The Most Chilling Plane of WW2

Piloting a P-61 Black Widow can be both an electrifying and daunting experience. New pilots could feel a cold shiver down their spine when they brave the night skies of Europe and the Pacific. However, once they took control, the Black Widow reigned supreme. Not only is it one of the safest planes to fly, but it also can shoot down enemy planes without ever making visual contact.

The Black Widow Project

In November 1940, the P-61 Black Widow Project started. It was a massive machine for a fighter at 50 ft. long and a 66-foot wingspan. It featured a twin-boom design and a crew of three- a pilot, a gunner, and a radar operator.

The SCR-720 radar system on the Black Widow played a crucial component in its night-fighting capabilities. This radar system played a key role in detecting enemy aircraft under darkness. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engines, the P-61 could reach speeds up to 366 mph- a remarkable feat for an aircraft. Its all-black paint scheme was driven by the need for an effective night camouflage.

Night Vision Binoculars

Beginning with the P-61B model, night fighters were equipped with specialized night-vision binoculars that significantly enhanced pilot accuracy in nocturnal combat. The 5.8x magnification optical devices and advanced gunsight gave operators an unparalleled night fighting advantage, increasing target precision by a factor of four.

With practice, pilots could operate the Black Widow while looking through these binoculars, allowing them to detect enemy aircraft in near-total darkness.

Impact

Arriving late in the war, the P-61’s impact was limited. While it proved effective against the Japanese, it was already outdated in Europe. While Northrop engineers tried improving the P-61, it still lagged in speed.

Nonetheless, it was still used in every WWII theater, claiming 127 enemy warplanes and 18 German V-11 buzz bombs.