P-61 Black Widow In Action
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Author: David Doyle
Publisher: Squadron Signal
ISBN: 978-0-89747-718-5
Binding: Hardcover
Pages: 80
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the only purpose-built night fighter from the United States during the Second World War, with all the earlier aircraft being modified from existing fighters and bombers. While these initial night fighters filled a gap, the need for a dedicated night fighter was high, and the P-61 was born. The P-61 was not a small plane, and one could understand the view that it was a cumbersome aircraft. The truth was far from that, and the P-61 proved to be a powerful, agile, and deadly fighter aircraft.
This newest title in the In Action series examines the P-61 in the usual In Action format. This is not the first time the P-61 has been covered in this series, with the subject first covered in #106 of the series back in 1990. Plenty of new photos have cropped up since then, and this book is richly illustrated with plenty of photos, both black and white and color. The book covers the entire P-61 family as well, from the original XP-61 all the way through to the photo reconnaissance F-15 Reporter variant and the ultimate firebomber modification.
In addition to the photographs, the book contains plenty of scale drawings and scrap views highlighting the features and differences between the variants. For the most part, the P-61 remained visually similar throughout its various iterations, but the detail differences do stand out if you know what to look for. This book does a great job of describing that in both drawings and photos. For those interested in colors and markings, the photos are further complemented by several color profile illustrations that capture some of the interesting markings worn by the P-61. The Black Widow was a popular aircraft for nose art, and these illustrations barely scratch the surface of that subject, but they are a start.
Another notable item about this new In Action title that warrants mentioning is that it is available in hardcover format. For decades the In Action series was a softcover edition, which lent itself well to laying flat on the workbench but was challenging to figure out just which title was which on the shelf. Squadron Signal is now producing all their In Action titles in both hardcover and softcover editions, and while the hardcover is more, it provides a level of sturdiness that is welcome. Additionally, thebook title is now clearly visible on the bookshelf, and the
hardcover format does not really detract much from the lay-flat aspect familiar to the softcover versions. For those looking for a more durable edition of their In Action titles, these new hardcover editions are well worth the price.
Be sure to visit the Squadron website for this and other In Action titles. My thanks to Squadron Signal Publications for the review copy.