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Northrop P-61 Black Widow - Pictures Compilation

The Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighter is definitely my favorite aircraft. The idea here is just to provide a few interesting pictures on the subject (see below for credits).
Daytime mission over Saipan
 

With U.S. Navy Gorgon IV missile



The P-61 was the first aircraft specifically designed  with a radar



  
The radar cone was not painted on the first aircraft and was made of fibreglass.
  

Some pictures of inside:
P-61B Cockpit front

Left-side pilot's cockpit P-61B

Right-side pilot's cockpit P-61B

P-61B Pilot's Instruments and Bomb Release Panel

P-61B Electrical Control Panel

  
Night Binocular
  
Gunner seat

P-61 turret control gun sight

  
Radio operator's compartment - Down

  
Radio operator's compartment - Up


 
Instrument Camera for P-61 (Meteorological version only ?)

Temperature sensor used for meteorological studies


P-61 Induction System 
The rare picture of a P-61 armed with rockets
 



The P-61 is famous for the variety of nose arts:
 "Cooper's Snooper"
 
P-61A "Tabitha" in Coulommiers, France

  
The P-61A "Virgin Widow" - I love this name :)


"Moon Happy"

"Midnite Miss"

"Lady of the Dark"
 Another pic of "Lady of the Dark"


"Trigger Happy"

P-61 "Midnight Belle"
 P-61C
Perforated airbrakes of the supercharged C version:
  
  
  
 
Major Lauren "Duke" Reynolds in Chendu, China, summer 1945


Some views of the back:




Wabash Cannon Ball IV
P-61 "The Spook"



Finally, some pictures that the author, Corrie Bergeron, kindly permitted me to use - thanks again ;)
These pictures of a P-61C were taken at the NMUSAF through the right side window.

Gunsight
left sidewall


behind pilot's seat


 right sidewall (from above)

instrument panel




Also, don't forget to visit the P-61 Restoration Project (Mid-Atlantic Air Museum), plenty of pictures there too.


Pictures are from following websites:

      Books:
      • P-61 Black Widow - WarbirdTech Vol. 15 by Warren E. Thompson (ISBN 0-933424-80-9)
      • P-61 Black Widow Units of Wolrd War 2 by Warren E. Thompson (ISBN 1-85532-725-2)
      • Squadron Signal #106 - P-61 Black Widow in Action



      Comments

      1. Voilà un blog "constructif"
        ayant deux monogram à faire, ce me sera utile.
        Cordialement
        Waroff

        ReplyDelete
      2. Salut Waroff,

        Merci et content que ça puisse t'aider ;)

        Antoine

        ReplyDelete
      3. Not WARASH CANNON-BALL IV, its WABASH CANNON-BALL IV. See 8th photo from the bottom.

        ReplyDelete
      4. De superbes photos et completè de la P-61, un de mes favoris, aussi. Continuez votre bon travail. Merci!
        David Manley, Atlanta, GA, États-Unis
        http://peachtreecorners.patch.com/users/david-manley

        ReplyDelete
      5. Thank you David, the P-61 is definitely one of the sexiest aircraft ever !

        ReplyDelete
      6. Il est bien ton blog, très bien même.
        Stéphane. "Roadrunner"

        ReplyDelete
      7. Merci Stéphane pour le compliment !
        J'aimerais le mettre à jour plus souvent...

        Antoine

        ReplyDelete

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