| F-15A / RF-61C Reporter | |
|---|---|
 An F-15A later used in "Operation Thunderstorm" | |
| General information | |
| Type | Photographic reconnaissance |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Northrop Corporation |
| Status | Retired |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| Number built | 36 |
| History | |
| First flight | 3 July 1945 |
| Retired | 1968 |
| Developed from | Northrop P-61 Black Widow |
The Northrop F-15 Reporter (later RF-61) was an American unarmed photographic reconnaissance aircraft. Based on the Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighter, it was the last piston-powered photo-reconnaissance aircraft designed and produced for the United States Air Force.[1] Though produced in limited quantities, and with a relatively short service life, the F-15's aerial photographs of the Korean Peninsula would prove vital in 1950, when North Korea invaded the south.[2]
- ^ Johnson, Bob (February 1976). "Seeing Eye Widow". Scale Modeler. Vol. 11, no. 2. pp. 30–44.
- ^ Thompson 1999, pp. 84–85: Note: "Their photos of Korea were invaluable to the UN forces during the first few weeks of that war. It was not until the Marine photo version F7F-3P Tigercat made its sweeps over Inchon that any additional pictures were taken."