P-61C Black Widow

Mfg: HobbyBoss, 1/72 Scale, Kit No.: 87263, Released: 2018 Rebox, Changed Parts

Since the air forces of various countries began to attach importance to night bombing, bombing began to become more efficient than ever. In order to counter the enemy’s night bombing operations, a series of night fighters began to be put into use. The Americans started their night fighter program in 1940. But until the P-61 “Black Widow” entered service in October 1943, they had been using the Douglas P-70 “Havoc” and the British “Handsome Warrior” to contend with the Japanese army. Both P-61A and P-61B found shortcomings of insufficient maximum speed and maximum practical ceiling during service. To improve performance, two more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800C engines were installed on the aircraft. With this extra thrust, the top speed and maximum ceiling are increased to 430 mph and 30,000 feet, respectively.        Another modification of the P-61C is the use of a new wide-chord propeller and special “fighter brakes” on the wings, which allows the P-61C to have a smaller turning radius and avoid the phenomenon of overtaking the target.