Northrop P-61 Black Widow - Warbird Tech Vol. 15 [Paperback]

Warren E. Thompson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 24, 1998

With more than 30 volumes now available, this series is one of the best sources of information for modellers and aviation enthusiasts. Each volume is jam packed full of excerpts, drawings, exploded views, cutaways, assembly line, and repair depot photographs taken from original tech manuals.

Product Details

• Paperback: 100 pages
• Publisher: Specialty Press; 1st edition (January 24, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0933424809
• ISBN-13: 978-0933424807
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #355,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference for each variant, but little else, April 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Northrop P-61 Black Widow - Warbird Tech Vol. 15 (Paperback)

This was my first Warbird Tech series purchase and I was pleasantly surprised. As a modeler's reference, this is an outstanding source of details. The developement of all the various sub-types (some "extremely" rare) are covered including many photos and pilot's manual drawings. There are a very few wartime stories and fewer still pictures of the P-61 in combat theaters (hey, there "aren't" many pictures of night fighters in action). Most of the pictures seem to come from Northrop files, but they are usually large and clear - excellent for figuring out where to place that "control box" on the left of the cockpit. ;) If you are looking for markings of operational (as opposed to prototype) aircraft, get Thompson's "P-61 Black Widow Units of World War Two" (Osprey Combat Aircraft Series). Between the two of these books, you should be able to find those nagging details some modelers crave. Recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An overview of the P-61 with an empasis on its construction., June 5, 1999

By 

Randy McLish (Wichita, Kansas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Northrop P-61 Black Widow - Warbird Tech Vol. 15 (Paperback)

Here is a book that suceeds in accomplishing the feat of giving an overview of a fascinating aircraft with a slant toward the technical aspects. The book opens with a brief explanation of the need for the P-61. Then moves to testing and evaluations--includilng suggested modifications. Next comes the longest section, one on the aircraft's construction (a word of caution--if you're only casually interested in the Black Widow you may find this chapter somewhat tedious). Mr. Thompson concentrates primarily on the airframe with lesser detail on control systems and engines. Following are chapters on flight training (including pre-flight checks), radar/armmament, lesser produced variants, and service after the war. Also included are many informative cutaway diagrams, cockpit photos, and a section of color photos. If you are looking for a good overview of the P-61 and don't mind an emphasis on technical over operational details this book is an excellent choice.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed Bag, January 28, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Northrop P-61 Black Widow - Warbird Tech Vol. 15 (Paperback)

While the photos in this book are unique, the text suffers from important details, and many pages appear to be so much filler - diagrams of linkages/crating instructions/etc.
This plane deserves better treatment.