Customer Reviews

Northrop P-61 Black Widow - Warbird Tech Vol. 15

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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.

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.

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.

Although the book provides an interesting general overview, it passes over some important details almost entirely. For example, Chapter 5, Armament and Radar, says almost nothing about the P-61's radar capabilities, and instead dwells almost exclusively on it's 20 mm cannons.

A book about such an important night fighter should have much more to say about it's radar systems. After all, this is what made the P-61 so important to begin with.

Can anybody direct me to a good source of information on the P-61's radar systems and capabilities?