04/19/2007. Remarks by Dave
Simpson: "This particular aircraft was the first production
P-70, the night fighter version of the DB-7/A-20 Boston, fitted with
two 1,600 hp Wright R-2600-11 engines, AI Mk.IV radar with antennae
on fuselage and wings, and four 0.787 in (20 mm) cannon in ventral
tub.
Of note is that P-70 (39-736) is often confused for a later version
which was a P-70B-2 (43-9736) converted from an A-20G-30-DC on the
factory floor into a night fighter. The lads at Douglas must have been
exceedingly busy in the early 1940's as at the same time as they were
supplying these night fighters, they were still cranking out A-20
Havoc bombers for the USAAF, BD-1 & BD-2 for the US Navy, Boston III,
IIIa & IV bombers for the British and Soviet Lend-Lease programs and
yet still found time to build TP-70B-2 trainer versions of the fighter.
The P-70 production break-down:
XP-70, modified A-20, s/n 39-735.
P-70, 59 modified A-20s, s/n:
39-736/39-740, 39-742/39-744,
39-746/39-747, 39-749/39-797.
P-70A-1, 39 modified A-20Cs, including s/n:
42-33135, 42-33137, 42-33141, 42-33143,
42-33148, 42-33152, 42-33164,
42-33165, 42-33170, 42-33177,
42-33179, 42-33221.
P-70A-2, 65 modified A-20Gs, including s/n:
42-54053, 42-54057/42-54062,
42-54064/42-54068, 42-54103,
42-54108/42-54110, 42-54112,
42-54126/42-54129, 42-54131/42-54133.
P-70B-1, 1 modified A-20G
P-70B-2, 105 modified A-20Gs, including s/n:
42-86858, 42-86893, 42-86896,
42-86900/42-86902, 42-86904/42-86911,
43-9682, 43-9725/43-9732,
43-9736/43-9742, 43-9986/43-10004, 43-21551.
TP-70B-2, at least 16 modified A-20Gs, A-20Js and P-70B-2s including
s/n:
42-86858, 42-86893, 42-86896, 42-86900,
42-86902, 42-86905/42-86911,
43-9727, 43-9739/43-9741.
At any rate, that is a little of what I know which is reasonably
correct."
