The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum's P-61 'Black Widow' Recovery and Restoration Project - The Widow's Web - The Restoration - Latest Photostos

 

LATEST RESTORATION PHOTOS
UPDATED SEPTEMBER 20, 2012
 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2012
Pappy Strine, shown here bucking rivets on the P-61 elevator. Luke Jones and Pappy Strine install rivets on the elevator leading edge.
 When the elevator is finally finished the fixture will be modified and reused for rebuilding the wings. One of the drop tanks.
Another one of the drop tanks awaits restoration. Wiring and hydraulics in the right rear of the turret compartment. The fuselage carry thru spars can be seen at right.
The gun compartment showing the two lower 20mm cannons and LH upper gun A view of the cannons.
View of the area behind the instrument panel with the armor plate removed Nose gear wiring to control switches and taxi lights
Gunner's turret control box is mounted on the RH gunners cockpit wall. The landing gear selector handle is mounted left of center on the pilot's sub panel
The flap control handle on the left cockpit wall Bail out bell on LH side between pilot and gunner
Ammeter s and circuit breaker box on RH pilots wall. RH gunners folding armor plate. Cockpit heater is installed in the right rear corner.
Gunners LH folding armor plate. Propeller switch box ready for installation on the left cockpit wall.
he throttle quadrant awaits being strung once the wiring is in place. Mounts for elevator, rudder, and aileron trim wheels. More wiring at the instrument panel. Completed harnesses have cannon plugs installed which are wrapped in plastic.
Pilot's instrument panel. The box to the left contains the main switch panel. Directly in the center is the autopilot rack. The voltage regulator box installed on the bulkhead at the aft end of the gunner's compartment.
RH turret compartment wiring. Once each bundle is complete it will be combed out and laced in place Wiring on the LH turret compartment buss is in process.
Wiring harness inside the lower right fuselage. This is mostly radar wiring. Right hand nose gear door being fitted
Fitting the new leading edge skin to the elevator

PRESS RELEASE!

FORGOTTEN WIDOW  a new book by Sharon Wells-Wagner & Steve Wagner with Gene and Russ Strine has been published.

Read the full PR, here.

The following structural components remain to be completed on the P-61 restoration project:

Rebuild left and right wings

Rebuild rudders ( 2 ), ailerons ( 2 ), elevator ( 1 )

Rebuild miscellaneous gear doors.

 With the amount of work remaining to be accomplished and the variables involved, no completion date can be set at this time.  The P-61 project is worked on daily by a full-time professional restoration staff.  When a completion date comes within a predictable timeframe, it will be promptly posted on this website.


 
As with the Black Widow itself, we are constantly in the process of rebuilding and updating the Widow's Web.  As work progresses on the aircraft there will be new photos and features about our P-61 Restoration Project.  Please check back in soon, and don't forget to hit your browser's refresh button to see what's new since your last virtual visit.