Mid-Atlantic Air Museum's P-61B Recovery & Restoration Project

For more than forty years Black Widow 239445 had lain neglected on a foreign mountainside. The aircraft was all but forgotten, were it not for the single-minded determination displayed by the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum's co-founder Gene Strine in finding, recovering, and restoring this one-of-a-kind World War II combat aircraft.

Although recovery and restoration costs will represent an estimated 2.2 million dollars, monetary worth cannot be placed on this historic and valuable aircraft. Its worth can be attributed to the value we place on the men and women who designed and built this unique fighter, and to those brave men who flew and maintained this great aircraft.

The Mid Atlantic Air Museum requests your support through one of the following donation categories:

$50 - You will receive a P-61 Black Widow Recovery and Restoration Team Certificate, suitable for framing as our thank-you gift.

$100 - In addition to the certificate, you will get a souvenir piece of P-61 aircraft skin from P-61B "42-39445". This skin, approximately 4 inches square, was removed during restoration and is certified by the Museum to be a piece original to the aircraft. In addition, your name will be engraved on the P-61 "Sponsor's Wall" in the Museum.

$250 - In addition to the certificate, receive a P-61 Support Team Hat.
Your name will be engraved on the P-61 "Sponsor's Wall" in the Museum.

$500 - In addition to the certificate, you will receive an autographed copy of the book "Forgotten Widow". Your name will be engraved on the P-61 "Sponsor's Wall" in the Museum.

$750 - In addition to the certificate, you will receive a resin-cast, hand-detailed 1/72 model of a P-61B. Your name will be engraved on the P-61 "Sponsor's Wall" in the Museum.

$1,000 or more - In addition to the certificate, your name will be engraved on the P-61 "Sponsor's Wall" in the Museum, and you will also receive a limited edition P-61 print by David Lee Sample.

Even if you can not afford to donate at one of these levels, every dollar counts and we will be grateful for any support you can give. You may donate as little as $5 by credit card on our new MAAM Online Store. Thank-you.

Please send your donations to :

Mid Atlantic Air Museum
11 Museum Drive
Reading, PA 19605

The success of this project DEPENDS ON YOU! Your commitment and generous financial support is urgently requested. With your help this important aircraft will fly in the freedom they fought so hard to preserve.

How you can help...