Northrop P-61 Black Widow

Workers working on assembly airplanes.Los Angeles, CA, US August 1945 Hans Wild

[hercules130]

OH MAN, Thanks for those pics. Lots of great photos the last couple of days. This makes me more hungry for the Pac Coast bird. The Widow is my favorite Allied bird hands down.

[Shay]

pretty sure everything in the picture of the assembly plant was scrapped shortly after it was taken. The picture is dated August 1945 and JB's site says this (when referrencing Consturction Number 1420 in the freground):

43-8362/8437 - Northrop P-61C Black Widow, c/n 1408/1483. Contract canceled

That would make 1420 Ser No. 43-8374

Maybe they where all finishe and flown to the recycling center or scrapped on site.


Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[gary1954]

So just how many -61's escaped the smelter, and continued in the aviation field?
What various roles were they impressed? Weather Research? What.

Last edited by gary1954 on Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:55 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Shay]

curious questions:

What are the dive brake looking outlines on the wing panel just above the LIFE logo??

These aircraft have the "Stars and Bars" already applied, were they finishing Black Widows in Bare Metal Finish at the end of the war???? with black surfaces???


Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[John Dupre]

curious questions:

What are the dive brake looking outlines on the wing panel just above the LIFE logo??

These aircraft have the "Stars and Bars" already applied, were they finishing Black Widows in Bare Metal Finish at the end of the war???? with black surfaces???


Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

Those are spoilers used for roll control instead of ailerons. Most of the trailing edge of the wing is taken up with flaps.

[steve dickey]

curious questions:

What are the dive brake looking outlines on the wing panel just above the LIFE logo??

These aircraft have the "Stars and Bars" already applied, were they finishing Black Widows in Bare Metal Finish at the end of the war???? with black surfaces???


Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

Spoilers, used in conjunction with the itty bitty ailerons.

[Glen]

Greetings
I was wondering Who is Hans Wild ? ....................did this person work on the P-61's or some one that took the photo? Interested to know as my last name is Wild too

[Matt Gunsch]

Those are speed brakes, the spoilers are behind the guys heads. Speed brakes were installed on the P-61C

Greetings
I was wondering Who is Hans Wild ? ....................did this person work on the P-61's or some one that took the photo? Interested to know as my last name is Wild too

He's the TIME LIFE photographer

[Django]

That is odd about the national insignia.

[n5151ts]

...into the smelter

[JohnH]

Just got the new Flypast and there's a great story about John Myers, the test pilot, and some cool pix as well. I was just reading that today so it's cool to see these pics.
John