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Northrop P-61 Black Widow

Northrop · Night Fighter · USA · WWII (1939–1945)

Northrop P-61 Black Widow — Night Fighter
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The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first American aircraft designed specifically for night-fighter operations. Northrop built 706 P-61s between 1942 and August 1945. The Black Widow used SCR-720 airborne intercept radar in the nose, twin Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engines, and a three-crew layout (pilot, gunner, radar operator). The aircraft entered combat in the Pacific theatre in mid-1944 and served in both Pacific and European theatres until the end of WWII. It remained in U.S. Air Force service as a night fighter and reconnaissance aircraft until 1954.

The P-61 was unusually large for a fighter — 49 ft long with a 66 ft wingspan and 36,000 lb maximum takeoff weight. The size came from the radar (a 1,200-lb installation in 1942), the three-man crew, and the heavy armament: four 20 mm Hispano cannons in the lower fuselage plus a remotely-aimed dorsal turret with four .50-cal machine guns. The configuration gave the Black Widow extraordinary firepower for night interception but made it slower and less manoeuvrable than its day-fighter contemporaries. Maximum speed about 366 mph (P-61C variant); service ceiling 41,000 ft.

Combat use began with the 6th Night Fighter Squadron in the Pacific in May 1944, where P-61s replaced makeshift Douglas P-70 night fighters (a converted Boston/Havoc bomber). The P-61 became the principal U.S. night-fighter in both theatres by the end of 1944. The first U.S. aerial victory of the post-V-J Day era was scored by a P-61 over a North Korean airfield on 14 August 1945 — minutes before Japan's surrender. The P-61 also flew night-intruder strikes against German V-1 buzz-bomb launch sites and Japanese kamikaze airfields.

The P-61's specialist role was inherited by the F-82 Twin Mustang and then the radar-equipped F-89 Scorpion in the late 1940s. Production ended in August 1945; about 41 P-61s survive in static and storage condition today, but only the National Museum of the United States Air Force holds an airframe on permanent display. The Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, Pennsylvania has been restoring P-61C #42-39754 to airworthy condition for over 30 years.

For Kids — a shorter, friendlier version

The P-61 Black Widow was America's first dedicated night fighter. The Black Widow was painted glossy black and equipped with radar to find enemy bombers in total darkness. It first flew in 1942 and entered combat in 1944, near the end of WWII.

The P-61 is huge for a fighter — about 49 feet long, longer than a school bus. Three crew members: pilot, gunner (operating the remote-controlled turret with 4 machine guns on top), and radar operator. Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engines. Top speed about 366 mph — slow for a fighter, but fast enough for hunting bombers.

About 706 P-61s were built between 1943 and 1945. They were used by the U.S. Army Air Forces in the Pacific (defending against Japanese night bombing raids) and over Europe (chasing German night bombers and spying aircraft). After WWII, P-61s briefly served in occupation duties before retiring in 1950.

Few P-61s survive today. Only 4 are known to exist, all in museums. The Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, PA has been restoring one P-61 since 1991 — they hope to make it fly again someday. The P-61 is overshadowed by more-famous WWII fighters like the P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt, but it was the first airplane designed specifically for night combat.

Fun Facts

  • The P-61 Black Widow was America's first dedicated night fighter — painted glossy black with radar in the nose.
  • About 706 P-61s were built between 1943 and 1945.
  • Three crew members: pilot, gunner (in remote-controlled top turret), radar operator.
  • The P-61's top turret had 4 machine guns and could be aimed by remote control.
  • Only 4 P-61s survive today, all in museums.
  • The Mid Atlantic Air Museum has been restoring a P-61 since 1991, hoping to fly it again.
  • After WWII, P-61s briefly served in occupation duties before retiring in 1950.

Kids’ Questions

Why is the P-61 called "Black Widow"?

Northrop Aircraft picked the name in 1943 after the black widow spider — a poisonous spider native to North America. The female black widow spider hunts at night and is famous for being deadly. The P-61 was painted glossy black so it would be invisible against the night sky, and it hunted bombers at night using radar. The name fit the airplane's job perfectly. The Mid Atlantic Air Museum's restoration P-61 has the original black paint scheme. The Black Widow nickname has become one of the most-famous WWII airplane names — even though most people have never heard of the airplane itself.

What's a night fighter?

A night fighter is a fighter airplane specially equipped to find and attack enemy aircraft at night. WWII bombing was often done at night to make it harder for defenders to see. Night fighters had radar (to find bombers in the dark), special flame-dampers on engines (so they wouldn't be seen by their glow), and often two crew members — one to fly, one to operate the radar. Famous night fighters include the British de Havilland Mosquito night fighter, the German Bf 110 night fighter, and the American P-61 Black Widow. Modern fighters all have such good night sensors that dedicated night fighters are no longer needed.

Variants

P-61A / B / C
Production variants 1942-1945. P-61A: original 200 built (no top turret). P-61B: top turret added (450 built). P-61C: 2,800 hp R-2800-73 engines (only 41 built before war's end).
F-15A Reporter (post-war)
Reconnaissance variant. About 36 P-61C airframes converted to F-15A Reporter standard for post-war photo-recon use through 1949.

Notable Operators

U.S. Army Air Forces (1944-1947)
Sole wartime user. About 30 night-fighter squadrons in Pacific and European theatres 1944-1945. Continued in U.S. Air Force service through the late 1940s; final retirement 1954.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the P-61 designed for?

Night fighting — intercepting bombers and intruders in darkness using onboard radar. The P-61 was the first American aircraft designed from scratch for the role; earlier U.S. night fighters were makeshift conversions of A-20 Havoc bombers (Douglas P-70). The P-61 used SCR-720 airborne intercept radar in the nose to find targets, then four 20 mm cannons + a four-gun dorsal turret to destroy them.

Why was the P-61 black?

To minimise visibility from below at night when a target lit it from above with a searchlight beam. Most P-61s were painted Jet Black overall. Some Pacific theatre P-61s were left in olive-drab over neutral grey to match the Pacific sky-and-sea contrast better.

How many P-61s were built?

706 airframes between 1942 and August 1945, plus 36 F-15A Reporter reconnaissance conversions. Northrop also built 5 prototypes (XP-61) for the development programme.

Did a P-61 score the last U.S. aerial victory of WWII?

A P-61B (44-26092) of the 6th Night Fighter Squadron shot down a Nakajima Ki-44 "Tojo" over a North Korean airfield on 14 August 1945 — minutes before Japan's V-J Day surrender announcement. This is sometimes cited as the last U.S. aerial victory of WWII.

Are any P-61s still flying?

None airworthy as of 2026. The Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, Pennsylvania has been restoring P-61C #42-39754 to flying condition since 1991 — the longest-running P-61 restoration project. The U.S. Air Force Museum holds the only fully-displayed P-61 (a P-61C, on static display).

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