This cover has one of the coolest planes that most people do not know existed:the Northrop P-61 Black Widow Night Fighter. One of the first, the first?, planes to have what we think of now as a radar nose cone. It also had an analog computer controlling the turret: General Electric GE2CFR12A3 gyroscopic fire control computer. Solid black during its service as a night fighter with a very distinctive outline.
In fact, it was so strange and eerie looking, one was used as a distraction during a WW II rescue of prisoners of war in the Philippines. The following is taken from Wikipedia: "On 30 January 1945, a lone P-61 performed a mission as part of the successful raid carried out by U.S. Army Rangers to free over 500 Allied POWs held by the Japanese at the Cabanatuan prison camp (Camp Pangatian) in the Philippines. As the Rangers crept up on the camp, a P-61 swooped low and performed aerobatics for several minutes. The distraction of the guards allowed the Rangers to position themselves, undetected within striking range of the camp." Hundreds of Japanese troops were killed as they stared in glassy eyed amazement at the P-61 above them. The Rangers, Scouts, and Philippine guerrillas took minimal causalities and rescued all of the POWs. Here is a link to the Wiki article on the camp: Raid_at_Cabanatuan
Love love love this plane and this book! Congratulations!