History

The Northrop F-15 Reporter was a photo-reconnaissance version of the Northrop P-61 night fighter. It was too late to serve during World War II but a few were used to help map Japan, the Philippines and North Korea.

The Northrop F-15 was a photo-reconnaissance aeroplane based on the P-61 Black Widow night fighter.

It was made by removing the guns from a late model P-61 and fitting it instead with a new nose to carry reconnaissance cameras.

The prototype first flew on 3 July 1945 and an order was placed for 175 aircraft.

However, with the end of World War II the contract was cancelled and only 36 were produced.

One squadron was formed to fly them and took part in mapping operations in Japan and the Philippines in the late 1940s.

They were also used in the aerial mapping of North Korea in 1950 at the beginning of the Korean War.

This model represents a standard production Northrop F-15 in 1947.

Anigrand 1/144 kit completed by Leigh Edmonds in September 2021.

Data

MODEL: Northrop F-15 Reporter

ROLE: photographic reconnaissance aircraft

TIME PERIOD: 1945-1950s

ENGINES: two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-C Double Wasp radial engines of 1,600kW each

WING SPAN: 20.12m

LENGTH: 15.31m

GROSS WEIGHT: 12,710kg

MAXIMUM SPEED: 710km/h

RANGE: 6,400km

SCALE: 1/144

KIT:

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