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Douglas P-70 Nighthawk


Night-Fighter Aircraft Conversion


United States | 1942



"Lacking options in October of 1940, the USAAC adopted converted Douglas A-20 Havocs as P-70 night fighters."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Douglas P-70 Nighthawk Night-Fighter Aircraft Conversion.
2 x Pratt & Whitney R-2600-11 air-cooled radial piston engines developing 1,600 horsepower each and driving three-bladed propeller units.
Propulsion
339 mph
545 kph | 294 kts
Max Speed
28,215 ft
8,600 m | 5 miles
Service Ceiling
Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Douglas P-70 Nighthawk Night-Fighter Aircraft Conversion.
3
(MANNED)
Crew
47.6 ft
14.50 m
O/A Length
61.4 ft
(18.70 m)
O/A Width
18.0 ft
(5.50 m)
O/A Height
15,730 lb
(7,135 kg)
Empty Weight
19,753 lb
(8,960 kg)
MTOW
Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Douglas P-70 Nighthawk Night-Fighter Aircraft Conversion .
STANDARD (Variable):
4 x 20mm cannons in ventral gun pod OR 6 to 8 x 0.50 caliber M2 Browning heavy machine guns in nose.
2 x 0.50 M2 Browning heavy machine guns under nose firing tracers for aiming.

OPTIONAL:
Up to 2,000lb of internal stores for conventional drop ordnance as needed.
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Douglas P-70 Nighthawk family line.
P-70 - Base series designation; converted from existing A-20 model.
XP-70 - Prototype designation of converted A-20 airframe; single example.
P-70 - 59 examples based on the XP-70 prototype; appearing in 1942.
P-70A-1 Converted from A-20C; 6 or 8 x 0.50 caliber nose guns; appearing in 1943; 39 examples.
P-70A-2 - Converted from A-20G models; 6 x 0.50 caliber machine guns in nose.
P-70B-1 - Converted from A-20G-10-DO model; single example.
P-70B-2 - Converted A-20G and A-20J models to serve as trainers for Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighters.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 05/09/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

To shore up its need for a dedicated night fighter in 1940, the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) went ahead with modified Douglas A-20 "Havoc" / "Boston" light bombers to suit the role. Development began in 1942 in anticipation that the series would not have to fight for long as the Northrop P-61 "Black Widow" - purposely designed for night fighting - would soon arrive in 1943. As such, 163 conversions were made and these across a few notable marks - some never to see combat exposure at all. An XP-70 served as the series prototype to prove the validity of the conversion and the aircraft then operated under the formal designation of P-70 "Nighthawk". All P-70s were delivered before September of 1942.

It was the British Royal Air Force (RAF) that first realized the A-20 as a night fighter when they converted their A-20 Havocs for the role by installing appropriate air intercept radar and a ventral gun pod. The naturally-glazed nose section was painted over/hard-covered to shroud the radar suite and an additional internal fuel tank was fitted for extended operational ranges. The USAAC followed suit, arming their A-20s and outfitting them with local copies of the British AI Mk IV radar (as the SCR-540). These aircraft too lost their glazed nose sections. Some fitted a ventral cannon tray with 4 x 20mm cannons while others utilized a "gun nose" mounting 6 or 8 x 0.50 M2 Browning heavy machine guns - continuing the American reliance on all-machine-gun armament for their aircraft. 2 x 0.50 machine guns were fitted under the nose to fire tracer rounds, useful in gun-laying. In these forms, the radar suite was moved to the bomb bay. The armor protection encountered in the original A-20 was reduced to help lighten the operation loads of the P-70s. It was deemed that such an aircraft, in its given role, need not burden itself down with unnecessary protection.

The Douglas A-20 airframe proved a solid choice for the mission ahead. Its dual-engine configuration, particularly over expansive oceans, meant that the aircraft could fly on a single engine if forced. The multiple crew spread the workload around helping to reduce pilot fatigue. Cannon armament - or similar forward-firing firepower - was a prerequisite considering that the crew would have, at best, a single drive against an enemy target and best make the first shots count.

P-70 marked original base Nighthawks numbering 59 examples. The P-70A-1 mark emerged from the A-20C production model and totaled 39 examples while the 65 P-70A-2s came from the A-20G. The P-70B-1 was the A-20G-10-DO night fighter conversion (single example) and P-70B-2s were A-20G and A-20J models reserved for training future P-61 crews - these aircraft outfitted with SCR-720 and SCR-729 radar kits.

In practice, the P-70 proved a serviceable machine but was only ever fielded in the Pacific Theater. There was already a converted A-20 with radar on station over California after the Japanese attack at Pearl to prove the aircraft-radar combination sound. First deliveries of P-70s was in April of 1942 with machine gun noses while retaining support for 2,000lb of internal stores if needed. The A-1s then followed in 1943 during a period when night fighters were in constant need against marauding Japanese raiders. While P-70s lacked much in the way of flat-out speed and high-altitude work (they lacked superchargers), they provided a solution where there initial proved none to be found. its usefulness was limited with the arrival of the dedicated P-61 in 1944 and other converted types which promised better results and performance. By the start of 1945, all P-70s were removed from frontline service, thus ending their operational tenures in World War 2, and served as trainers until their final days. Indeed, the P-70 trainers graduated some 485 persons to serve in American night fighter squadrons.

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Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Douglas P-70 Nighthawk. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 163 Units

Contractor(s): Douglas Aircraft Company - USA
National flag of the United States

[ United States (retired) ]
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Image of the Douglas P-70 Nighthawk
Front left side view of a Douglas P-70 night fighter at rest.

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