Northrop F-15A / RF-61C Reporter

[DC1973]

A few folks suggested that I post this project news here, after a recent post of mine elsewhere on the forum;

http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforum...F-61C-Reporter

My first project, scheduled for release first quarter 2018 if all goes well I'll be updating the thread regularly as I go along. This aircraft is being built in FSDS 3.5.1 and will be released with models for both FSX and Prepar3D compatibility. I'm also using Virtual Reality ( Oculus Rift ) so will be bearing users of VR in mind as I create the virtual cockpit.

( Picture courtesy of Roger-Wilco-66 )

[TuFun]

Cool, saw the drawings on this one with a canopy no doubt!

Even an RC model!!!

[scotth6]

Nice looking plane. Great job!

[Sundog]

Wow, this has been a great year for planes being added to FSX. Next year is looking bright as well as I never expected to see a Reporter! Thanks for letting us know and nice work so far.

[magoo]

This is most interesting.

While the original P-61 could best be described as purposefully nasty in appearance, a few deft alterations created a most visually attractive aircraft, the F-15/RF-16.

The screenshots look most inspirational.

[warchild]

It's definately the P-61 through and through. While waiting for N2056 and Delta558 to finish their primary projects and jump on the SOH P-61, I've been working alongside DC1973 to model and FDE thats perfectly fit for it.. Now admittedly, I started with the FDE from the SOH P-61B, but it was only a starting point.. This plane is seven thousand pounds lighter. and has two big old pratt and whitney turbo supercharged engines producing 2800 HP each, on either side of its crew nacelle. Flat out, with full Military power, the plane will do 440 mph.
So, theres a lot of work to be done on my side as well, but so far, its been a beautiful journey..
Pam

[warchild]

This is most interesting.

While the original P-61 could best be described as purposefully nasty in appearance, a few deft alterations created a most visually attractive aircraft, the F-15/RF-16.

The screenshots look most inspirational.

Welll, i couldnt agree with you more on the F-15.. Its a gorgeous plane.. But i might poke ya gently about the P-61 being "Nasty in appearance . Would love too share something with you all if you dont mind.. Maybe even if people do.. This comes too us from the memoirs of the RO on Jing Bow Joy Ride: A turretless P-61B operating out of Chengdu China.. I think it will settle the arguments of which was the baddest fighter of WWII..

"We took off determined to bomb the bridge, but one hour out of Laohokow we happened to be following a railroad track, one of my navigation checkpoints, when along came a train. Trains were a high priority target, ranking right behind a plane destroyed in the air. A locomotive was not easy to kill, being made out of heavy boilerplate, machined steel and cast iron. The Chinese P-40s with only 30-caliber machine guns couldn't inflict serious damage on a locomotive. Our fighters had 50-caliber guns and could do better, but still had trouble confirming a locomotive as destroyed. But we had 20-mm cannons with armor-piercing rounds. All in a moment, the Yellow River Bridge was forgotten and we were nosed down in a long, low-level strafing run.

Ab opened fire while we were still at maximum range and held the triggers down continuously until the last split second, zooming abruptly up and away from the target. When I looked back, the locomotive was still moving, but it had broken completely in two. The middle of the engine was down on the tracks, making many sparks. The cowcatcher was pitched up in the air and the engineers' cab was pitched down. There was a mountain of steam that obscured things when the engine bumped to a stop. (Lt. James R. Smith. )

[warchild]

Cool, saw the drawings on this one with a canopy no doubt!

Even an RC model!!!

Gods thats a beautiful model TuFun.. Thanks for Posting it..

[roger-wilco-66]

Wow, that definitely makes the point, Pam :-)

Great to see the Reporter is coming into being! And it's in good hands!


[edit]

Wow. That's a huge rc model. Reminds me of an OV-10 Bronco I once had.


Cheers,
Mark

[Bjoern]

Wiki mentions civilian usage of the aircraft, but does not specify any exact roles. Photomapping? Executive transport? Firefighting?

It's definately the P-61 through and through. While waiting for N2056 and Delta558 to finish their primary projects and jump on the SOH P-61, I've been working alongside DC1973 to model and FDE thats perfectly fit for it.. Now admittedly, I started with the FDE from the SOH P-61B, but it was only a starting point.. This plane is seven thousand pounds lighter. and has two big old pratt and whitney turbo supercharged engines producing 2800 HP each, on either side of its crew nacelle. Flat out, with full Military power, the plane will do 440 mph.
So, theres a lot of work to be done on my side as well, but so far, its been a beautiful journey..

The Wiki page on the F-15 copied the specifications from the P-61B and only changed the top speed. So if you want to do a bit of community service, prevent any poor SOBs from falling for false numbers.

700+ kph for a piston is right down my alley.

[TuFun]

In its firefighting role...

[TuFun]

Gods thats a beautiful model TuFun.. Thanks for Posting it..

Flight video...





Checkout his other huge models.

http://www.carlb-rcplanes.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe7cPLJxagY

[tankerguy72]

In its firefighting role...

Now we're talking!!

[warchild]

Wiki mentions civilian usage of the aircraft, but does not specify any exact roles. Photomapping? Executive transport? Firefighting?





The Wiki page on the F-15 copied the specifications from the P-61B and only changed the top speed. So if you want to do a bit of community service, prevent any poor SOBs from falling for false numbers.

700+ kph for a piston is right down my alley.

The F-15 firebomber above, belonged to ( I Think ) brazil ( but may have been a mexican company ) for a while, and I believe they used it for aerial survey.. NOAA also used them in conjunction with P-61Bs and C's as tornado chasers during operation thunderstorm.. Beyond those examples, I have no knowledge of civilian use.

[TuFun]

Did some digging...

In April, 1955, the F-15 was declared surplus along with a "spare parts" F-61C (s/n 43-8357). The F-15 was sold, along with the parts P-61, to Steward-Davis Incorporated of Gardena, California, and given the civilian registration N5093V. Unable to sell it, the P-61C was scrapped in 1957. Steward-Davis made several modifications to the Reporter to make it suitable for aerial survey work, including switching to a canopy taken from a T-33, and to propellers taken from an older P-61. The plan was sold in September, 1956 to Compania Mexicana Aerofoto S. A. of Mexico City and assigned the Mexican registration XB-FUJ. In Mexico the Reporter was used for aerial survey work, the very role for which it was originally designed. It was bought by Aero Enterprises Inc. of Willets, California and returned to the USA in January 1964 carrying the civilian registration number N9768Z. The fuselage tank and turbosupercharger intercoolers were removed; and the plane was fitted with a 1,600-gallon chemical tank for fire-fighting. It was purchased by Cal-Nat of Fresno, California at the end of 1964, which operated it as a firefighting aircraft for the next 3 1/2 years. In March 1968 the F-15 was purchased by TBM, Inc., an aerial firefighting company located in Tulare, California (the name of the company standing for the TBM Avenger, the company's primary equipment), who performed additional modifications on the aircraft to improve its performance, including experimenting with several types of propellers before deciding on Curtiss Electric type 34 propellers taken from a late model Lockheed Constellation.

On 6 September, 1968, Ralph Ponte, one of three civilian pilots to hold a rating for the F-15, was flying a series of routine Phoscheck drops on a fire raging near Hollister, California. In an effort to reduce his return time Ponte opted to reload at a small airfield nearer the fire. The runway was shorter than the one in Fresno, and despite reducing his load, hot air from the nearby fire reduced the surrounding air pressure and rendered the aircraft overweight. Even at full power the Reporter had not rotated after clearing the 3500 foot marker, and Ponte quickly decided to abort his takeoff. Every effort was made to control the hurtling craft, but the Reporter careened off the runway and through a vegetable patch, before striking an embankment which tore off the landing gear. The aircraft then slid sideways, broke up and caught fire. Ponte scrambled through the shattered canopy unhurt, while a firefighting TBM Avenger dropped its load of Phoscheck on the plane's two engines, possibly saving Ponte's life. The F-15, though intact, was deemed too badly damaged to rebuild, and was soon scrapped, bringing an end to the career of one of Northrop's most successful designs.

I was wondering why the canopy looked different due to a T-33 canopy. Sad to see the other bird scrapped.


Source: http://napoleon130.tripod.com/p61blackwidow/id51.html

[warchild]

Wiki mentions civilian usage of the aircraft, but does not specify any exact roles. Photomapping? Executive transport? Firefighting?





The Wiki page on the F-15 copied the specifications from the P-61B and only changed the top speed. So if you want to do a bit of community service, prevent any poor SOBs from falling for false numbers.

700+ kph for a piston is right down my alley.

I Wouldnt say they copied the P-61B specs. That would be partially incorrect, BUT, the RF-61 had a most unique and unconventional design history..
You see, Johnny Myers ( The P-61 chief test pilot ) Made a pitch to the airforce ( directly ) for a fast long range twin engine fighter with four machine guns in the nose. That design was for the P-61E. The P-61E was a P-61B with the hump on the back and the Radar position in the tail removed, and was the basic design you see in the pictures here in this thread. The army/airforce, then decided that wth the war ended, they didnt need a long range bomber escort, But did have a need for a photo reconnaissance vehicle. Northrop responded to this need with a P-61C which like the B before it, had the hump and turret removed its nose modified to hold I think eleven different types of cameras and its forward frame reinforced to handle the weight of the cameras. This became the original F-15 Reporter.
Confused yet?? I was..
So, remember that poor little P-61E Escort fighter ( ok, Not so little )?? The airforce did need a bomber escort, but chose to go with the F-82 Twin Mustang, for reasons no one to this day can fully fathom. the P-61E had its guns removed to be replaced by the standard F-15 array of cameras and reinforcements. It became the only truly streamlined version og the RF-61 to exist as the P&W 2800-65 engines didnt use the annular mounted supercharger inlet scoop like the F-15s that were made from P-61C's..

Regarding weight speed and power.
The P-61B/P-61E used the Pratt and Whitney R-2800-65 Engine producing 2250 HP and had a top speed of 360 MPH with military power and 410 mph with war emergency power.
The P-61C/F-15 reporter utilized the Pratt and Whitney R-2800-73 engine producing 2800 HP which provided a top speed of 440 MPH using Military power..

Weight is contested to this day. Dry weight is quoted as being either 21,000 pounds or 22,000 pounds. Max weight, depending on the source varies between 34000 pounds to 37000 pounds.. DC1973s FDE is based on the lower weights..

Anyway.. Now that ive confused everyone, its back to my drawings and calculators..
Pam

[warchild]

Did some digging...

In April, 1955, the F-15 was declared surplus along with a "spare parts" F-61C (s/n 43-8357). The F-15 was sold, along with the parts P-61, to Steward-Davis Incorporated of Gardena, California, and given the civilian registration N5093V. Unable to sell it, the P-61C was scrapped in 1957. Steward-Davis made several modifications to the Reporter to make it suitable for aerial survey work, including switching to a canopy taken from a T-33, and to propellers taken from an older P-61. The plan was sold in September, 1956 to Compania Mexicana Aerofoto S. A. of Mexico City and assigned the Mexican registration XB-FUJ. In Mexico the Reporter was used for aerial survey work, the very role for which it was originally designed. It was bought by Aero Enterprises Inc. of Willets, California and returned to the USA in January 1964 carrying the civilian registration number N9768Z. The fuselage tank and turbosupercharger intercoolers were removed; and the plane was fitted with a 1,600-gallon chemical tank for fire-fighting. It was purchased by Cal-Nat of Fresno, California at the end of 1964, which operated it as a firefighting aircraft for the next 3 1/2 years. In March 1968 the F-15 was purchased by TBM, Inc., an aerial firefighting company located in Tulare, California (the name of the company standing for the TBM Avenger, the company's primary equipment), who performed additional modifications on the aircraft to improve its performance, including experimenting with several types of propellers before deciding on Curtiss Electric type 34 propellers taken from a late model Lockheed Constellation.

On 6 September, 1968, Ralph Ponte, one of three civilian pilots to hold a rating for the F-15, was flying a series of routine Phoscheck drops on a fire raging near Hollister, California. In an effort to reduce his return time Ponte opted to reload at a small airfield nearer the fire. The runway was shorter than the one in Fresno, and despite reducing his load, hot air from the nearby fire reduced the surrounding air pressure and rendered the aircraft overweight. Even at full power the Reporter had not rotated after clearing the 3500 foot marker, and Ponte quickly decided to abort his takeoff. Every effort was made to control the hurtling craft, but the Reporter careened off the runway and through a vegetable patch, before striking an embankment which tore off the landing gear. The aircraft then slid sideways, broke up and caught fire. Ponte scrambled through the shattered canopy unhurt, while a firefighting TBM Avenger dropped its load of Phoscheck on the plane's two engines, possibly saving Ponte's life. The F-15, though intact, was deemed too badly damaged to rebuild, and was soon scrapped, bringing an end to the career of one of Northrop's most successful designs.

I was wondering why the canopy looked different due to a T-33 canopy. Sad to see the other bird scrapped.


Source: http://napoleon130.tripod.com/p61blackwidow/id51.html

Thanks for that TuFun.. I had a feeling i was remembering things sideways. Appreciate the correction..
Pam

[Bjoern]

Thanks for the insightful posts, Ted and Pam!

[jankees]

Oh, so cool, a F-15!
Here's one I'm looking forward to:

[warchild]

Oh, so cool, a F-15!
Here's one I'm looking forward to:

I've been looking at that one too.. It's one of the few real examples of nose art in existence and definitely worthy of inclusion. It makes me sad that the airforce unceremoniously scraps so many planes without thought or conscience, but even more so with the P-61s and F-15s. I'll make the flight model as exacting as possible so that everyone else can enjoy as close to an actual flight as possible. Its the least i can do in memory of the crews that flew these planes, and the company that made it..

[DC1973]

Just a quick update here, with the early stages of the cockpit in place. All place-holder textures at the moment but all looking nice, especially with those reflective canopy textures in P3D v4. Lots of cleaning up to do but working my way steadily from the front of the airplane to the back, sorting issues as I go.

In answer to one of the questions above, the airplane will come in multiple liveries including bare-metal finishes - the more the merrier!

[DC1973]

A quick screenie - just finished updating the Reporter's Pratt & Whitney R2800 twin radial engine, which will now be the turbo-supercharged version. Some better textures will be applied in the finished airplane, which will have removable engine covers and animated cowl flaps to allow the detail to be seen. Just some wires and cabling to add and she's done

[Sundog]

That looks great. It will look even better in as a pair.

[DC1973]

I've been busy this week conquering a few animation issues in FSDS 3.5.1, namely those governing undercarriage compression. It took me four days to master the process and eliminate axis errors, and about ten minutes to actually apply what I'd learned and get everything working the way it should. I needed to get the work done so that testing could begin on the FDE, due to the need for contact points to be applied.

Having got that little lot out of the way, I've spent several days applying the texture maps ready for the Reporter's first proper paint job. Bare metal will be used, and I've been looking closely at the default airplanes in FSX / P3D to understand how best to go about it. I also finished off the final touches on the engine, although I still need to close a few polygons up and tweak a few finer points.

Progress is going well though, and I hope to have some screenies soon of that bare metal in place

Texture mapping



Engine pretty much finished

[DC1973]

Well, not too shabby for a first attempt

No bump maps or anything yet, just a basic crack at a bare metal finish. Certainly looks more like a proper airplane now.