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    This page documents a history of a specific aircraft. The details provided vary from aircraft to aircraft and are dependent on the research and amount of data uploaded to the Aerial Visuals database.

    Airframe Family: Northrop P-61 Black Widow / F-15 Reporter
    Latest Model:F-61C Black Widow
    Last Military Serial:43-8353 USAF
    Construction Number:1399
    Compressed ID:Northrop F-61C sn 43-8353 USAF cn 1...
    Latest Owner or Location:National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio

    EDIT THE HISTORY HERE    		 If you can add to the history or would like to submit a correction please use the editor to do so.

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    Dates

    Event

    Constructed as a P-61B-1-NO by Northrop at Hawthorne, California, USA.

    1945

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Army Air Force with s/n 43-8353.


    Photographer: Gordon Permann Collection

    From February 1947 to December 1948

    Transferred to Clinton County AFB, Wilmington, OH.
    Participated in the Thunderstorm Project, researching thunderstorms.

    18 September 1947

    Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Air Force with s/n 43-8353.

    June 1948

    Redesignated as F-61C.

    January 1949

    Transferred to Air Materiel Command, Wright Field, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH.
    Used for Radar Testing.

    9 May 1949

    Ferry flight. Delivered to Boy Scouts of America, Grimes Field, Urbana, OH.

    1949

    Parked at Grimes airfield, painted with advertising for BSA.

    From 1953 to 1958

    To Earl Reinert, Wheeling, IL.
    Acquired for parts, but not moved from Urbana.

    20 June 1958

    To United States Air Force Museum, Patterson Field (East Side), Dayton, OH.
    Donated by the Tecumseh Chapter of Boy Scouts in Springfield,OH.
    View the Location Dossier

    March 1968


    Photographer: Chris Kennedy by permission

    June 1970


    Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

    17 October 1971

    Transported by ground. Delivered to National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright Field, Dayton, OH.
    View the Location Dossier

    March 1972


    Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

    By July 1978

    Markings Applied: Moonlight Serenade, 239468

    23 July 1982


    Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
    Notes: Still no top turret yet

    Markings Applied: Moonlight Serenade, 38353

    2 November 2011


    Photographer: Andrew King

    5 June 2012


    Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
    This dossier is waiting for review by an editor.This airframe dossier is based on
    unreviewed imported data.
    If you can verify the documented history or add to it with additional text and/or photos please feel free to do so by using the upload tool and the history editor.
    Credits
     Data for airframe dossiers come from various sources. The following were used to compile this dossier...
    Print Sources
     U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials 1909 to 1979 by John M. Andrade
    U.S. Military Out of Service 2010 by Andy Marden
    Internet Sources
     Aerial Visuals - The Locator by Mike Henniger, Senior Editor
    National Weather Service
    United States Military Services Serial Number Lists by Joe Baugher
    Warbirds Directory, 6th Edition (2013) by Geoff Goodall
    Wikipedia
    Individual Contributors
     Glenn Chatfield
    Mike Henniger
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