76 HEAVY FIGHTERS OF WW2
Bite of the Black Widow
Below left: Groundcrew inspect the nose-mounted SCR-720 radar scanner, with its dielectric nose cone removed.
In Airborne Intercept mode, the scanner had a range of nearly five miles (8km). The P-61’s radar operator
located targets on his scope and steered the unit to track them, vectoring the pilot to the radar target via oral
instruction and correction. Once within range, the pilot used a smaller scope integrated into the main instrument panel to
track and close on the target.Below right: The P-61’s spine-mounted dorsal remote turret could be aimed and fired by the gunner or radar operator, who both had aiming control and
gyroscopic collimator sight assembly posts attached to their swivelling seats, or could be locked forward to be fired by the pilot in addition to the 20mm
cannons. The radar operator could rotate the turret to face to the rear, in order to engage targets behind the aircraft.Bottom: In the oppressive heat of Guadalcanal in June 1944, groundcrew work on the 20mm Hispano cannons in the weapons bay of a P-61A. These
weapons packed a powerful punch and made short work of the thin-skinned Japanese aircraft.