P-61 at MAAM any update?

sgt hawk · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 10:38 am

Looked at the museum web page and they haven't posted any photos since April. Anyone know if they've hung the tail booms yet?

TAdan · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 12:24 pm

Here are a few pics from this past June taken during the WWII weekend.

I am planning to make a trip to the museum in the fall to check on the Widow.

And my own little piece of the widow.

sgt hawk · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 12:28 pm

Thanks. She certainly has come a long way from a piece a junk in New Guinea.

Enemy Ace · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 12:45 pm

whatever happened to the widow at the park in china? hope it wasn't scrapped as being an eyesore during the olympics....

Lightjug · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 2:52 pm

Last I read in This WIX Thread that it was still there... but after I typed this... that was BEFORE the 2008 Olympics :roll:

I wonder if I can get my wife to sneak by there and take a couple of pictures in September? Any suggestions on sucking up?

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 3:02 pm

I wonder if Google Earth has a current shot?

henning · **Posted:** Thu Aug 20, 2009 9:25 pm

So as of mid july, they had not hung the booms nor done much more
than was shown. My son and I paid a visit up there to check up on it.
My guess is that they won't put the booms and tailfins on until they have
the stab ready and I believe that was in the shop being worked on.. and
maybe not even quite then as you realize they have a pretty full hangar
there and if they do it they have to move more than a couple of things
around and out. (That plus the avenger, plus the B25 and others will
fill up that hangar.. I'm sure they have other spots to put things. Still,
those planes may not be accessible to the public once they go away for while.
Either way that I eagerly await the day its all together.. and flying.

Rajay · **Posted:** Fri Aug 21, 2009 10:06 am

TAdan wrote:

Does anybody know what gets mounted in the six circular racks here? Some kind of high pressure bottles such as oxygen?

It looks to me like this is in the left boom behind the engine and landing gear bay.

Jesper · **Posted:** Fri Aug 21, 2009 2:30 pm

TriangleP wrote:

Rajay,
The MAAM Widow website explains the function on one of the photos. I recall that it was either oxygen or compressed air bottles located in the nacelles.

I just had 'Northrop’s Night Hunter P-61 Black Widow' by Jeff Kolln at home to read. They were for oxygen bottles.

Rajay · **Posted:** Fri Aug 21, 2009 2:40 pm

Jesper wrote:

TriangleP wrote:

Rajay,
The MAAM Widow website explains the function on one of the photos. I recall that it was either oxygen or compressed air bottles located in the nacelles.

I just had 'Northrop’s Night Hunter P-61 Black Widow' by Jeff Kolln at home to read. They were for oxygen bottles.

Were there more of the same in the right boom? Whatta pain it would be to have to service all of those little individual bottles. And wouldn't you think that it would be dangerous to have the oxygen stored behind a radial engine, which is notorious for leaking oil?

In any case, thanks for the info.

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11330

Enemy Ace wrote:

whatever happened to the widow at the park in china? hope it wasn't scrapped as being an eyesore during the olympics....

It isn't visible from the street and you would never know there were any airplanes there unless you knew exactly where to look. There seems to be persistant rumors of that P-61's demise or sale, none of which are true. I haven't seen it in person since 2007, but I assure you it is still there.

old iron · **Posted:** Sat Aug 22, 2009 9:18 am

Can anyone offer an opinion on how much of this P-61 is original versus new-build?

TAdan · **Posted:** Sat Aug 22, 2009 9:24 am

old iron wrote:

Can anyone offer an opinion on how much of this P-61 is original versus new-build?

I have an article infront of me from the Nov. 08 issue of "Aviation History" with an interview with the MAAM's director. According to the article "It is estimated that 70 percent of the aircraft will be new when complete." :wink:

Matt Gunsch · **Posted:** Mon Sep 21, 2009 2:27 pm

Rajay wrote:

Jesper wrote:

TriangleP wrote:

Rajay,
The MAAM Widow website explains the function on one of the photos. I recall that it was either oxygen or compressed air bottles located in the nacelles.

I just had 'Northrop’s Night Hunter P-61 Black Widow' by Jeff Kolln at home to read. They were for oxygen bottles.

Were there more of the same in the right boom? Whatta pain it would be to have to service all of those little individual bottles. And wouldn't you think that it would be dangerous to have the oxygen stored behind a radial engine, which is notorious for leaking oil?

In any case, thanks for the info.

The bottles would be tied together and serviced as one. As far as being behind the engine, it is not a problem, the only time oil and oxygen don't like each other is on the filler valves, and they could be located anywhere on the airframe.

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P-61 at MAAM any update?

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