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Northrop F-15 Reporter

1945 COLD WAR WORLD WAR 2

History of Northrop F-15 Reporters

The original Northrop P-61 Black Widow proved to be an exceptionally heavy night fighter in the air during World War II (1939-1945). It was the first American aircraft designed for night operations and against Imperial Japan in the Pacific Rim.

Total production before the war was 706, but with the advent of the jet age, the line was abandoned soon after the war - although some were used for others during the 1950-1953 Korean War assuring Role.

Northrop attempted several major and minor overhauls and modifications to its P-61 design. These include remote models and elevation models, some of which are in use while others are just discarded entries.

One of the branches adopted became the F-15A "Reporter," a special unarmed, two-seat camera-reconnaissance variant for this role.

The XF-15 impressed Army authorities enough to warrant further development, and this work resulted in the "XF-15A" - although it is now based on a modified P-61C production model. The XF-15A would reflect pre-production quality and performance, and the Army then ordered about 320 of them, designated the F-15A "Reporter." The engines are 2 x R-2800-73 type, again in natural metal finish.

It will be the most powerful scout mount for the service to date.

Northrop received its first contract in June 1945 to build 175 of the existing P-61C models still on the assembly line. The in-service aircraft is equipped with 2 x R-2800-73 series turbocharged engines (same as the P-61C model).

Despite the promising nature of the F-15A correspondent, the F-15A correspondent had a limited and short career in the Army during the war with Japan that ended in August 1945, and the Army quickly turned to a prominent project underway, These projects have attracted the attention of many Americans, including the cancellation of Northrop. The XF-15A prototype made its first post-war flight on October 17, 1945. In 1947, the F-15A was officially cancelled after 36 airframes were completed.

These remained in circulation after the formation of the United States Air Force (USAF) in 1947, and the F-15A was renamed "RF-61C" in 1948. These forays into the Korean War were remarkably reliable in providing much-needed aerial data on North Korean territory.