Black Widows improved

**pampa14** · 07-10-2016, 12:35 PM

I share with you some pictures of rare versions of the first US operational night fighter. Does anyone know if the equipment and weapons tested were used in combat? The collection of photos can be viewed by visiting the link below:

Avia

Best Regards!

**Gunny Hartmann** · 07-10-2016, 02:38 PM

Great photos of a very interesting aircraft!...

**lithgow** · 07-10-2016, 02:57 PM

While the P63 Black Widow was the 1st US aircraft designed from the beginning as a radar equipped night fighter, other types were used for the job as modified versions of earlier aircraft including the P 38 Lightning, P70 Havoc (a modified A 20 Havoc medium bomber), F4U Corsair and F6F Hellcat-by the time the purpose built P63 became operational in 1945 there were few targets available for it in Europe or the Pacific as the Axis forces were collapsing but it was operational and effective.
PS The missiles were being tested long after the war when the obsolete F63 (post war designation change from 'Pursuit' to 'Fighter') was used as a test aircraft.