Air Force Museum

[oldensign]

I don't know how much progress has been made restoring the P-61 at the U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. However, the early P-61s were painted Army olive drab (OD), the same color as the B-17s, B-24s, and so forth. I have been searching for a shiny P-61 Black Widow for years, but have never found a restored one.

[Pat Carry]

First welcome to the WIX! The P-61 in Dayton has been on display in shiny black for many years. check www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/shared/media/ ... 4S-024.jpg I hope this is what you are looking for.

[Dan K]

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... 29,r:0,s:0

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... 29,r:8,s:0

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... 29,r:9,s:0

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... 76&bih=522

[Steve Nelson]

While it looks very nice, the NMUSAF P-61 is a postwar C model, painted as a wartime B (the C is distinguished by turbosuperchargers and broad-chord props, as well as other differences.) I'm not sure when she was last painted, but it was before I first visited the museum in 1978. A few years ago the museum added an upper turret (not sure if the C ever had one.) If you want to get really picky, she has an inaccurate rear blister (much too blunt) and a lot of the interior components are missing. But she's one of the few surviving Widows, so I'm not complaining.



The Black Widow at the NASM Udvar-Hazy center is also a P-61C, and carries the remnants of several paint schemes, including markings from when she was used by NACA for research purposes.

The only surviving wartime models of the P-61Bs are the one rotting away on outdoor display in China, and the example being restored at the Mid Atlantic Air Museum. I don't think any P-61As have survived.

SN

[12XU2A3X3]

any truth to the rumor that the china bird is crated up?

[Steve Nelson]

Last I heard, it had been taken off display and put in a storage compound with the outer wings removed with a bunch of other aircraft. While I'm glad she's been preserved, I wish the Chinese would sell her to a museum that could give the TLC she desperately needs.

SN

[12XU2A3X3]

well, i mean, (cough) FHC.