Custom P-61B BLACK WIDOW 42-39445

$84.95

Description

Please note: The PlaneTags you receive will arbitrarily be chosen from the variations as shown in the photos.

The P-61 Black Widow was the first U.S. military aircraft designed explicitly as a night fighter, the first fighter designed with radar, and the first U.S. warplane named after a living organism. The P-61 is also MotoArt’s first aircraft of 2023, and we are elated to share one Black Widow’s story with you - introducing 42-39445, a Northrop P-61B recovered and restored by the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum.

Find out the whole story on the PlaneTags blog P61: A Black Widow Becomes A Midnight Queen

42-39445 is one of four remaining P-61s left in the world, and once its restoration is complete, it will be the only Black Widow capable of flight. While on a test flight in New Guinea during World War II, it collided with a mountain; amazingly, all members onboard survived. It remained forgotten but largely intact for over 45 years until it was recovered in 1991 and brought back to the U.S. through the hard work and sheer will of Eugene and Russ Strine and the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum. Since its recovery, the Strines and the Museum have devoted their efforts to restoring the aircraft to flying condition and sharing its incredible story with the world.

OUR PLANE'S STORY

P-61s were specifically designed to locate and destroy enemy aircraft at night and in poor visibility, aided by its onboard radar. They were built with the endurance and long-range needed to patrol the night skies for hours and intercept enemy aircraft. Although design and production delays kept them from being active until the final year of World War II, they served in all theaters and filled a major need in the Pacific theater especially. 42-39445 was assigned to the 550th Night Fighter Squadron on January 6, 1945. With only 10 hours of flight time recorded on the airframe, it crashed four days later into Mount Cyclops on the north coast of New Guinea. It would have remained where it crashed, forgotten to history and the elements, if not for the passion and determination of the Strines and the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum.

In 2022, MotoArt partnered with the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum to preserve the unusable original skins from 42-39445. With P-61 PlaneTags, you can carry a small piece of this Black Widow or share it and its incredible story with someone you love. Add a Northrop P-61B Black Widow to your PlaneTags collection today!

NORTROP P-61B BLACK WIDOW-# 42-39445

Characteristics:

Manufacturer: NORTHROP CORPORATION
Serial # : 42-39445
Crew: 3 (Pilot, Radar Operator, and Gunner)
Wing Span: 66 ft 0 in
Length: 49 ft 7 in
Height: 14 ft 8 in
Armament: 4x 20mm HISPANO M2 CANNONS, 4x BROWNING M2 .50 CALIBER MACHINE GUNS, 6,400 LBS OF BOMBS OR ROCKETS

Performance:

Range:1,174 Nm
Cruise Speed: 256 kts
Ceiling: 33,100 ft
Empty weight:20,965 lb
Max Takeoff:34,200 lb
Rate of Climb: 2,090 ft / min
Engine: 2x PRATT & WHITNEY R-2800-65 DOUBLE WASP

DISCLAIMER

Perfect Aviation Gift

PlaneTags are:

Authentic - made from actual retired aircraft fuselage, not merely stamped metal.
Unique - each PlaneTag bears the color, thickness, and wear and tear from the portion of the fuselage from which it was cut and it is therefore rare to create two identical PlaneTags.
Collectible - each one is numbered in a limited edition and comes attached to a display card.
Versatile - comes with a durable metal ring, strong enough to attach to luggage or keys or display.

*Important Notice – Please Read Carefully

PlaneTags are made from actual retired aircraft fuselage, not merely stamped metal. Because PlaneTags are made from real fuselage, each PlaneTag bears the color, thickness, and wear and tear from the portion of the fuselage from which it was cut and it is therefore rare to create two identical PlaneTags. These variations and imperfections are not product flaws. They are part of the beauty of PlaneTags. As a result, you will not have an option to select the color of your PlaneTag. The images on this website are provided for reference only and should not be used as the sole basis for choosing a particular PlaneTag.

Caution: Not recommended for children under 8 years of age. This product contains chemical-based paint which may cause respiratory irritation if ingested or inhaled in large quantities. Keep out of mouth.