Need help with my P-61 Nose identity - with picture

[Quest Master]

I was doing some yard work this weekend and happened to notice something odd on my P-61 nose cone section, something I had never noticed before. I moved the nose so that it was horizontal and gave a closer look. Clearly painted on the side of the nose are the numbers "27". I was going to restore the nose as "Lady in the Dark" but this changes things. This is a Pacific P-61, I recovered this section in Hawaii in the early 1990s. At that point I didn't know if it had actually been on an aircraft, possibly a spare. Northrop only made 700+ P-61s. Any ideas on the identity? Fire away:

BTW....the big cutouts were done to remove the brackets (not by me) for the MAAMs P-61 (they also obtained their gunner's canopy from me).

[hang the expense]

The 27 looks like 77.Am I looking at it wrong?Did you get that out of the gorge with all the parts dumped in it?

[Quest Master]

The "2" is hard to see, but it is definately a "27".

[RyanShort1]

Any chance you can get a better angle on the "2"?

I hope you don't mind, but I played around with the image a bit to get this:



Ryan

[Django]

I'll take a look through my P-61 book at home.

That thing rules. You lucky bastard!

[gtokid]

I found this site while searching:

http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/ ... /6NFS.html

Near the bottom of the page, it says the markings used by the 6th Night Fighter Squadron were two white numbers on the nose during 1945 in Hawaii.

Assuming those numbers are the last two numbers of the serial, maybe it could be off or S/N 42-5527 "Moonhappy"? Wouldn't that be something?!


Todd

[RyanShort1]

I'm guessing that the number is more likely a squadron aircraft number rather than equated to a tail code. Here's a shot on Flickr of a P-61 *apparently* at Clark Field: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fizzix/564562045/

and another shot from Hawaii of several "War Weary" P-61s that according to a caption were going to be scrapped - including one with "28" on the nose.


Zooming in we can see:



Just for grins, here's a couple of color shots from Europe.





The photos are from the National Archives via Footnote.

Ryan

[Django]

My book only has in-theater photos, and none of them have numbers.

Found this article, and it has a color photo I've not seen before.
http://www.historynet.com/bite-of-the-b ... ighter.htm

More photos here. Nose art though, no numbers.
http://414nightfightersquadron.blogspot ... 414th.html

This one has a 5, but no info.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fizzix/564562045/

On Hickam field, 1945, but no number.
http://chopperdaves.blogspot.com/2008/0 ... 86e60ab7f9

color pics, yellow numbers under the cockpit, no info.
http://forum.armyairforces.com/tm.aspx? ... e=1#165331

This one has a 77 on the nose that corresponds to the tail number. No info though.
http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-f ... useum.html

[Quest Master]

Ryan,
I think you are on to something with the first black and white photo. The style of the numbers is exactly the same as the ones painted on my nose. I was leaning more toward the "27" being a ferry number on the nose vice the last digits of the aircraft serical number or unit assignment number. Where did you find that picture and did it say what field it was taken?

[RyanShort1]

Ryan,
I think you are on to something with the first black and white photo. The style of the numbers is exactly the same as the ones painted on my nose. I was leaning more toward the "27" being a ferry number on the nose vice the last digits of the aircraft serial number or unit assignment number. Where did you find that picture and did it say what field it was taken?

The pictures are from the National Archives via Footnote. According to the caption on the back they were taken at Wheeler Field on Oahu.

Here's the same scene from another angle.



Ryan

[Holedigger]

Wheeler? Unless they had off base parking a good ways from the runways, it does not look all that "hilly" at Wheeler. But then again, that is just from Google maps, never been on location unfortunately!

[RyanShort1]

Remember, that's just what the caption says. I don't know that it's right!

Ryan

[Holedigger]

Don't you know it! Almost as good as online tags!!!

[Quest Master]

I'll buy that the NA B/W pictures where taken at Wheeler. Here are great group of pictures of Wheeler over the years. http://hiavps.com/Wheeler.htm
I have been there.....there are areas with elevation where this photo could have been taken. It definately was not taken on the runway....they would not have been scrapping aircraft on the operational runway. This would have probably been off the the side so not to interfear with normal base operations. Cool pictures Ryan - thanks for finding them. Now - find me one with a "27" on the nose like the "28".....and we're in business!

[paulmcmillan]

Are we sure that the Sqn number did always correspond with the last 2 numbers of the aircraft serial ??

I assume not if you had the case of 2 77's etc but if it would make obvious sence!!