P-61B BLACK WIDOW 42-39445

Type

Description

Please note:  The PlaneTags you receive will arbitrarily be chosen from the variations as shown in the photos. And the rivet PlaneTags you receive will randomly include one or more rivet holes. No requests accepted.

Click Here To Custom Engrave Your Metal and Patina Tags

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.

Customer Reviews
4.8 Based on 14 Reviews
5 ★
86% 
12
4 ★
7% 
1
3 ★
7% 
1
2 ★
0% 
0
1 ★
0% 
0
Write a Review Ask a Question

Thank you for submitting a review!

Your input is very much appreciated. Share it with your friends so they can enjoy it too!

Filter Reviews:
    LC
    03/08/2023
    Lee C.
    United States United States

    P-61 Black Widow

    This tag is one of the P-61 Black Widows my Mom built at Northrup during the war. This is for sure a keeper.

    A PlaneTags Customer
    MG
    03/08/2023
    Mike G.
    United States United States

    WOW!

    Built a model of this plane as a kid! So cool finally having a tag from the actual plane! Oh the stories this tag could tell! Thanks for another excellent tag and ordering/customer service experience!

    DG
    03/08/2023
    David G.
    United States United States

    Great to find this tag.

    For some reason I have always liked this plane and have a model of it in my collection. Nice to add the tag as well. Now if they can only bring back a tag for the “Connie”….

    AJ
    03/08/2023
    Alicia J.
    United States United States

    Incredible piece of history!

    I bought this for my son who is a history major in college - he treasures each one of these tags. I bought one with rivets and it’s incredible! He has quite a collection now!

    RL
    03/08/2023
    Richard L.
    United States United States

    Quality product. Interesting selection.

    I am very pleased with this product and would do business with this company again. Quality products, eclectic selection, and quick delivery = Good Business...

    A PlaneTags Customer
    DB
    03/06/2023
    Darrell B.
    United States United States

    Awesome piece of aviation history

    One of my favorite Northrop aircraft (P-61 Black Widow) from World War II. Awesome craftsmanship and a nice collectible to add to my Plane Tag collection. Thank you.

    RC
    03/03/2023
    Roy C.
    Canada Canada

    Beautifully done!

    Another great piece from MotoArt!

    MP
    03/01/2023
    Michael P.
    United States United States

    P-61B Black Widow

    I love having a piece of history. Can't wait until the P-61 is back up in the air. Visit the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, Pennsylvania to support their efforts. Thank you Plane Tags!

    CH
    03/01/2023
    Craig H.
    United States United States

    P-61B Black Widow Planetag

    The Planetag was a work of art! The rivet pattern was in an arc, and the craftsman who made the tag laid out the tag so that the arc followed the curve of the ellipse exactly. The shipping was prompt, and the tag arrived in great condition. After having followed the progress of this aircraft since it was recovered, I'm thrilled to have a tag made from the actual skin.

    PD
    03/01/2023
    Perry D.
    United States United States

    Nice tag from the widow

    The tag is really cool, three rivets and some script on the back so a very interesting relic. Always happy with the tags I purchase.

    JN
    03/01/2023
    John N.
    United States United States

    P-61 tag

    The P-61 is my favorite WW2 plane. I collect everything I can about it. Your tag is now in my showcase. Nice conversation piece.

    IT
    03/01/2023
    Ian T.
    United Kingdom United Kingdom

    Black Widow

    Don't actually use this one, trying to build up a collection :-) this is number 2. If you can release a few more SR-71's then it will be 3. Seriously, I use my other plane tag everyday and love it...very unique.

    MD
    02/10/2023
    Maureen D.
    United States United States

    Wish they would improve their packaging

    The tag itself is really cool and it is presented well, though Planetags still insists on sending everything in small bubble mailers. It ends up messing up the card and it stinks, since that's part of what makes these products so desirable. Luckily the P-61B isn't too expensive and landed here in pretty good condition, but I've spent upwards of $1000 and received the same packaging. Unfortunately I did not have the same luck with the condition and customer service could not care less.

    WM
    02/10/2023
    William M.
    United States United States

    Not up to your Normal Standards

    I was disappointed by the condition of this tag. I have been buying for years and this is the first time I have been really disappointed. The condition of the tag was not crisp. It looks like a bad part of the fuselage.

    Subscribe