The largest and heaviest US fighter of World War II was the P-61. It was initially developed specifically as a night fighter. Its vast arsenal consisted of a rotating gun turret with four 50 calibre machine guns and four 20 mm cannon in the belly-pod. Due to the black paint finish, it received the nickname Black Widow . The Northrop company began preparation of for mass production in 1941 still during the design and development phase of the two prototypes. Production of a total of 726 P-61's ran from August 1943 and included more than 13 variants. The 6th Night Fighter Squadron undertook its first missions in the Pacific theatre starting in May 1944. The 422nd NFS received their first machines in England a short time later. In July 1944, Northrop began series production of a total 450 P-61B's with a more powerful radar and a radar warning device at the rear. 250 of these aircraft were fitted with a turret originally designed for the B-29. A total of 128 aerial victories by the P-61 have been officially recognized. Four of them are still preserved today.
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Accessibility Statement
At This website, we are committed to providing an accessible digital experience for all users, regardless of ability. We believe that ensuring our website is usable by people with various disabilities—whether temporary or permanent—is essential to creating an inclusive digital environment.
To help us achieve and maintain high standards of accessibility, we utilize Max Access, an advanced AI-driven accessibility solution powered by Ability, Inc., a leader in digital accessibility. This tool not only identifies accessibility issues but also provides real-time, automated remediation for a wide range of compliance issues based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
How Max Access Enhances Accessibility
Max Access continuously monitors and scans our website to identify potential barriers, automatically fixing many common issues such as:
Color contrast errors
Keyboard navigability issues
Missing or mislabeled images and interactive elements
Beyond automated fixes, Max Access provides a detailed report outlining areas that require manual attention to ensure a higher level of accessibility compliance. This combination of automation and human oversight allows us to maintain and enhance accessibility over time.
Our Commitment to Continuous Improvement
We understand that accessibility is an ongoing process, not a one-time solution. To stay in compliance, Max Access:
Scans our website regularly
to identify new issues as they arise.
Provides regularly updated remediation
for many accessibility concerns, ensuring that users can interact with key website functionalities.
Delivers detailed reports
for manual remediation, enabling us to address more complex issues that require human attention or remediation.
Feedback & Accessibility Support
While we work diligently to ensure our website is accessible, automated tools like Max Access have limitations and may not catch every issue. We welcome feedback from our users to help us improve. If you experience any difficulty accessing content on our website or have suggestions for how we can improve its accessibility, please contact us.
Our team will review and address your concerns promptly.
Web Technology and Standards
Our website relies on the following technologies to ensure compatibility with both modern web browsers and assistive tools like screen readers:
HTML
WAI-ARIA
CSS
JavaScript
These technologies allow us to meet and maintain compliance with the
WCAG 2.1
standards at
Levels A and AA.
We strive to provide a website that is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for all users. Thank you for visiting our website and helping us ensure a more inclusive digital world.
