The Northrop P-61 was the first airplane designed form the start to be a night fighter. With its advanced radar and electronics, high speed, maneuverability and heavy armament, it was as deadly as its namesake: the poisonous Black Widow spider. Northrop P-61 Black Widow uncovers the complete history of this once-secret warplane. The result of over 26 years of original research, this book brings you astonishing detail on all the P-61 variants, from the first XP-61 prototype through the final long range escort and photo-recon versions. Dozens of photos and original Northrop and Army Air Force blueprint drawings show every technical detail of this ahead of-its-time aricraft, its engines, aradar and electronics. This is the complete Black Widow combat diary - all the aces and all the victories, told through first person combat stories. More than 150 black and white and color photos show the Black Widow in action in the European, China-Burma-India and Pacific Theaters - the planes the pilots, the crewmen, the nose art and the markings. Also included are unit histories for each night fighter squadron that flew the Black Widow. 150 + colour photographs

Author Biography

Interested in aviation history since his pre-teen years, Garry Pape spent many years in a number of engineering fields in the aerospace industry and participated in numerous aviation organizations.Since retirement he served for a number of years as an air museum curator.He now dedicates his aviation interests to writing.He has had four books published, contributed to two others, and a couple of dozed articles in magazines and museum newsletters; the latest in the fall 2010 American Aviation Historical Society Journal.