P-61 Black Widow | The American Night Fighter | WW2 Twin Engine Named for the North American Spider

The Northrop P-61 Black Widow is a twin-engine United States Army Air Forces fighter aircraft of World War II. It was the first operational U.S. warplane designed as a night fighter, and the first aircraft designed specifically as a night fighter.
Named for the North American spider Latrodectus mactans, it was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom design armed with four forward-firing 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano M2 autocannon in the lower fuselage, and four .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in a dorsal gun turret. Developed during the war, the first test flight was made on May 26, 1942, with the first production aircraft rolling off the assembly line in October 1943.
Although not produced in the large numbers of its contemporaries, the Black Widow was operated effectively 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. It replaced earlier British-designed night-fighter aircraft that had been updated to incorporate radar when it became available. After the war, the P-61 was redesignated as the F-61 and served in the United States Air Force as a long-range, all-weather, day/night interceptor for Air Defense Command until 1948, and for the Fifth Air Force until 1950. The last aircraft was retired from government service in 1954.
On the night of 14 August 1945, a P-61B of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron named Lady in the Dark was unofficially credited with the last Allied air victory before VJ Day. page needed] The P-61 was also modified to create the F-15 Reporter photo-reconnaissance aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces and subsequently the United States Air Force.
In August 1940, 16 months before the United States entered the war, the U.S. Air Officer in London, Lieutenant General Delos C. Emmons, was briefed on British research in radar (RAdio Detection And Ranging), which had been underway since 1935 and had played an important role in the nation's defense against the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. General Emmons was informed of the new Airborne Intercept radar (AI for short), a self-contained unit that could be installed in aircraft and operated independently of ground stations. In September 1940, the Tizard Mission traded British research, including the cavity magnetron, that would make self-contained interception radar installations practicable, for American production.
General Emmons returned to the U.S. with details of the British night-fighter requirements, and in his report said that the design departments of the American aviation industry's firms could possibly produce such an aircraft.
Specifications (P-61B-20-NO)
Northrop P-61B Black Widow 3-view drawing
Data from Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II, Northrop P-61 Black Widow.
General characteristics
Crew: 2-3 (pilot, radar operator, optional gunner)
Length: 49 ft 7 in (15.11 m)
Wingspan: 66 ft 0 in (20.12 m)
Height: 14 ft 8 in (4.47 m)
Wing area: 662.36 sq ft (61.535 m2)
Airfoil: Zaparka
Empty weight: 23,450 lb (10,637 kg)
Gross weight: 29,700 lb (13,472 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 36,200 lb (16,420 kg)
Fuel capacity: 640 US gal (2,400 L) internal and up to four 165 US gal (625 L) drop tanks
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney R-2800-65W Double Wasp 18-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, 2,250 hp (1,680 kW) each
Propellers: 4-bladed Curtiss Electric constant-speed feathering propellers, 12 ft 2 in (3.72 m) diameter
Performance
Maximum speed: 366 mph (589 km/h, 318 kn) at 20,000 ft (6,100 m)
Range: 1,350 mi (2,170 km, 1,170 nmi)
Ferry range: 1,900 mi (3,100 km, 1,700 nmi) with four external fuel tanks
Service ceiling: 33,100 ft (10,100 m)
Rate of climb: 2,540 ft/min (12.9 m/s)
Time to altitude: 20,000 ft (6,100 m) in 12 minutes
Wing loading: 45 lb/sq ft (220 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.15 hp/lb (0.25 kW/kg)
Armament
Guns: ** 4 × 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano AN/M2 cannon in ventral fuselage, 200 rounds per gun
4 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns in remotely operated, full-traverse upper turret, 560 rpg
Bombs: for ground attack, four bombs of up to 1,600 lb (726 kg) each or six 5-in (127 mm) HVAR unguided rockets could be carried under the wings. Some aircraft could also carry one 1,000 lb (454 kg) bomb under the fuselage.
Avionics
SCR-720 (AI Mk.X) search radar
SCR-695 tail warning radar
#p61 #blackwidow #aircraft

[@Dronescapes]

Click the link to watch more aircraft, heroes and their stories, missions: www.youtube.com/@Dronescapes

[@acfiv1421]

My grandfather served in the CBI. He went to eastern India in early '43 in command of a unit of cargo planes flying Cargo into China over "The Hump". For years that was all I knew about his war service. He never talked about it. Then I spent a summer with him between college semesters (Mid 1980’s), and I loved to build airplane models in the basement. One day he came downstairs and saw I was just finishing a beautiful P-61 model - and he freaked out. I don’t think he had even looked at a picture of one since the war. He even yelled at me to get that thing out of his house. After he calmed down, he opened up a little and told me about the war. He was a pilot instructor in one of the first big wartime training facilities in Corsicana Texas, specialized in training multi-engine pilots. When his last batch of trainees graduated (he said 12 first pilots, plus their crews), he went with them, as a unit to Assam, India to fly Hump missions. The Hump was extremely dangerous - fly too far south and you had Japanese fighters out of Burma. Flying further north got you away from the fighters, but you had to fly over the mountains, maintaining at least 18-19,000 feet to clear the mountains, in fully loaded (sometimes overloaded) cargo planes. They flew at night. If they lost an engine during the 3-4 hours they spent over the mountains, there was nowhere to land, even in daylight. They all became experts at listening to all 72 cylinders in their converted B-24 tankers (C-109s I think they were called), listening for the first hint of a misfire). And the other danger were the Black Widows. They of course had radar, and there was an early version of IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) transponders being used - but it sucked. P-61s shot down a lot of American planes by accident due to this. Pop told me that he would order his crew to turn on every light in/on the airplane if they heard Black Widows were in the air nearby, in the hopes that they would be recognized. The risk of being seen by Japanese fighters was preferable than getting shot down by your own side. By the end of ’43, out of his initial group, Pop and his crew were the only ones still alive. The rest either disappeared over the mountains or accidentally shot down by Black Widows (none by enemy fighters). It haunted him until the day he died, in 2001. He should have trained them better. Why did only he survive? What did he know that could have saved them and he didn’t teach them? Anyway, seeing that little P-61 model caused him to open up about it for the first time, so I am at least grateful for that.

[@capndad]

I saw a P-61 at an airshow a few years ago. It was in pristine condition and I talked to the owner and told him I'd always thought a 61 was one of the most beautiful birds that ever flew. He allowed me to go into the cockpit and sit in the pilot's seat. I've been an aviation buff since I can remember and that was a thrill I'll always remember.

[@Dronescapes]

👍👍 what an honor and privilege Dale

[@hokep61]

Probably not a P-61. There are only 4 known to exist and none in flying service.

[@nymuseum1601]

There are not any flying P-61, however, one is being rebuilt to a flyable condition at an air museum of which I am a member. The museum is worth a visit. There is even a Vickers Viscount there. P-61B-1NO c/n 964 AAF Ser. No. 42-39445 is under restoration to flying status by the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, Pennsylvania.[33][34] The aircraft crashed on 10 January 1945 on Mount Cyclops in Papua (province), Indonesia and was recovered in 1989 by the museum staff. The aircraft has been undergoing a slow restoration since then with the intention of eventually returning it to flying condition, with the civilian registration N550NF. When finished, it is expected it will be over 70% new construction. By May 2011, 80% of the restoration had been completed, with only the installation of the wings and engines remaining. As of June 2019, both engines have been overhauled and two brand new props have been hung. The museum has also started painting the aircraft. This is a super long term project still on-going during 2022. The airshow at Reading PA is one of the best in The USA.

[@RenKnight347]

Four P-61s are known to survive today: [1] P-61B-1NO c/n 964 AAF Ser. No. 42-39445, is under restoration to flying status by the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, Pennsylvania. The aircraft crashed on 10 January 1945 on Mount Victoria, Papua New Guinea, was recovered in 1989 by the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum of Reading, Pennsylvania. The aircraft has been undergoing a slow restoration since then with the intention of eventually returning it to flying condition, with the civilian registration N550NF. When finished, it is expected to be over 70% new construction. As of May 2011, 80% of the restoration has been completed, with only the installation of the wings and engines remaining. [2] P-61B-15NO c/n 1234 AAF Ser. No. 42-39715 was on outside display at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in China. The official story is that one of the P-61s that were based in Sichuan Province during the war was turned over to the Chendu Institute of Aeronautical Engineering in 1947. When the Institute moved to its present location, it did not take this aircraft with them, instead shipping it to the Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Engineering in 1954. However, as both USAAF night fighter squadrons (426th, 427th) that served in China were inactivated in 1945, this may not be accurate. An alternative explanation is that at the end of hostilities in 1945, the 427th was in the process of bringing their various detachments back to a central airfield for disposition of the aircraft and to start processing home. At one of the satellite airfields, two of the three P-61s were in need of maintenance. Reportedly, Chinese communist troops came onto the field and ordered the Americans to leave without their aircraft. This aircraft is in very poor condition and probably near the point of structural collapse. The Chinese claim to have two additional P-61s in storage which they have offered for sale for $2,000,000. Sometime in 2008-2009, the museum’s display aircraft were moved to a parking lot approximately 200 metres south and the museum closed. The outer wing sections of P-61B-15NO c/n 1234 were removed and stored at the parking lot like several other aircraft. It was confirmed in September 2012 that P-61B-15NO c/n 1234 is no longer at the parking lot - unconfirmed reports indicate it has moved back to the BUAA possibly in a new building. [3] P-61C-1NO c/n 1376 AF Ser. No. 43-8330, is on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.. The aircraft was delivered to the Army on 28 July 1945. By 18 October, this P-61 was flying at Ladd Field, in Alaska conducting cold weather tests, where it remained until 30 March 1946. The airplane was later moved to Pinecastle AAF in Florida for participation in the National Thunderstorm Project. Pinecastle AAF personnel removed the guns and turret from 43-8330 in July 1946 to make room for new equipment. In September the aircraft moved to Clinton County Army Air Base in Ohio, where it remained until January 1948. The Air Force then reassigned the aircraft to the Flight Test Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. After being declared surplus in 1950 it was donated by the U.S. Air Force to the National Air Museum in Washington D.C. (it became the National Air & Space Museum in 1966). On 3 October 1950, the P-61C was transferred to Park Ridge, Illinois where it was stored along with other important aircraft destined for eventual display at the museum. The aircraft was moved temporarily to the museum's storage facility at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, but before the museum could arrange to ferry the aircraft to Washington D.C. the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics asked to borrow it. In a letter to museum director Paul E. Garber dated 30 November 1950, NACA director for research I.H. Abbott described his agency's "urgent" need for the P-61 to use as a high-altitude research craft. Garber agreed to an indefinite loan of the aircraft, and the Black Widow arrived at the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, at Naval Air Station Moffett Field in California, on 14 February 1951. When NACA returned the aircraft to the Smithsonian in 1954 it had accumulated only 530 total flight hours. From 1951 to 1954 the Black Widow was flown on roughly 50 flights as a mothership, dropping recoverable swept-wing test bodies as part of a National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics program to test swept-wing aerodynamics. NACA test pilot Donovan Heinle made the aircraft's last flight when he ferried it from Moffett Field to Andrews Air Force Base, arriving on 10 August 1954. The aircraft was stored there for seven years before Smithsonian personnel trucked it to the museum's Garber storage facility in Suitland, Maryland. In January 2006 the P-61C was moved into Building 10 so that Garber's 19 restoration specialists, three conservationists and three shop volunteers could work exclusively on the aircraft for its unveiling at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on 8 June. The aircraft was restored to its configuration as a flight test aircraft for swept-wing aeronautics, so the armament and turret were not replaced. A group of former P-61 air crews were present at the aircraft's unveiling, including former Northrop test pilot John Myers. [4] P-61C-1NO c/n 1399 AAF Ser. No. 43-8353 is currently on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. It is marked as P-61B-1NO 42-39468 and painted to represent "Moonlight Serenade" of the 550th Night Fighter Squadron. The aircraft was presented to the Boy Scouts of America following World War II and kept at Grimes Field in Urbana, Ohio. On June 20, 1958 it was returned to the museum by the Tecumseh Chapter of the Boy Scouts of America in Springfield, Ohio. The aircraft recently had a reproduction turret installed, which was fabricated by the Museum's restoration team. Information referenced from: www.liquisearch.com/northrop_p-61_black_widow/survivors

[@ronsimpson143]

Jealous. I love the plane. Never seen one. I have several good quality miniatures.

[@johnsteichen5239]

I saw a black widow P-61. Years ago on an aviation tour (EAA) of China. It was in an obscure small museum. Sitting outside. It escapes me precisely where in China this occurred. This was in the mid 90’s. It was described as one of the few remaining examples of the aircraft.

[@michaelwilson9483]

I was a crew chief in the 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron (Black Widows) from 1988-91. Though we were flying F-16s, we still did a *lot* of nighttime flying and were one of the first squadrons in the USAF to use the LANTIRN system which made us even more capable at night.

[@Dronescapes]

👍👍

[@ronlackey2689]

Holy cow, what a checklist! You have to be a genius to fly that plane!

[@texaswildcat2000]

Normal for such a plane as this... even small single engine planes have a relatively big checklist as well...

[@hertzair1186]

No mention of the P-61’s remarkable maneuverability for it’s size, due to it’s wing spoilers in addition to ailerons.

[@brittanyfell9005]

It's wonderful seeing so much P-61 footage I had not seen before.. It's wonderful seeing so much P-61 footage I had not seen before..

[@1timcat]

It's wonderful seeing so much P-61 footage I had not seen before.

[@Dronescapes]

🙂

[@michaelpalerino5276]

my father served as ground crew for the 415th night fighter squadron. They flew the P-61

[@Dronescapes]

Bless him and thank you for you father' service Michael!

[@hokep61]

My Dad served with the 427th Night fighter squadron. He was the crew chief on a P-61.

[@davidcruz8667]

What a beautiful airplane. Still flown the way we used to, when the pilot had instrumentation and controls for all electrical, fuel, hydraulics, power levels, and other parameters.

[@malcdog04]

They have a P-61 Black Widow in Reading PA, at The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, it has a few parts missing, but it looks way better now then when they found the aircraft deep in the jungle, hopefully it will be flight ready in the next few years, only 4 are left and are known to exists....🤔😎

[@Dronescapes]

👍🙂

[@madmike5421]

When I was about 9 or 10 I was fortunate to see one of these beauties at the old Toledo National Airport. We happened to be having dinner at Howard Johnson's which was right next to the airport. It was painted all black and for a kid it was huge. Beautiful bird!!

[@Dronescapes]

👍

[@kennethlane3896]

I never knew much about this plane. Insane engineering for that era. If only it had been operational earlier.

[@Dronescapes]

👍

[@RenKnight347]

The engines on the P-61 we're shared with the F4U Corsair, the P-47 Thunderbolt as well as a great many other aircraft. Because Northrop was having buffeting issues with the upper turret, more often than not, many of the engines were reassigned to aircraft that were already in the field and in dire need of them.

[@kennethlane3896]

@@Dronescapes Thank you for the reply! Great channel.

[@kennethlane3896]

@@RenKnight347 Thank you for the reply!

[@RenKnight347]

​@@kennethlane3896 You are very welcome, Sir!

[@georgecullen759]

I was building a model of this plane when I was told that my father had died. He was in a hospital over 70 miles away fighting cancer. He had gone into the hospital 3 days after my 15th birthday and passed 2 months later having never leaving the hospital. This is a beautiful airplane.

[@tkskagen]

What a phenomenal aircraft, that was only 18 months late to endure the German Offensive...

[@tkskagen]

Such a Beautiful Fighter! As of now (48yo) I have built the "REVELL" Scale Model Kit 12 times! A couple that where destroyed durring filming a "Homemade Film" back in 1991, and the rest given away to freinds that where WWII Veterans...

[@waltertx.6020]

It was one of my first model aircraft that I built as well.

[@Dronescapes]

👍👍

[@TecSpec9000]

I remember my dad building this model back the the late 70's. He had to put lead weights in the nose because the model was heavy in the back and would tip.

[@bobk2966]

That's great, fun.

[@stoopingfalcon891]

As an avid Airfix model builder as a kid, I always thought that the Black Widow was one of the most beautiful 'planes I had ever seen.

[@Dronescapes]

👍👍👍

[@alexanderbrown4250]

I built the Monogram 1/32 version.

[@brettpapworth8708]

My Father's Hydropress company had the contract to construct the P-61 elevators control surfaces during the war. Lots of memories....

[@Dronescapes]

Cool, really interesting. Thanks for sharing Brett

[@rcschmidt668]

I received model of this airplane when I was a kid. It was the only twin boom craft I had, so it had a special lace in my collection.

[@724bigal]

Was my first glue together model as a kid as well, I think I’ve built 3 or 4 in total each one becoming more detailed as I got better.

[@merkury06]

Feels like we've been living off midcentury tech for decades! Giants indded!

[@raywhitehead730]

The P 61 had almost no influence on WW2, however after the war it was used, with advanced for the time electronics, to monitor Russia and Communist China. It flew, at night over their territories for years. None were shot down as I recall.

[@RileyTheMonster299]

Also one of the coolest airplanes ever made

[@Dronescapes]

👍

[@JimGeigerMusic]

​@@jacktattis ok Karen

[@chipsawdust5816]

I don't recall ever seeing one of these IRL but I did make a model of one some time ago. Wish it would've been built about a year or two earlier, but was a fantastic airplane for its moment in the sun, er, moon! The training video for the second half was fun to watch. I'd love to get a few hours in that old bird!

[@erolbrown]

TV documentaries can only dream of being this informative.

[@Friedbrain11]

I had a model I built of this aircraft. It is a really cool aircraft and could fight when others couldn't.

[@abaddon4823]

This has always been one of my all time favorite planes. Thanks for the vid

[@Dronescapes]

👍🙏🙏

[@waltertx.6020]

I've always loved the P-61 aircraft, it was a real badass at night. Thanks @Drone Scapes 👍💛

[@Dronescapes]

🙏♥️

[@Closeprobate]

My mother, Anna, worked on the P-61 production line during WWII. She told many memorable stories about early production models, manufacturing accidents (including a workmate who drilled thru a firewall AND her hand) machine gun mounts, and later designs that mounted cameras for reconnaissance as the European war had ended and repurpose for Pacific Theater deployment.

[@Wardads1]

The German UHU HE 219 was THE FIRST PURPOSE BUILT NIGHT FIGHTER ! It saw combat a full year before .German fighter pilot Schnauffer scored 127 night time kills.

[@DeliveryDemon]

I've seen the P61 at the Udvar-Hazy Space Center. And IT IS HUGE. Absolutely MASIVE

[@tklube308]

One of my favorite birds, along with the Corsairs, and Libs.

[@TecSpec9000]

This is my list as well.👍

[@paulkube3901]

Ahhh! And *still* an awesome and deadly looking craft. Saw one at Canadian Air museum and IIRC, MAAM has one too. A grow'd up P-38 ;)

[@tkskagen]

This is my 4th time to enjoy this video, without any regret!

[@HabitualButtonPusher]

They still used ground radar to vector them to targets, then used onboard radar for the intercept and engagement

[@slayer6936]

Northrop was the king of aviation in my book!! We would not have the B2 if not for him and his flying wing!!

[@CarlJohnson-mh3zm]

That’s a long checklist to take off!

[@willardroad]

Fascinating stuff! Thanks for making this.

[@LichsuhoathinhDrabattle]

Amazing video, the quality of the animation only gets better everytime! 💗🤞✨

[@724bigal]

The startup procedure and everything before holding short on these old radials had to of been very challenging and nerve racking the first 20 times! It is for me just watching.😬

[@proteusnz99]

The P-61 was the first American aircraft designed from the outset as a night/all-weather fighter. Interim types converted to night operations included Douglas P-70 (A-20), Lockheed PV-1, Grumman Avenger (radar Hunter) paired with Grumman F6F fighter as shooter. Due to development time there were also some Lockheed P-38Ms converted. U.S. Navy developed night fighter variants of F6F (F6F-3N/F6F-5N) and F4U. First radar equipped night fighter was probably the British Bristol Blenheim 1F, though it’s performance and weak armament (4x0.303 browning) made it a fairly marginal asset, to be replaced as quickly as possible by Bristol Beaufighters (also used by 3 U.S. night-fighter squadrons in the European Theatre of operations.) The P-61 also made some night intruder ground attack missions during Battle of the Bulge.

[@Leemer4]

Great video on an all time favorite.

[@user-gk9lg5sp4y]

Loved WWII night fighters I built models of this, the P-38M and others when I was a kid

[@Dronescapes]

👍👍

[@melevin3]

I found a P61 in Papua Indonesia in about 1974. It is now being rebuilt at The Mid Atlantic Air Museum. It's a big aircraft.

[@mrcpu9999]

that chalkboard art @18:57 almost makes me wish I was back in school.

[@brt-jn7kg]

That is the spirit of Waco. She's hangered about 4 miles from my house. I've rode in that airplane.

[@MedicatedMemory]

This and the P-38 are my favorite ww2 planes

[@odinsson204]

Ya know, that was a sexy bird. Too bad it came along late in the war.

[@Dronescapes]

Also quite innovative. That radar was truly interesting for the time

[@kiniburk]

That and the F8F Tigercat.

[@tim7052]

....and the Hawker Sea Fury and Martin Baker MB5.

[@RenKnight347]

@@Dronescapes As well as what Jack Northrop termed, "retractable ailerons". And, if I'm not mistaken, the P-61 was the first American fighter to carry four 20 mm cannons. While not the "first" night fighter, it was the first one that eliminated the ground radar crews for coordinating interceptions of targets. She could intercept targets totally independent of ground radar assistance. At the time, no other night fighter could make the same claim. It was due to this, it has been said that the P-61 was the first aircraft designed, built and flown from the ground up as a night fighter.

[@thomascolbert2687]

I once met a guy who flew test aircraft during world War two. He flew the Black Widow. I asked him which fighter he liked best, he said "The,P-40. Simple, easy to fly."

[@thunderboltcougar5626]

My most favourite ww2 airplane! Also somehow p61 always remind me to F14 Tomcat.

[@gar6446]

Poorly commented and factually incorrect. It was not the first nightdighter by any stretch of the imagination,the RAF were operating Beaufighters with air intercept radar in MAY 1941, The Mosquito soon followed. The Luftwaffe to had very effective nightfighters long before the Black Widow entered service. It was the first fighter designed specifically for the role.

[@mrjockt]

I think he meant that the P-61 was the first aircraft designed specifically as a radar equipped night-fighter, both the Beaufighter and the Mosquito were adapted from other purposes to become night-fighters, the Beaufighter as a heavy fighter and the Mosquito as a bomber.

[@Wardads1]

German Uhu HE-219 was in service a year before and was purpose built with radar and an ejection system.Its first combat downed more HEAVY bombers than all p-61s combined.

[@IAmAFamel]

My grandpa was a gunner on one of these. He was shot down over Germany near the end of the war. He said the only thing he ever got to shoot was a German cow

[@shawnwilt7196]

It's absolutely beautiful!!! I play a game called Homeworld and in the game there is a ship called a multi gun corvette. I picture this as the very first iteration of that ship.

[@bigblue6917]

I think you will find that neither the Spitfire nor the Hurricane were outdated at the beginning of the war. In fact during the Battle of Britain when Herman Goring asked one of his commander what he want the reply was Spitfires. Also the German Heinkel He 219 Uhu, a dedicated night fighter was in service a year before the P-61 and it also had radar. That's after just 30 seconds of your video.

[@tim7052]

Agreed! IMHO, this is just another of those misleading (nauseating) videos ramping up the US as "the bestest, the firstest, biggest, most powerful"....etc etc!!) WITHOUT any reference to history or the facts. 👍

[@Hunter_Nebid]

Just like all successful fighters of WWII, the Hurricane and Spitfire didn't become the icons they became in the first iteration, only with updates and modifications. The P-51A (which kinda sucked) vs D is the perfect example. So is the fact that the Spitfire was indeed based on an obsolete airframe. Finally, the P-61 was the first ALLIED "night fighter", but not first overall. Feel better? Try watching an entire video before engaging yapper next time.

[@left_ventricle]

@@Hunter_NebidP-51A is quite competitive at altitudes below 13,000ft and understandably so, since original British specification requirement was to replace P-40Es which were utilised more for low altitude strafing missions. Spitfire Mk I, II and Hurricane Mk I are competitive vs. Bf 109 Es, but not early Fs. To cut it short, it’s all about contextual understanding.

[@Hunter_Nebid]

@@left_ventricle Right, but the P-51A was mediocre to the point that the Brits refused them. The Spitfire was based on an airframe from the early 30s. Of course you're right - context matters.

[@PvtPartzz]

@@Hunter_Nebid did you have to add the last part? He wasn’t being rude, only pointing out a few points that he couldn’t ignore and they were fair points. Further, if these were the only things that stuck out enough to comment on then that’s a pretty good signal that they liked the video overall. Giving criticism doesn’t mean the critic didn’t enjoy the content.

[@AbelMcTalisker]

The first radar-equipped night fighter flown by the USAAF was the British-built Beaufighter.

[@michaelpielorz9283]

and the first purpose build Nightfighter was the HE 219 . sorry (:-))

[@mickabikhair675]

The British Beaufort flown by the RAF or British Beaufighter flown by the Australian RAAF built by the CAC in the Pacific campaign Heavy fighter, Escort, Surveillance & coastal defense, Bomber, Torpedo bomber, Anti submarine, Ground & Naval low level attack aircraft. Is this the one you mean flown with USAAF in joint operations ?

[@wbertie2604]

The first aircraft designed to a specific nightfighter specification I'm aware of that entered service was not the P-61, but the Hawker Woodcock of 1922. AFAIK, it only got used by one RAF squadron, though. Although technically designed as a nightfighter, it's not like the Woodcock was really any different from any other fighter of the period. The P-61 is the first one with very specific design elements to go into service. It does look similar to the paper-only Gloster Reaper. In the end it got used a lot as an intruder due to lack of targets, and could carry a really useful bomb load.

[@vaportrail226]

Hehe... Woodcock!

[@peppermill7163]

I'm not sure on how the timing compares with the German HE 219 Uhu. It was also designed from the outset to be a night fighter. First prototype flew in 1942. First operational unit were deployed in June 1943.

[@wbertie2604]

@@peppermill7163 219 was almost a year ahead in deployment, but was based on a failed bomber design, so it's hard to say if it counts as designed as a night fighter.

[@tomquinn5437]

Awesome video!

[@ericbrammer2245]

The Guns, as originally planned, were 4 or 6 20mm cannon (4 in the underslung tray of the fuselage, 2 outboard of the Props, in the wings), and a Turret with 4x.50 cal. M-2 Machine guns Remotely Controlled. This didn't work, because at certain angles of up-aim, and Rotation, the .50 cal. quad-guns disrupted Airflow to the Tail-Boom to make Yaw/Pitch controls unpredictable. So, the Top .50-cal turret was Removed, and, to Lighten the plane (and Not 'Night-Blind' the Pilot!), the outer two 20mm guns also were stripped-out. This actually eliminated the need for the aft-facing crew member, further lightening the Plane.

[@tim7052]

BTW, the US challenged the RAF to a speed test: which was faster, the P-61 or a Mosquito? The RAF used a standard production Mossie from one of their squadrons, while the US secretly stripped down their P-61 and modified and "souped" up the engines of the one to be raced. Against a stock standard Mosquito - with full war-load equipment - the P-61 going flat out, only just beat the Mosquito!!

[@jeffkolln5291]

The 422nd guys told me that they did nothing to the P-61, there was "NO" special modifications to the P-61 and they beat the Mossy period, I got that from the crews that were there.

[@tim7052]

@Jeff Kolln Interesting. Thanks for prompting me to research further. It seems the RAF deliberately "threw" the race to prevent being forced to supply their Mosquitos to the USAAF (who wanted it to equip their squadrons). Even the main proponent of the P-61 believed the Mosquito was faster, as confirmed by pilots who flew both types. This as referenced: "The race was anything but clear cut, and it is extremely unlikely that it was just a fair competition that both sides took part in earnestly. Simply put, the RAF did not want to give the USAAF any more Mosquitoes than they absolutely had to, and were extremely motivated to throw the race. They had a great desire to ensure they were better supplied with the only night fighter in Allied service at the time that could fly long range missions into Germany. The results of the race are extremely suspicious given just how clear the P-61A’s win seemed to be in comparison to the years of evaluations which virtually always claimed that the Mosquito NF had the superior climb rate, and the P-61 had superior maneuverability. Members of the 481st NFTG who had flown planes came to the same conclusion, as did the AAF board, and even Col. Winston Kratz, director of night fighter training and a major proponent of the P-61 (Harrison&Pape 153, 156, 203). His words perhaps best sum up the event, “I’m absolutely sure the British were lying like troopers. I honestly believe the P-61 was not as fast as the Mosquito, which the British needed because by that time it was the one airplane that could get into Berlin and back without getting shot down. But come what may, the ‘61 was a good night fighter. In the combat game you’ve got to be pretty realistic about these things. (Harrison&Pape 209)” (Ref: plane-encyclopedia.com/ww2/northrop-p-61-black-widow/)

[@brucewilliams4152]

Yes the Mosquito was a mark ii version that has been in service since 1942, the latest equipment in summer 1944 was a moquito nf 30 which was 70mph faster than the p61.

[@tim7052]

@Bruce Williams Thanks for that info Bruce! AFAIK the US were desperate to get their Hans on Mssies because not only was it a superlative aircraft, but also one that had proven itself as extremely successful in every conceivable role that they put it to!! (And the one that had the lowest loss rate of any allied aircraft of WWII!!)

[@gort8203]

@@tim7052 I seem to recall seeing on Greg's popular airplanes and automobiles channel that the U.S. Army was offered the opportunity to acquire Mosquitos built under license but declined, which doesn't sound like they were desperate for it.

[@1975KyleDavid]

I've loved this aircraft for its similarity to the P-38, however this is practically a Lightning on steroids in doing what the XP-58 Chain Lightning was supposed to have been.

[@mikebabos4089]

That was the coolest thing I've ever watched?????🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘!!!!!!!!¡

[@raywhitehead730]

The British had, night fighter ACES, years before the P61 saw combat.

[@raywhitehead730]

Look up beaufighter Aces,

[@raywhitehead730]

Look up Mosquito night fighter Aces.

[@thegreatdominion949]

I guess the USAAF didn't get the 1942 RAF memo about black paint degrading the performance of an aircraft due to the higher unit density and weight of black paint (relative to lighter toned paints) and its higher coefficient of friction (i.e. greater roughness and air resistance). In mid-1942 the RAF changed the paint schemes on all their night fighters from all-black to a mixed light grey/beige and dark green paint scheme, this producing a minor improvement in maximum speed of the aircraft. It also had the effect of being less visible at night than an all-black livery.

[@scottdahl1938]

I don't like to take the attitude of never needing to know. But this time I will. Awesome machine. And the details are daunting for somebody that never flew a plane. Too many questions without the background to discern which are the smart ones to ask. Much of what the pilot is doing is intuitive. That tells me he's been playing with this bird quite a while. As I worked at a garage I picked up on a lot before I learned to drive. I could laugh at my ma when she described something her car was doing because she knew nothing about mechanics or how to check out a problem. At least I didn't do it to her face. She still survived for 15 years after my dads passing which says something.

[@JennaCee]

It might here in the comments somewhere but the Reading Air Museum is rebuilding the only P-61 to fly again. But you already probably knew that. 🙂

[@lknanml]

OH YOU GUYS ROCK!!!! THANKS! This is one of my favorite ACFT from WW2. Wanted to fly one when I was a kid. My father was in the AF (Space Command) so I thought someday I would be flying in the Air Force because of this plane. I spent 12 years in Army Aviation in helicopters. Yea not sure what happened there....... The P-61 looked amazing and packed a punch. Bit of a beast to fly but still an amazing ACFT....

[@Dronescapes]

♥️🙏👍

[@michaelcampin1464]

The UK turned the outdated Boulton Paul Defiant into a nightfighter but both the Beaufighter and Mosquito proved their worth in the battle

[@elcampestrevoraz]

Its a beautiful plane....

[@georgesheffield1580]

The Brits had mosquitos and beaufighters with radar and guns as nightfighers long before the P61 .

[@g.googleygoo4944]

Hello , I know many of you will not like my post . But I has to be said : Whyt about the many short commings and problems of the plane ? Yes , It is a famous plane by name . But never really fullfield what is was deisigned for . For an example as a pair of P 61 returend back over after night fielght over Sically the saw a single Heinkel He 219 " UHU " nightfighter . They had higher alititude and so they tried to close in and shoot him . What did the kraut pilot do ? He simply done full throtle and he He 219 was off and gone . That is just one of many preported incidiendts . The P 61 was also not agile enough . It had a very good firepower but rarely could use that firepower because of it's short commings !!! Sorry , that's the truce . And before you do hate full comments towards me now , resarch for your self and not only a little I mean really do some resarch about the topic !!! Best Regards ,

[@EduardoJimenez-rk8nw]

EXCELLENT !!!! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@grazvydassereicikas5930]

So interesting plane. Very.

[@scottmurphy650]

An amazing aircraft.

[@darkwood777]

There were many night fighters prior to the P-61. The B.E.2c in WW1 is recognized as the first night fighter.

[@michaelpielorz9283]

it is advised to listen and read more carefully before popping out your knowledge.

[@rp9674]

I can relate, I'm a night fighter, I work swing shift

[@thejdmguru621]

Basically the cooler P-38

[@ronlackey2689]

A Bee-yootiful aircraft! *Beautiful was misspelled for emphasis lol

[@MililaniJag]

Great vid!! @14:10 D-Day: Invasion Stripes? Cheers!

[@charlieboffin2432]

Good job then that we Brits had the Night Fighter version of theMosquito which was a superb variant and available years earlier .

[@watsondove849]

Second World 2 The war opened on 1 September 1939, and by this time, the RAF were well advanced with plans to build a radar - then called 'RDF' in Britain - equipped night-fighter fleet. The Airborne Interception Mk. II radar (AI Mk. II) was being fit experimentally to a small number of Bristol Blenheim aircraft By early 1941, the first examples of a production-quality radar, AI Mk. IV, were beginning to arrive. This coincided with the arrival of the Beaufighter, which offered significantly higher performance than the pre-war Blenheims; it was the highest performance aircraft capable of carrying the bulky early airborne interception radars used for night fighter operations, and quickly became invaluable as a night fighter.

[@timothylyons5686]

The Boulton and Paul Defiant was the first nightfighter to use AI radar and although were quite ineffectual they did manage to get kills.

[@ceemosp]

Both were not initially designed as night fighters but as "normal" fighters! The first two aircraft designed to night fighter specifications were the P-61 and He219. Which of these two actually was the "first" remains a matter of debate - depending on what stage of development it is based upon. Initial development of the He219 started mid-1940 but the stalled (I assume the systemic involvement of various "players" and institutions in the German development/production - as seen in various other cases- to be a culprit there) and resumed in 1941.The specifications on which the P-61 was based upon were issued late 1940 but it's development was almost uninterrupted. When looking at the service entry, the P-61 was definitely first.

[@justinchristoph3725]

I got a model airplane kit for this when I was a kid.

[@ns9638]

Sorry but your wrong about this being the first purpose built night fighter. The first was the Supermarine P.B. 31E Nighthawk that first flew in 1917. It was designed to take on the Zeppelin threat. It was a very strange aeroplane that is worth taking a look at.

[@scrapiron1952]

I never realized the size. I thought the P-61 was just a beefed up P-38. I was WAY OFF!🤔😂💪🇺🇸

[@harmondavid5398]

My father was in the 549th night fighter squadron. Bats out of hell iwo jima world war 2.

[@tonelee8878]

the english bristol beaufighter was designed for and used radar years before the p61

[@Nhawk63638]

I have a letter from my grandpa who was in the South Pacific during the last few months of the war. His letter stated he watched a P61 shoot down a Japanese plane. Wonder if it was Lady in the dark?

[@raymondruskey424]

Nice

[@Dronescapes]

🙏

[@FireSpartan1]

the fuselage reminds me of the ARC-170

[@raywhitehead730]

Simply, Not the First Night fighter..there were at least 4 type s of aircraft that had night fighting missions as their mission well before this.

[@kenneth9874]

Missions maybe, but not designed as a night fighter

[@RenKnight347]

Do you recall those old war movies where all of the flight crews, no matter if they were day or night fighters, had to coordinate their intentions with the folks in the big rooms with big maps BEFORE they had done anything about the target? Well, the P-61 was the first aircraft designed from scratch for the exclusive night fighters role that eliminated all of those folks in those big rooms with big maps to what we basically use today. No middle man makes the system 1000Xs more efficient! Every other night fighter that came BEFORE the Black Widow whether it was friends or foes, relied on the middle men and women to get the mission task done. The Black Widows with it's onboard radar systems simply did not have to coordinate anything with anyone. Which is the reason for why it was often said that they were the first night fighters that were designed from the ground up for the purpose of fighting at night.

[@kennethlane3896]

I submitted a comment and got a reply. I also just subscribed.

[@eastindiaV]

I feel like the B-21 is more a modern version of this, than the B-25 namesake

[@jimwolaver9375]

The inconsistent narration and captioning make this painful to watch.

[@user-pr1gx8zw8h]

Very nice USAF❤

[@Musique61414]

Super high tech means super problems, but what a plane.

[@RodgerDodger196]

Like todays tech some things get outdated by more advanced-quickly-but you have to start somewhere-Even if they are seen as coming in late(we're not the famed P-51's? They BOTH MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THE THEATER THEY WERE GIVEN. AND SHOOTING DOWN 18 of those V-2 ROCKETS IS A BIG DEAL!!

[@MrDino1953]

Did the rounded shape of tail fins, so common in WW1 and WW2 aircraft, confer any actual advantage or was it just an old-fashioned “artistic” preference? The Focke-Wulf 190 and P-51 Mustang showed that tail fins didn’t need to be rounded, so I wonder why it took so long to break out of that habit.

[@Hunter_Nebid]

Tail shapes vary depending on need, they aren't one-shape-suits-all, much like wings. 😎👍

[@Wardads1]

Focke -Wulf 190 was rounded .

[@bobk2966]

Which side held cables?

[@Alan316100]

Lovely aircraft but I seem to remember that on it's first few sorties it go hammered. Also not the first aircraft designed as a night fighter, actually some 20 odd years too late for that title 🙂

[@CheerfulTerrier-xe6nn]

Just found it funny that a plane named after a spider

[@raymondruskey424]

Nice 4th gen Canadian guy

[@Tribblepuppy]

Looks a lot like the P-38 Lockheed Lightening, except much larger.