P61 Black Widow

[5PointOh]

I don't recall it being required that any aircraft to be added to AH had to fly in the daytime.  Just saying though.

[oakranger]

<G>
how bout these
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Northrop P-61 Black Widows marked with invasion stripes soar over France 1944.

That would be the 71st FG, 9th Army air core.  The only P-61 FG in the ET.

[waystin2]

A definite +1 for the P-61.

[lyric1]

NFS = Night Fighting Squadron?   Maybe I'm missing something. 

No you got it.

In some respects the P61's were just too good at their job they cleared the night time skies,& just like today in any job environment if you do your job very well your superiors are going to find you something else to do. Hence day time attack rolls.

[Saxman]

In the case of the P-61, though, it was more a matter of daylight fighters did THEIR jobs too well, leaving very little left to operate at night. Those few aircraft that did were largely wiped out by earlier Allied nightfighters (particularly variants of the F4U and F6F) before the P-61s came online. There just weren't enough nighttime targets left for the P-61s to BEGIN with.

[oakranger]

In the case of the P-61, though, it was more a matter of daylight fighters did THEIR jobs too well, leaving very little left to operate at night. Those few aircraft that did were largely wiped out by earlier Allied nightfighters (particularly variants of the F4U and F6F) before the P-61s came online. There just weren't enough nighttime targets left for the P-61s to BEGIN with.

Germany really did not have a huge night time sqad, and most of them turn into day time to help out.  Now, did the IJ have night time fighters?

[Masherbrum]

In the case of the P-61, though, it was more a matter of daylight fighters did THEIR jobs too well, leaving very little left to operate at night. Those few aircraft that did were largely wiped out by earlier Allied nightfighters (particularly variants of the F4U and F6F) before the P-61s came online. There just weren't enough nighttime targets left for the P-61s to BEGIN with.

This is what I was thinking as well. 

[5PointOh]

For me its the design standpoint on why I'd like to see this aircraft.

One of the first US aircrafts that used the electronic controled turrets (although there was a shortage of these parts since many were being fitted to the B-29), twin Pratt & Whitney R-2800-65W Double Wasp radial engines, 2,250 hp each, the at the time radical idea of using curved spoilers vs airlerons, add in the fact it served in all theathers of combat for the US. 

[lyric1]

This is what I was thinking as well. 

Suggest you get this book it is an excellent read.

[Scherf]

Wish it (^) were more consistent. Hard to tell from the lists at the back whether a kill given as "10th April" is 9/10 April or 10/11 April, at what time of day, where, etc. That particular info is still a book waiting to be written, so far as I know.

[Megalodon]

2 good reads

http://www.historynet.com/bite-of-the-black-widow-northrops-p-61-night-fighter.htm

and

"Conquering the Night"
Army Air Forces Night Fighters at War
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/AAF-Night/img/AAF-Night-p26b.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/AAF/AAF-Night/index.html&usg=__dcqDwVm3kvKkyQa_Bv1LrbNHuMo=&h=462&w=640&sz=43&hl=en&start=19&um=1&tbnid=puOwlF0j_a63-M:&tbnh=99&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3DP-61%2Bdaylight%2Braid%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1

[Megalodon]

That would be the 71st FG, 9th Army air core.  The only P-61 FG in the ET.

414th Night Fighter Squadron, Twelfth Air Force. Received Black Widows in December 1944. Served in Algeria, Sardinia, Corsica, Italy, plus detachment to Belgium. Inactivated August 1947 and reformed as 319th All Weather Squadron.

415th Night Fighter Squadron, Twelfth Air Force. Received Black Widow in March 1945. Served in Italy, Corsica, France, Germany. Inactived September 1947.

416th Night Fighter Squadron, Twelfth Air Force. Received Black Widow in June 1945. Served in Italy, Corsica, France, Germany. Inactived November 1946 and redesignated 2nd Fighter Squadron (All Weather).

417th Night Fighter Squadron, Twelfth Air Force. Received Black Widow in April/May 1945. Served in Italy, Corsica, France, Germany. Inactived November 1946.

422nd Night Fighter Squadron, Ninth Air Force. Received Black Widow May 1944. Served in England, France, Belgium, Germany. Inactivated September 1945.

425th Night Fighter Squadron, Ninth Air Force. Served in England, France, and Germany. Inactivated August 1947.

[Ack-Ack]

Can confirm that they did, daylight raids rockets & bombs, napalm.

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Most of the "intruder" missions flown by the P-61 and other night fighters took place at night, with very few taking place in daylight hours.  The 3rd image you posted (the 414th in Italy) even states that they were preparing the bombs for a night intruder mission and not a day light raid.  Those other images are probably the same, the crews getting the P-61s ready for night time intruder missions.

ack-ack

[Megalodon]

"In early Aug 1944, the 422nd and 425th Night Fighter Squadrons were transferred to Maupertus, France. In the same month, they began engaging German aircraft, shooting down a Bf 110 and a Fw 190 shortly afterwards. In Dec 1944, P-61 night fighters of the two squadrons performed daylight ground attack missions against German supply lines during the Ardennes offensive that later came to be known as the Battle of the Bulge."

"To make the most of the situation, the US Army employed the P-61 as ground attack "night intruders" to affect enemy targets by use of the powerful cannon armament and excellent handling qualities. The Widow played an increasingly important ground attack role in that way and especially so during the pivotal Ardennes Offensive (the "Battle of the Bulge") which saw these aircraft flying in support of Allied forces nearly round-the-clock and attacking "targets of opportunity" such as locomotives and trucks as well as concentrations of German troops. The Widow proved a most-feared opponent for these hapless Germans on the ground and many (those who survived her wrath) lived with the memories of seeing this mighty black beast coming down out of the sky."

[jay]

would love to have this plane added,like a P38 on steroids but its probably never gonna be added (or maybe after WW1 planes!?  )