PBJ-61 Blue Widow

[Tophe]

Twin-boomers are always nice, but your one is particularly well done

It's the old Monogram 48th scale kit.

It should be big... Have you bought a second house to store it?

[NARSES2]

Oh my, she really suits that scheme 

[The Rat]

Sweet bit o' work! 

[jcf]

Noice. 

The USMC did receive five P-61A in 1946 and they were designated F2T-1*, so following
USN pre-1962 designation conventions a patrol bomber (PB) version would be PBT-1**.

* F(fighter)2(second type in role from manufacturer)T(Northrop)-1(first version).
The Northrop FT was a 1930s fighter prototype.

** PB(patrol bomber)(first type from manufacturer has no numerical designator)T(Northrop)-1(first version).

J was the North American company designator, carried on from company predecessor Berliner-Joyce, which is
why the USN/USMC Mitchells had the PBJ designation.

Thanks for that, Jon.  I've never known quite how American aircraft got their convoluted designation numbers ... Ye gods and little fishes!  Could it be any more complicated?  Just name it already, and be done!

To be fair that system only applied to USN/USMC/USCG aircraft the USAAC/USSAF/USAF used the simpler
system that became the basis for all designations from 1962 on.

This Wiki is good for determining USN designations:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1922_United_States_Navy_aircraft_designation_system

This site covers all US systems:
http://www.driko.org/usdes2.html

This list of used designations is very helpful:
http://www.driko.org/usdes.html