In October of 1940, the Army Air Corps had a top secret meeting of aircraft designers. Among them were Vladimir Pavlecka of Northrop, and the CEO of Hart Armaments. All in attendance were forbidden from writing anything down, and had to memorize the spec requirements of a proposed night fighter-interceptor that would mount a device that could "see and distinguish other airplanes".

Northrop would produce the P61, a marvel of American engineering that would earn the moniker "Black Widow"

Hart Armaments produced the "Croatan".
Like the Widow, the Croatan mounted a state of the art microwave radar scanner in its nose, hence its long profile.

Unlike the Widow, the Croatan did not recieve a production contract, and was lost to history.

It was the first Hart-Arms plane to feature their distinctive black and red paint scheme.