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United States' Northrop P-61 Black Widow fighter1,2,3
Northrop P-61 Black Widow fighter: |
Northrop P-61 Black Widow fighter: |
Northrop P-61 Black Widow fighter: |
Northrop P-61 Black Widow fighter: |
Northrop P-61 Black Widow fighter: |
Northrop P-61 Black Widow fighter: |
Northrop P-61 Black Widow fighter: |
Northrop P-61 Black Widow fighter: |
Design
From the very beginning the Northrop P-61 Black Widow was designed to be a night fighter.1,2,3 It was designed by Jack Northrop.1
Northrop's design was accepted in early 1941 and two prototypes were ordered.3 Thirteen more were ordered straight from the drawing board.3
Radar
The SCR-720 search radar used by the P-61 took 172,000 man hours to develop.1 It was mounted in the nose.1
Propellers
The propellers were made by Curtis Electric.1
Cockpit
In the cockpit of the P-61 the radar man and gunner were above and behind the pilot.1
Prototype
The Northrop XP-61 Black Widow was first flown on May 21, 19422 / May 26, 19421,3 by Vance Breese.1
Production
- XP-61: 23
- YP-61: 132,3
- Completed by September 19433
- P-61A: 2002,3
- First flew in late 19433
- P-61B: 4002, 4503
- P-61C: 412,3
- Total: 7061,3
Variants
- XP-61: Prototype.1,2
- XP-61D: Prototype.3
- XP-61E: Prototype.3
- YP-61: Preproduction.2
- XF-15A: Converted P-61C to a photo reconnaissance aircraft.1 Six cameras were in the nose.1 175 were ordered, but only 36 F-15As were constructed.1
- P-61A: In first 37 aircraft had four 20 mm cannons under nose, and four 12.7 mm MGs in dorsal turret.2,3 Later aircraft had dorsal turret removed.2 First 44 aircraft were produced with Pratt & Whitney R-2800-45 (2,000 HP) engine.3
- P-61B: Carried four drop tanks.1 Entered service in July 1944.2,3 The last 200 had the dorsal turret installed.2
- P-61C:
- P-61G: 16 converted to weather reconnaissance.3
- F-15A: Later renamed to RF-61C.3 Photo reconaissance.3 Fuselage was slimmer.3 Built in 1946.3
Usage
First Victory
A Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bomber was shot down by a P-61 on July 6, 1944 / July 7, 19442 with the 18th Fighter Group.1
Against the V-1
P-61 Black Widows shot down nine German V-1 buzz bombs.1
Aces
One P-61 pilot became an ace by using the P-61, and two other pilots became aces by using the P-61 and other aircraft.1
| Pilot | Radar Operator | Unit | Number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major C. C. Smith4 | 1st Lt. P.B. Porter4 | 418th NFS4 | 7 kills (2 while flying P-38) and 2 probables4 |
| 1st Lt. H. E. Ernst4 | 1st Lt. E. H. Kopsel4 | 422nd NFS4 | 5 kills, 2 damaged and 1 V1 kill4 |
| 1st Lt. E. D. Axtell4 | 1st Lt. B. Orzel4 1st Lt. J. U. Morris4 1st Lt. C. H. Morrison4 1st Lt. J. F. Crew4 |
422nd NFS4 | 5 kills, 2 probables4 |
| 1st Lt. P. A. Smith4 | 1st Lt. R. E. Tierney4 | 422nd NFS4 | 5 kills, 1 probable, 1 V1 kill4 |
| 1st R. F. Graham4 | 1st Lt. R. G. Bolinder4 Capt. R. A. Anderson4 |
422nd NFS4 | 5 kills, 1 probable4 |
| Lt. R. O. Elmore4 | 1st Lt. L. F. Mapes4 | 422nd NFS4 | 4 kills, 1 V1 kill4 |
Pacific Squadrons
A total of ten squadrons in the Central Pacific were outfitted with the P-61.1
| Northrop P-61A Black Widow3 | Northrop P-61B Black Widow1,2,3 | Northrop P-61C Black Widow3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Night fighter3 | Night fighter1,2 | Night fighter3 |
| Crew | 33 | 31,2 | 33 |
| Engine (Type) | 2: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-65 Double Wasp3 | 2: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-65 piston2 2: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-65 Double Wasp1,3 |
2: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-732,3 |
| Cylinders | Radial 183 | Radial2, Radial 181,3 | |
| Cooling | |||
| HP | 2,000 each3 | 2,000 each1,2,3 | |
| Emergency HP power | 2,800 each2,3 | ||
| Propeller blades | 4 each3 | 4 each1,3 | 4 each3 |
| Fuel capacity | |||
| Fuel capacity - drop tanks | 1,110 gallons1 4,692 liters1 |
||
| Dimensions | |||
| Span | 66'3 20.11 m3 |
66'1,2 20.11 m1, 20.12 m2 |
|
| Length | 48' 11"3 14.91 m3 |
49' 7"2.3, 50'1 15.11 m1,2,3 |
49' 7"3 15.11 m3 |
| Height | 14' 8"3 4.47 m3 |
14' 8"2, 15'1 4.46 m2, 4.47 m1 |
|
| Wing area | 662 ft2 1, 664 ft2 2 61.53 m2 1 , 61.69 m2 2 |
||
| Weight | |||
| Empty | 21,239 lb1, 22,000 lb2,3 9,654 kg1, 9,979 kg3, 9,980 kg2 |
||
| Loaded | 29,636 lb1, 29,700 lb3 13,471 kg1, 13,472 kg3 |
||
| Overloaded | 36,124 lb1, 38,000 lb2,3 16,420 kg1, 17,237 kg3, 17,240 kg2 |
||
| Performance | |||
| Speed at sea level | 330 mph3 531 kph3 |
||
| Speed @ 20,000' / 6,095 m |
366 mph2 589 kph2 |
||
| Speed @ 20,000' / 6,096 m |
365 mph1, 366 kph3 589 kph1,3 |
||
| Climb to 20,000' / 6,095 m |
12 minutes2 | ||
| Climb to 20,000' / 6,096 m |
12 minutes3 | ||
| Service ceiling | 33,100'2,3, 40,800'1 10,089 m3, 10,090 m2, 12,445 m1 |
||
| Range | 940 miles3, 1,590 miles2 1,513 km3, 2,559 km2 |
||
| Range - internal fuel | 940 miles1 1,513 km1 |
||
| Range - with drop tanks | 1,350 miles1 2,172 km1 |
||
| Maximum ferry range | 3,000 miles3 4,828 km3 |
||
| Armament | |||
| Lower fuselage / Nose | 4: 20 mm M-21, 4: 20 mm2 200 rounds each1 |
||
| Ventral | 4: 0.5" MG3 | 4: 0.5" MG3 | 4: 0.5" MG3 |
| Dorsal barbette | 4: 20 mm3 | 4: 20 mm3 4: 12.7 mm Colt-Browning M2 MG1, 4: 12.7 mm MG2 560 rounds each1 |
4: 20 mm3 |
| Bombs, rockets or other weapons |
1,000 lb1 454 kg1 |
||
| Bombs | 4: 1,600 lb2, 4,000 lb3 4: 726 kg2, 2,903 kg3 |
4,000 lb3 2,903 kg3 |
|
| OR | |||
| Rockets | 8: 5"2 8; 127 mm2 |
Sources:
- Aircraft of WWII, General Editor: Jim Winchester, 2004
- Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Editor: Karen Leverington, 1995
- Aircraft of WWII, Stewart Wilson, 1998
- American Nightfighter Aces of World War 2, Andrew Thomas, Warren Thompson, 2008
