"The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first U.S. aircraft designed specifically as a night fighter," says well-known aviation artist and American Airlines first officer Craig Kodera, "and this P-61B was credited with the last two aerial kills of the Second World War." "Lady in the Dark was the most famous Black Widow of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron," Kodera says. Her nose art included a cat carrying a flashlight and a gun (the squadron's emblem) and the lady herself-a blonde who made quite a contrast against the fighters black paint.
The P-61B flew its missions after dark, but it was often launched at sunset, a fact Kodera used to his advantage. "I wanted to show the aircraft at its best," he says. "The colors on the horizon, on the plane, and in the moon make the image majestic and mysterious." This countersigned limited edition fine art print includes, in its margin, the image of the artwork that was the emblem of the 548th Night Fighter Squadron. The print is a fitting homage to the P-61 Black Widow, one of the most effective, innovative, and unusual fighters to take part in the air war.