The Northrop P-61 Black Widow, named for the American spider, was the first operational U.S. military aircraft designed specifically for night interception of opposing aircraft, and was the first aircraft specifically designed to use radar. The P-61 had a crew of three: pilot, gunner, and radar operator. It was armed with four 20 mm (.79 in) Hispano M2 forward firing cannons mounted in the lower fuselage, and four .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns.

It was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom design developed during World War II. The first test flight was made on May 26th, 1942, with the first production aircraft rolling off the assembly line in October 1943. The last aircraft was retired from government service in 1954.

Although not produced in the large numbers of its contemporaries, the Black Widow was effectively operated as a night-fighter by United States Army Air Forces squadrons in the European Theater, the Pacific Theater, the China Burma India Theater and the Mediterranean Theater during World War II. It replaced earlier British-designed night-fighter aircraft that had been updated to incorporate radar when it became available. After the war, the P-61 served in the United States Air Force as a long-range, all weather, day/night interceptor for Air Defense Command until 1948, and Fifth Air Force until 1950.

On the night of August 14th, 1945, a P-61B of the 548th Night Fight Squadron named "Lady in the Dark" was unofficially credited with the last Allied air victory before VJ Day. The P-61 was also modified to create the F-15 Reporter photo-reconnaissance aircraft for the United States Air Force.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a USAAF Nothrop P-61B Black Widow Interceptor that was crewed by Lt. Stan Logan and Radio Operator Lt. George Kamajian, and nicknamed "Black Panther," which was attached to the 418th Night Fighter Squadron, and deployed to Ie Shima, Okinawa, during 1945. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 11-inches
Length: 8-3/4 inches

Release Date: February 2015

Historical Account: "Under the Cover of Darkness" - One of the eight squadrons flying over the islands of the South Pacific, the 418th Night Fighter Squadron also has the distinction of being the top scoring unit against the Japanese and also had the only nightfighter ace in the Pacific/CBI theater. Logan's plane "Black Panther" didn't achieve any kills but it is a nice example of a P-61B flown by the 418th. The name and the panther outline are yellow, with white and red details on the panther.