There are only four P-61s in existence worldwide, three of them on permanent static display. P-61B No. 42-39715. Outside display at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing, China P-61C No. 43-8330. On display at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C. P-61C No. 43-8353. On display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio P-61B No. 42-39445. Is being restored to flying condition by the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, Spaatz Field, Reading, Pennsylvania. This fourth 'Black Widow' No. 42-39445 is the subject of an epic recovery and restoration project conceived and led by World War II veteran Eugene 'Pappy' Strine, co-founder of the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum. The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum was formed in 1980 for the purpose of acquiring the right to recover P-61B No. 39445 from its mountaintop crash site in New Guinea. The 232nd B-model produced, No. 42-39445, was assigned to the 13th Air Force, 13th Fighter Command. It was the first P-61 delivered to the 550th Night Fighter Squadron at Hollandia, New Guinea. After crashing during a test flight on 10 January 1945 near the top of Mount Cyclops, near Hollandia, New Guinea, it lay unrecovered for more than 40 years before being retrieved by Mid-Atlantic Air Museum volunteers (MAAM). The P-61 Black Widow was the first operational U.S. military aircraft designed specifically for night interception of aircraft, and was the first aircraft specifically designed to use radar. It was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom design developed during World War II. The first test flight was made on 26 May 1942, with the first production aircraft rolling off the assembly line in October 1943. The last aircraft was retired from government service in 1954 (Wikipedia). General Characteristics: Specifications (P-61B-20-No) Crew: 2-3 (pilot, radar operator, optional gunner) Length: 49-ft 7-in (15.11m) Wingspan: 66-ft 0-in (20.12mm) Height: 14-ft 8-in (4.47m) Wing area: 662.36-ft square (61.53 m square) Empty Weight: 23,450lb (10,637kg) Loaded Weight: 29,700lb (13,471kg) Max takeoff weight: 36,200lb (16,420kg) Power Plants: 2 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-65W Double wasp radial engines. 2,250 hp (1,680kW) each Propellers: Four-bladed Curtis Electric propeller, 1 per engine Propeller diameter: 146-in (3.72m) Fuel capacity: Internal: 640 gal (2,423l) of AN-F-48 100/130 octane External: Up to four 165 gal (625l) or 310 gal (1,173l) tanks under the wings Performance: Max Speed: 366mph(318kn, 589km/h) at 20,000-ft (6,095m) Combat Range: 610 mi (520nmi, 982km) Ferry Range: 1,900 mi (1,650nmi, 3,060km) with four external fuel tanks Service ceiling: 33,100-ft (10,600m) Rate of Climb: 2,540ft/min (12.9m/s) Time to altitude: 12min to 20,000-ft (6,100m) [1,667fpm] Armament: 4 x 20mm (.79-in) Hispano M2 cannons in ventral fuselage, 200rpg 4 x .50-in (12.7mm) M2 Browning machine guns remotely operated, full-traverse upper turret, 560rpg Bombs: For ground attack, four bombs of up to 1,600lb (726kg) each or six 5-in (127mm) HVAR unguided rockets could be carried under the wings Avionics: SCR-720 (AI Mk x) search radar SCR-695 tail warning radar (Wikipedia) This picture was taken on 1 June 2012, Sig...