What You Need to Know: The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the U.S. Army Air Force’s first dedicated night-fighter, featuring innovative radar technology. With its twin-engine, twin-boom design ...

The P-61’s origins begin with the British, who submitted a design request to the United States for a powerful night fighter that would have a high service ceiling, long eight-hour plus loiter ...

Have you ever seen a P-61 up close? Maybe even get to sit in the cockpit? I’ve never sat in the cockpit of a Black Widow, but I’ve gotten to experience the inside of one at point-blank range.

A Northrop P-61 Black Widow firing all four Browning .50 caliber machine guns in the top turret along with the Hispano 20 mm cannons in the lower forward fuselage while on the ground at night.

The Black Widow arrived at the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, Naval Air Station Moffett Field, California, on February 14, 1951. NACA returned the aircraft and delivered it to the Smithsonian at ...