posted 06-05- 09:09 AM               

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The only specially designed night fighter of WWII, a large but maneuvrable twin-engined, twin-boom aircraft. The allied enjoyed almost total air superiority by the time the P-61 entered service, and the P-61 was mainly used as a night intruder and attack aircraft. The nose housed a big and heavy centimetric radar set, made in the US; four machine guns were installed in a remotely controlled turret on top of the fuselage (deleted on many P-61As) and four cannon were fitted in the fuselage belly. The P-61 was surprisingly maneuverable for such a large aircraft, but too slow too make a really excellent fighter. There was also a two-seat dayfighter development, the XP-61E, later converted into the XF-15 reconaissance aircraft. 706 built.