The P-61C was a high-performance variant designed to rectify some of the combat deficiencies encountered with the A and B variants. Work on the P-61C proceeded quite slowly at Northrop because of the higher priority of the Northrop XB-35 flying wing strategic bomber project.

The P-61C was essentially the same airframe, but with more powerful turbosupercharged R-2800-73 radials offering a max WEP of 2,800 hp (2,088 kW). It was heavier than the A or B models and was said to be less maneuverable.

Oct 19, 2024 · Northrop’s night fighter was large, heavily armed, and fast for its size; the United States first night fighter designed from the ground up could find enemy aircraft in the dark thanks to...

The P-61 Black Widow was the first United States aircraft designed from the start to find and destroy other aircraft at night and in bad weather. It served in combat for only the final year of World War II but flew in the European, Mediterranean, Pacific, and China-Burma-India theaters.

Oct 7, 2022 · Taking into account the basic failings of the P-61A and B—unspectacular climb and speed, and limited range—the P-61C was fitted with turbosupercharged R-2800s, the top turret was permanently deleted and a big fuel tank was installed in the now-available space in the center of the crew nacelle.

The P-61C received the 2100 hp turbo-supercharged R-2800-73 engines that gave a 60mph increase in speed to 430mph. The first C model was accepted by the USAAF in July of 1945. However, the war in the Pacific ended before any P-61Cs could see combat.

Oct 26, 2018 · Without doubt one of the finest night-fighters of the war, the powerful P-61 was one of the few Allied aircraft that was specifically designed for the task. The Black Widow served with particular distinction in the Pacific, often as a night intruder …

May 20, 2024 · One of the coolest-looking warplanes at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center it the P-61 “Black Widow” night fighter. Born of the Battle of Britain, it arrived late too in the War to rack up a big record, …

Named for the North American spider Latrodectus mactans, it was an all-metal, Twin-engine, twin-boom design armed with four forward-firing 20mm (.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.

Oct 3, 2023 · The P-61C model could top speeds of 430 miles-per-hour and cruise at 307 miles-per-hour. Service ceiling leveled at 41,000 feet with a rate-of-climb equal to 2,600 feet-per-minute. Range was listed at 1,725 miles.