SOH P-61 project

[OleBoy]

I am SO looking forward to seeing this. It's nice to see things are getting back on track.

[Marvin Carter]

Is this a sister of the P61?
F15A-Reporter!!!
Attachment 55855

[warchild]

It WAS the P-61. Actually, the P-61E. After the war, naming conventions were stood on their head. The old "P" ( persuit" designation was dropped and replaced by the "F" designation. And then it got scrambled.. Let me plagiarize a clip if you dont mind and you'll see what i mean..

""With the change in the USAF's aircraft designation system in June 1948, all P-61s became F-61s and all F-15As became RF-61Cs. Buzz Letters "FH" were assigned""

you can see what i mean. Technically, most designations are used in company of their complement when describing post war RF-61Cs/F-15s in a formal nature, but, in casual descriptions F-15 reporter or simply F-15 is most widely known..

[Marvin Carter]

Yah, where I seen it they were categorizing it as a recon plane!!!

[warchild]

photo recon.. your right.. the last was supposed to be retired in 1949 as the entire line had reached its end of life and there were no parts being made for it, but one last one was sold first to some americans, then some mexicans and ended life back in america where in 1963 it was destroyed in an aborted takeoff with a tank of phosphate ( borate?? ) attached to the bottom..

The contribution made by the reporters however is incalcualable.. When the Korean war erupted, the only maps of korea available were maps made from the photographs taken by the f-15 reporters

[Sundog]

Just an FYI, before the designation change as the USAAC became the USAF, F was for Foto, as in Foto-Recon. Most dedicated recon variants of aircraft received an F-designation. A Partial List is below.

F-1 ?
F-2 C-45
F-3 A-20
F-4 P-38E
F-5 P-38G
F-6 P-51
F-7 B-24
F-8 Mosquito
F-9 B-17
F-10 B-25
F-11 Hughes XF-11
F-12 Republic XF-12
F-13 B-29
F-14 ?
F-15 P-61 (Based off of the P-61E day fighter)

[warchild]

Thanks for that Sundog.. much appreciated..
Pam

[stovall]

Bump

[warchild]

We just got the thread re-stickied because of the historical and technical information thats spread through the thread like flies on food, but, in one way, the Admins were right in unstickying it. We're just ramping up to get back to work on the P-61 and there hasnt been anything to report for some time. So as far as the project proper goes, it doesnt deserve to be stickied. At least, not till we have something worth stickying.. Maybe someone with some ambition could take the thread and pull out the technical and historical data and create a new thread, a book, or something else from it. Then i would feel comfortale with putting this thread to bed till we have something of value to report.
I want to thank Tom Stovall and Roger for re-stickying the thread. the inevitable loss of all that data was too much for me too wake up too.. You guys are awesome.
Pam

[jimjones]

Good to see this thread re-stickied. Sort of a place for progress reporting and a reservoir of the history of progress of this project which should be kept after the project is complete. I read this thread when it jumps from near bottom of the list of stickied threads to tthe top or near top knowing that that means progress is being reported or some fresh information is being reported about the p-61. I think this reminds us how much hard work and thought has been put into the project.

[warchild]

Thanks Jim..
That was also part of the original spirit of the thread. To show everyone the ups downs in and outs of what goes into creating an aircraft. Doesnt matter if its the P-61, the P-51s or any plane really, they all end up with a lot of similarities behind the scenes. Gesses are made, facts are found to contradict the guesses, changes made, and just sometimes, something gets touched upon that goes way beyond just a simple flying model. Look at the history, the men that flew the real birds, and watch the way it effects the end model: Planes like the WBS P-51, or the A2A P-40, Or Codys films and so many more. There's so much more there than a nice plane, a new gimmick, bell or whistle.
I'll do everything within my capabilities, to keep bringing you those things with the P-61. You see! Theres this incredibly unique group of guys that stretched from Pearl to Ie Shima, and from Florida to The battle of the bulge, and you folks as well, that I truly believe I owe it too..
7:30Am.. Guess its bedtime for now..
Pam

[warchild]

Yah, where I seen it they were categorizing it as a recon plane!!!

the p-61E WAS a recon plane. Fast and long ranged, it overflew Korea before the korean war and gave america the only photos of korea with which to make maps. The f-82s didnt do it, the bombers didnt do it. The only people that did it were these crazies in their P-61s flying alone in very unfriendly skies: Just as they had always done.