The Northrop P-61 Black Widowwas the only American aircraft designed as a night-fighter to be produced during the Second World War. The Black Widow proved to be a deadly night-fighter in combat against both the Germans and Japanese.
The P-61 was designed by John (Jack) Knudson Northrop, who was one of the most farsighted aviation engineers of all time. His aircraft were innovative and usually ahead of their time. This is highlighted by the fact that the Northrop B-2 Stealth Bomber can trace its development back to the Northrop Flying Wings of the 1930s and 1940s.
Northrop Aircraft Inc. was formed during August of 1939 with Jack Northrop as President and Chief Engineer. Within a year, Northrop had moved his company into a new 122,000 square foot plant at Hawthorne, California, and was employing over 100 people. At first, Northrop did subcontract work for other manufacturers — tail sections for PBY Catalinas and engine nacelles for B-17s. Additionally, Northrop built the Vultee Vengeance dive bomber under license for the Royal Air Force. It was this program that led to Northrop's most successful aircraft for the Second World War.
Название: P-61 Black Widow in Action (Aircraft 106)
Автор: Larry Davis, David W. Menard
Publisher: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc.
Год издания: 1990
ISBN: 0897472489
Страниц: 50 Pages
язык: English
Формат: PDF
Размер: 21,8 MB
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