 1946 as F-15A unarmed photo-reconnaissance aircraft.

Crew:          Three
Length:       50 ft
Wingspan: 66 ft
Engines:     2 Pratt&Whitney R-2800s. 2,100hp each
Speed:        366 mph maximum, cruise 275 mph
Ceiling:       46,200 ft
Range:       1,2350 miles
Armament: Four .50-cal. machine guns in upper turret and four 20mm cannons in belly; 6,400 lbs of bombs