P-61B on display in China

[mike furline]

Recieved this,

Dear Mr. Furline

Thank you for your request.

We have attached the interpreted assignments for the P-61B, s/n 42-39715.

P-61B, s/n 42-39715
Manufactured by Northrop Aircraft, Hawthorne CA and delivered to the USAAF on 8 Feb 1945.
Feb 1945 Departed the US and assigned to the Tenth Air Force, China Burma India Theater of Operations
Dec 1945 Dropped from inventory as surplus

We hope this information is of some value to you.

Sincerely
Archie DiFante, Archivist
AFHRA/RSA
600 Chennault Circle
Maxwell AFB AL 36112-6424 USA
(334) 953-2447


Oh well, I tried.

Regards,
Mike

[mike13]

A little more info can be found in Night Hunter by Anderson.
C/N is 1234, a P-61B-15-NO. Assigned to the 427th NFS 3/3/45.
Was at a forward base when the Communists ordered the Americans out. It was reported that three were confiscated but the Chinese wrecked two of them.
This is a very good book for the P-61 buff as it gives the final disposition of all the Black Widows, tons of photos and drawings , color photos and six pages of color profiles.
A bit of irony as the book is printed in China.
mike13

[bdk]

Was at a forward base when the Communists ordered the Americans out. It was reported that three were confiscated but the Chinese wrecked two of them.
This is a very good book for the P-61 buff as it gives the final disposition of all the Black Widows, tons of photos and drawings , color photos and six pages of color profiles.

So what is the source of the information in that book and why doesn't the aircraft record card reflect the true disposition of the aircraft?

[John Dupre]

Years ago I talked to someone who said that he had seen satellite images of two P-61s in China. I had already heard of the known example but I have never seen this second claim ever confirmed or even acknowledged.

[warbird1]

Years ago I talked to someone who said that he had seen satellite images of two P-61s in China. I had already heard of the known example but I have never seen this second claim ever confirmed or even acknowledged.

There's long been rumors of many warbirds surviving in China up to modern times. Back in the 80's, I heard via second hand info, of not only the P-61's, but supposedly a hangar full of Mustangs that were parked there right after the war and never flown since.

[John Dupre]

One China story I know is true is of the Tupolev TU-2s. A twin engined ground attack machine similar to the A-20. Someone bought the last operational squadron of them from the Chinese. All the aircraft, spares, ground equipment, everything. When the aircraft arrived in the US there were even .50 or .51 caliber machine guns in some of them though there were not supposed to be. The owner confessed all to the BATF and turned them all over.

[gale_dono]

Is that where the Tu-2 in Texas came from? I'd wondered about that one. What happened to the rest of them, then?

[bdk]

There were a couple that passed through Aero Trader in Chino that I recall (danger!) belonged to Kermit Weeks. Also, there were a couple for sale on the internet for a time. A number still exist in China BTW. They are about the size of a B-25, so probably quite difficult to support considering the lack of interest in the type.

[Richard W.]

...P-61B, s/n 42-39715
Manufactured by Northrop Aircraft, Hawthorne CA and delivered to the USAAF on 8 Feb 1945.
...

Was it unusual for an aircraft to be manufactured in 1942 and not be delivered to the USAAF until 1945?

(Or, am I misinterpreting the serial number?)

[txwarbirds]

Did any of Doolittle's aircraft get recovered?

[Randy Haskin]

...P-61B, s/n 42-39715
Manufactured by Northrop Aircraft, Hawthorne CA and delivered to the USAAF on 8 Feb 1945.
...

Was it unusual for an aircraft to be manufactured in 1942 and not be delivered to the USAAF until 1945?

(Or, am I misinterpreting the serial number?)

Serial numbers reflect the fiscal year in which the aircraft was purchased. Sometimes that is the same year in which it was built, and sometimes not.

[Ztex]

Tu-2 in Texas...you mean New Mexico??

War Eagles Museum?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kensaviation/1283208834/in/set-72157600329990520/

[Richard W.]

Thanks, Randy. Now I see.

[Old SAR pilot]

Re: the P-51s. They weren't exactly "parked": (scroll down to see a P-51 in ChiCom markings):

http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_145.shtml

[Django]

I will have to look for the Night Hunter book. Not familiar with that one. How do they know it was the 427th?

Edit: Is this it? They list a different author.

http://www.amazon.com/Northrops-Night-H ... 896&sr=8-2