P 61 Black Widow Night Fighter

Subscribe to Dark Skies: The first operational U. S. aircraft specifically designed as a nightfighter was the P61 Black Widow. Created in 1940 by Northrop Aviation, in collaboration with the British Royal Air Force, the P61 was also the first aircraft designed to use radar. With its mysterious appearance and name, the Black Widow ruled the night in the waning months of World War 2. It would even collect the last confirmed airtoair kill on the last night of the As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don t hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.