[i}it was a very good plane but it did not really have a historical impact like the N.F. Beaufighters, Mosquito's and numerous Luftwaffe types. [/B]
What sort of "historical impact" are you refering to? Are you talking number of aircraft shot down? OK then, you're probably right, it may not have the numbers like the others but I think that might have to do with when the P-61 entered the war. Those other aircraft had been flying night fighter missions, along with thier day mission counterparts, since the beginning of the war or close to it. The first P-61 unit didn't go into combat for the first time till May '44. Thats alot of catching up to do and by then we had already established arial supremecy in most theaters of war. Its not that the targets weren't out their I'll grant you but I think night time is a much more difficult arena to fly in than broad daylight.
As for performance, it was faster at all altitudes than the Mosquito and could outturn it by a considerable margin. And it left the Mosquito in the dust as for rate of climb. Thats saying quite alot too cause the Mosquito was an incredible aircraft. Heck, it was made of plywood so ofcourse the Mosquito was fast and maneuverable.
The P-61 was also the first fighter to be desined with the onboard radar in mind and it was one of the most advanced systems of the time. When they designed the Widow they were specifically building an aircraft to fly at night. I don't think they knew what sort of true combat machine they were going to have till it was built and in the hands of the pilots. But the time they were figuring it out the war was coming to its conclusion.
OK, lets talk about the statement "theaters of war". As far as my research has shown the P-61 flew in most the major theaters of war. European, Pacific, Medeterranean, China, Burma, and India. It even went on, like the P-51 and the F-4, to fly in Korea for a short time until being replaced by the P-82 Twin Mustang. But thats another war completely.
One other aspect of this whole thing is that as far as I've found only 16 night fighter squadrons were ever equipped with the Widow and those 16 squadrons were spread through all theaters of war. How many other night fighter squadrons were there that never recieved the P-61? As for those squadrons that were and when they went into combat I'd say that they had a huge impact on the war. Not just by shooting down aircraft either. Heck, once the Japanese found out about it and what it could really do, they were terrified of it. They would shift their night intruder missions to different areas they knew weren't protected by the Black Widow. How many lives do you think were saved by just that alone? It was used in the European theater to chase down V-1s along with their night interceptor missions. Towards the end of the war it was flying both day and night missions. It could carry bombs and rockets along with its 4-20mm cannon and 4-.50 cal machine guns when equiped with the top turrent, it could wreak havoc both on the ground and in the air. Its even unofficailly credited with the last arial kill of WWII, without even firing a shot. Unofficially though.
So it may not have the recognition of those other night fighters but I think that if the war continued the P-61 and the men who flew them would have gained a bit more recognition for their efforts and sacrifices.
As for your statement (it did not really have a historical impact) I strongly dissagree. I think it had a huge impact on the war for the short time it was involved. Its just not an area of the war that people know alot about.
Thanks for listening to my ramblings. I mean no offence to anybody that reads this or to the person who responded to my statement. I'm just very passionate about this aircraft and the people who flew them.
Hope to see everybody out there flying and having fun.
Bonzzz
