P-61's Used in the USMC ?

[Glen]

Greetings
Ok ok I got one for the group Is it true that some P-61's were used by USMC in WW 2 ? If so can anybody please shed light on this , better yet "Jack" can you pull up a photo of this group ?
In advance thanks to all that respond.

[bilwor]

From Baugher U S Navy and Marine Corps Bu Now.

52750/52761 Northrop F2T-1N

12 USAAF P-61B Black Widows acquired by Marines for training. Were 42-39621, 39635, 39649, 39651, 39653, 39655, 39669, 39727, 43-8266, 8274, 8307, and 8308. BuNos were reallocated from cancelled N2S-5 batch

52750 undercarriage retracted prematurely on takeoff from Vero Beach May 1, 1946. Not repaired and SOC May 31, 1946.
52751 SOC Jun 30, 1947
52752 SOC Aug 32, 1947
52753 SOC Feb 28, 1947
52754 SOC Feb 28, 1947
52755 badly damaged when flew into flock of birds Dec 18, 1945 and not repaired. SOC Mar 31, 1946.52756 SOC Feb 28, 1947
52757 SOC Jun 30, 1947
52758 SOC Jun 30, 1947
52759 SOC Jun 30, 1947
52760 SOC Feb 28, 1947
52761 SOC Aug 3, 1947.

bill word

[Swiss Mustangs]

here's the only one I can come up with after a brief search

F2T-1 #39



Martin

[Curtis Block]

I met a guy at the Vero airport, who claimed, he was pretty sure he knew where the Widow that wrecked there is buried.



Just to fan the flames.

[51fixer]

As a teen I remember seeing a newspaper photo and article of a P-61 squadron at El Toro in the late 1940s. I was researching older newspapers for a school project at the library.
Rich

[marine air]

Just wondering if that is a U.S. Navy P-61 The VF on the side would be Navy as Marine fixed wing squadrons are VMF. Would the P-61's have been assigned to a VMF(n) squadron like the "Flying Nightmares?"
Another question, could the P-61 carry any external ordnance like bombs and rockets in addition to their 50 caliber machine guns?
Thanks

[John Kerr]

VF on the side of the aircraft in this case dosen't relate to VF squadron, but rather is part of th MODEX, i.e. VF-39 means Squadroon Code VF, witch is VC-3, and 9 is 9th aircraft in the Squadron.

[Mike Bates]

Just wondering if that is a U.S. Navy P-61 The VF on the side would be Navy as Marine fixed wing squadrons are VMF. Would the P-61's have been assigned to a VMF(n) squadron like the "Flying Nightmares?"
Another question, could the P-61 carry any external ordnance like bombs and rockets in addition to their 50 caliber machine guns?
Thanks

There's photo's in the book Queen of the Midnight Skies showing rockets, bombs and the 4.5 inch 3 tube rockets launchers under the wings.

Mike

[Django]

I met a guy at the Vero airport, who claimed, he was pretty sure he knew where the Widow that wrecked there is buried.



Just to fan the flames.

So did you get his number?

[warbird1]

I met a guy at the Vero airport, who claimed, he was pretty sure he knew where the Widow that wrecked there is buried.



Just to fan the flames.

So did you get his number?

I'll bet it's buried in one of 3 places:

1) Underneath the runway
2) Underneath the air terminal
3) Within the confines of an endangered species area or wildlife preserve.

All good stories about buried warbirds always end up in one of these 3 places. When was the last time you heard a story about a warbird that was buried in an accessible place? Probably never.