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			<< Previous    |    Next >> Lent by Langley Research Center The beautifully streamlined Black Widow was the first American plane to be specifically designed for night operations, first flying into combat in 1944. The Black Widow had a top speed of 425 miles per hour at a maximum altitude of 46,000 feet, being powered by two 2,100 horsepower engines. Northrop built some 700 examples of the plane. They mostly operated as night fighters over the Pacific, their large noses housing radar to assist in intercepting enemy bombers.

Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate