# northrop p/f-61 black widow



## jrk (Sep 14, 2005)

a number of black widows continued to serve until 1950 in usaf service.by then designated f-51s and in 1949 were the first aircraft of the embryonic us air defence command,founded to defend the usa from soviet air attack.

can anyone confirm this?

thanks jay


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## FLYBOYJ (Sep 14, 2005)

jrk said:


> a number of black widows continued to serve until 1950 in usaf service.by then designated f-51s and in 1949 were the first aircraft of the embryonic us air defence command,founded to defend the usa from soviet air attack.
> 
> can anyone confirm this?
> 
> thanks jay



Most Black Widows in combat configuration went out of service right after WW2. Test and hack aircraft hung around for a few years. They were totally removed from the inventory in the early 50s.


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## evangilder (Sep 14, 2005)

I always thought the F-51 was the redesignation of the P-51.


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## syscom3 (Sep 14, 2005)

Dont you mean P/F-61 Blackwidow?

The F61 also was converted postwar to a recon plane called the "reporter".

Didnt do much though cause of the jets coming onine.


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## jrk (Sep 15, 2005)

the title of this thread is p/f-61 black widow


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## evangilder (Sep 15, 2005)

Yes, but your first post said F-51, that is why I got confused. Sorry bout that.


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## jrk (Sep 16, 2005)

dang i may have misprinted........my mistake sorry eg.


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## evangilder (Sep 16, 2005)

No biggie, that's why we asked.


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## jrk (Sep 16, 2005)

i,m not having the best of times at the moment.


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## syscom3 (Sep 16, 2005)

I dont think the P61 served in the air defense role for the US after 1947 or so. The F82 was deployed and far superior to the P61 by then.

If someone has different info, Id like to know


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## FLYBOYJ (Sep 16, 2005)

syscom3 said:


> I dont think the P61 served in the air defense role for the US after 1947 or so. The F82 was deployed and far superior to the P61 by then.
> 
> If someone has different info, Id like to know



I believe you're right. I think the F-82 was the main air defense fighter right after the war


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## Marshall_Stack (Sep 29, 2005)

The P-61 reconnaissance version became the F-15 Reporter, not the F-51. It was used as an all-weather recon plane for a short period after WWII.


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