L. Green

MY LOVE AFFAIR with the P-61 Black Widow goes back a good many years. In fact, it probably began when my dad took me to the Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH for the very first time. There was the Widow, sitting in the outside lot in the afternoon sun, its black paint faded, chipped, and weatherworn. Right away I was smitten. My dad said, "It looks just like the ones I saw over 40 years ago in the Pacific, a little on the worn side." But what really fascinated me were the outlines, brute size, and sheer firepower of the airplane. Insofar as I can recall, our first trip to the Air Force Museum took place about 21 years ago. Since that time, the museum has been rebuilt, and is today the largest military aviation museum in the world with over 200 restored aircraft on display.