RyanCrierie -> RE: Shep's Graphical Artwork (Planes, Ships, etc) (5/26/2011 7:20:48 AM)
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Northrop F-15 Reporter and XP-61E Day Fighter attached. [img]http://i792.photobucket.com/albums/yy210/Ryan_Crierie/XP-61E-1.jpg[/img] [img]http://i792.photobucket.com/albums/yy210/Ryan_Crierie/Northrop_F-15_Reporter_10.jpg[/img] (Image is of the F-15 REPORTER; but that used a baled XP-61E to get the program started). Ok. When the contract was let for the XP-61D Black Widow around 1944, there was a provision that Northrop develop a day-fighter version called the XP-61E. The -61E didn't get flying until March 1945 due to the feeling that the P-51D was adequate as a bomber escort. But what if... Two XP-61Es were completed -- 42-39549 and 42-39557. Clear bubble canopy, cutdown fuselage and a two man crew -- pilot and pilot/navigator. Four .50 caliber MGs were in the nose in place of the former radar; AND the 4 x 20mm gun tub was still there on the belly. Would have had 1,158 gallons of internal fuel and 1,240 gallons of external fuel in 4 x 310 gallon tanks giving it a 4,000~ mile combat range; letting it escort the B-29s all the way to and from Japan. Top speed was 376~ MPH at 17,000 feet. I'm thinking an appropriate designation would be P-61G Brown Recluse. The first XP-51E prototype crashed. The second was baled over to become the F-15 Reporter prototype. The USAAF ended up taking delivery of 36 F-15A Reporters out of an order for 175. (War ended)
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