Northrop F-89 Scorpion

F-89 Scorpion
Formation of three F-89Ds of the 59th Fighter Squadron, Goose Bay, Labrador.
Role	Interceptor
Manufacturer	Northrop Corporation
First flight	16 August 1948
Introduction	September 1950
Retired	1969
Primary users	United States Air Force Air National Guard
Number built	1,050
Unit cost	US$801,602 (F-89D)[1] US$988,884 (F-89H)[2]

The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was an early American jet-powered fighter designed from the outset as an all-weather interceptor. Though its straight wings limited its performance, it was among the first USAF jet fighters with guided missiles, and notably the first combat aircraft armed with air-to-air nuclear weapons (the unguided Genie rocket).

Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 3 Variants 4 Operators 5 Aircraft on display 6 Specifications (F-89D) 7 See also 8 References 9 External links

Design and development

The Scorpion stemmed from a 1945 United States Army Air Forces Army Air Technical Service Command specification ("Military Characteristics for All-Weather Fighting Aircraft") for a jet-powered night fighter to replace the P-61 Black Widow.^[3] Bell Aircraft, Consolidated-Vultee, Douglas Aircraft, Goodyear, Northrop and Curtiss-Wright all submitted proposals.

Northrop submitted four different designs, prepared by Jack Northrop's team, including a radical flying wing but settled on the N-24, a slim-bodied aircraft with a cantilevered mid-mounted wing and two Allison J35 turbojet engines with afterburners.^[3] It was to have radar and a crew of two, with an armament of four 20 mm (.79 in) cannon in a unique trainable nose turret.^[4] One of the unusual aspects of the design was the use of Northrop's "Deceleron", a clamshell-style split aileron which could function as a dive brake (like the SBD Dauntless dive bomber's perforated-panel flaps did) or flap as needed on landing approach, that could be accommodated in the slim wing design.^[3] The unique feature added to the prototype during development was to become a Northrop trademark, still used today on the B-2 Spirit. Contracts for two prototypes were issued in December 1946, while Douglas with their XF3D-1 Skynight and Curtiss for their XF-87 Blackhawk prototypes also were awarded development contracts.^[3]

The initial XP-89 prototype made its first flight on 16 August 1948, with test pilot Fred C. Bretcher at the controls.^[4] For much of the testing period, Curtiss's entry had been the front-runner for the contract, but in a competition fly-off with its main competitors, the Northrop design proved superior.^[5] Other USAF interceptors such as the F-94 Starfire and F-86 Sabre had been adapted from day fighter designs.

Operational history

Production was authorized in January 1949,^[6] with the first production F-89A flying in September 1950. It had AN/APG-33 radar and an armament of six 20 mm (.79 in) T-31 cannons with 200 rpg. The swiveling nose turret was abandoned, and 300 US gal (1,100 l) fuel tanks were permanently fitted to the wingtips. Underwing racks could carry 16 5 in (127 mm) aerial rockets or up to 3,200 lb (1,455 kg) of bombs.^[7]

Only eighteen F-89As were completed, which were mainly used for tests and trials, before the type was upgraded to F-89B standard, with new avionics.^[7] The type entered service with the 84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron in June 1951.^[8] These had considerable problems with engines and other systems, and soon gave way to the F-89C. Despite repeated engine changes, problems persisted, compounded by the discovery of structural problems with the wings that led to the grounding of the F-89 and forced a refit of 194 -A, -B, and -C models.^[9]

The major production model was the F-89D, which first flew 23 October 1951 and entered service in 1954. It removed the cannon in favor of a new Hughes E-6 fire control system with AN/APG-40 radar and an AN/APA-84 computer. Armament was two pods of 52 2.75 in (70 mm) "Mighty Mouse" FFAR rockets, for a total of 104.^[10] A total of 682 were built.^[1]

Proposed re-engined F-89s, designated F-89E and F-89F, were not built, nor was a proposed F-89G that would have used Hughes MA-1 fire control and GAR-1/GAR-2 Falcon air-to-air missiles like the Convair F-106 Delta Dart.

The subsequent F-89H, which entered service in 1956, had an E-9 fire control system like that of the early F-102 and massive new wingtip pods each holding three Falcons (usually three semi-active radar homing GAR-1s and three infrared GAR-2s) and 21 FFARs, for a total of six missiles and 42 rockets. Problems with the fire control system delayed the -H's entry into service, by which time its performance was notably inferior to newer supersonic interceptors, so it was phased out of USAF service by 1959.

The final variant was the F-89J. This was based on the F-89D, but replaced the standard wingtip missile pod/tanks with 600 gal (2,271 l) fuel tanks and fitted a pylon under each wing for a single MB-1 Genie nuclear rocket (sometimes supplemented by up to four conventional Falcon air-to-air missiles). The F-89J became the only aircraft to fire a live Genie as the John Shot of Operation Plumbbob on 19 July 1957. There were no new-build F-89Js, but 350 -Ds were modified to this standard. They served with the Air Defense Command, later renamed the Aerospace Defense Command (ADC), through 1959 and with ADC-gained units of the Air National Guard through 1969. This version of the aircraft was extensively used within the Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) air defense system.

A total of 1,050 Scorpions of all variants were produced.

Variants

XF-89

First prototype, powered by two 4,000 lbf (17.8 kN) Allison J-35-A-9 engines.^[11]

XF-89A

Second prototype. Fitted with more powerful (5,100 lbf (22.7 kN) dry, 6,800 lbf (30.3 kN) with reheat) J-35-A-21A engines and revised, pointed nose with cannon armament.^[11]

F-89A

First production version, eight built. Fitted with revised tailplane and six cannon armament.^[11]

DF-89A

F-89As converted into drone control aircraft.

F-89B

Second production version with upgraded avionics. 40 built.^[11]

DF-89B

F-89Bs converted into drone control aircraft.

F-89C

Third production version with more powerful engines (5,600 lbf (25.0 kN) dry, 7,400 lbf (32.0 kN) reheat J-35-A-21 or -33). 164 built.^[11]

YF-89D

Conversion of one F-89B to test new avionics and armament of F-89D.^[11]

F-89D

Main production version which saw deletion of the six 20 mm (.79 in) cannons in favor of 104 rockets in wing pods, installation of new Hughes E-6 fire control system, AN/APG-40 radar and the AN/APA-84 computer. This new system allowed the use of a lead-collision attack in place of the previous lead-pursuit-curve technique. A total of 682 built.^[10][11]

YF-89E

One off prototype to test the Allison YJ71-A-3 engine (7,000 lbf (31.2 kN) dry thrust, 9,500 lbf (42.4 kN) with reheat), converted from F-89C.^[11][12]

F-89F

Proposed version with new fuselage and wings and J71 engines, never built.^[12]

F-89G

Proposed version equipped with Hughes MA-1 fire control and GAR-1/GAR-2 Falcon air-to-air missiles, never built.

YF-89H

Modified F-89D to test features of F-89H. Three converted.^[13]

F-89H

Version with E-9 fire control system, six GAR-1/GAR-2 Falcon missiles and 42 Folding Fin Aircraft Rockets (FFAR). 156 built.^[13][14]

F-89J

Conversion of F-89D with underwing hardpoints for two MB-1 Genie nuclear armed rocket and four Falcon missiles, and either carrying the standard F-89D rocket/fuel pod or pure fuel tanks. A total of 350 were converted from F-89Ds.^[15]

Operators

 United States

• United States Air Force
• Air National Guard

Aircraft on display

• F-89A Scorpion, s/n 49-2434, is disassembled at the Texas Air Museum in San Antonio, Texas.^[16]
• F-89B Scorpion, s/n 49-2457, is on display at Lakeview Park, Nampa, Idaho. ^[17]
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 52-1856, is on display at Bangor International Airport / Dow Air National Guard Base, Maine.
• F-89D Scorpion, s/n 52-1862, is on display at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska painted in the historic markings of 53-2433.^[18]
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 52-1868 is reportedly for sale at Cable, California airport.
• F-89D Scorpion, s/n 52-1883, is on display at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 52-1896 is on display at the New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks, Connecticut.^[19]
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 52-1911, is on display as "53-2509" at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. This aircraft was the last F-89 remaining in service when it was transferred to the Museum from the Maine Air National Guard in July 1969.^[20]
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 52-1927, is on display at the Castle Air Museum (former Castle AFB), Atwater, California. ^[21]
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 52-1941, is on display at the Peterson Air and Space Museum, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. ^[22]
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 52-1949, is on display at the March Field Air Museum, March Air Reserve Base, Riverside, California.^[23]
• F-89D Scorpion, s/n 52-1959 (Ex-Aberdeen target/major restoration), is stored for the Air Force Test Center Museum, Edwards Air Force Base, California.^[24]
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 52-2129, is on display at the Air Power Park and Museum (near Langley Air Force Base), Hampton, Virginia.^[25]
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 53-2453, is on display at the Heritage Flight Museum, Bellingham, Washington. ^[26]
• F-89D Scorpion, s/n 53-2463, is on display at the Museum of Aviation, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.^[27]
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 53-2465, is on display at the home base of the 119th Fighter Wing, North Dakota Air National Guard, Fargo, North Dakota.
• F-89D Scorpion, s/n 53-2494, is on display at the home base of the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont Air National Guard, Burlington Air National Guard Base, Vermont.
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 53-2519, is on display at the Planes of Fame Museum, Chino, California. ^[28]
• F-89D/J Scorpion, s/n 53-2536, is on display at the EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin.^[29]
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 53-2547, is on display at the home base of the 120th Fighter Wing, Montana Air National Guard, Great Falls, Montana. This jet fired the live Genie described above.^[30]
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 53-2610, is on display at the Air Force Armament Museum, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. ^[31]
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 53-2646, is on display at Friendship Park, Smithfield, Ohio.
• F-89J Scorpion, s/n 53-2674, is on display at the Pima Air & Space Museum (adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base), Tucson, Arizona. ^[32]
• F-89D/J Scorpion, s/n 53-2677, is on display at the Minnesota Air National Guard Museum, Minneapolis, Minnesota.^[33]
• F-89H Scorpion, s/n 54-0298, is on display at Dyess Linear Air Park, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.^[34]
• F-89H Scorpion, s/n 54-0322, is on display at the Hill Aerospace Museum, Hill Air Force Base, Utah.^[35]

Specifications (F-89D)

Data from Scorpion with a Nuclear Sting ^[36]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 53 ft 9½ in (16.40 m)
• Wingspan: 59 ft 8½ in (18.20 m)
• Height: 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m)
• Wing area: 606 ft² (56.30 m²)
• Empty weight: 25,194 lb (11,428 kg)
• Loaded weight: 37,190 lb (16,869 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 42,241 lb (19,161 kg)
• Powerplant: 2 × Allison J35-A-35 afterburning turbojets
  • Dry thrust: 5,440 lbf (24.26 kN) each
  • Thrust with afterburner: 7,200 lbf (32.11 kN) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 635 mph (552 knots, 1,022 km/h) at 10,600 ft (3,200 m)
• Ferry range: 1,366 mi (1,188 nm, 2,200 km)
• Service ceiling: 49,200 ft (15,000 m)
• Rate of climb: 7,440 ft/min (37.8 m/s)

Armament

• Rockets:
  
  • 104× 2.75 in (70 mm) "Mighty Mouse" folding-fin aerial rockets
  • 16× 5 in (127 mm) aerial rockets on underwing racks or
• Bombs: 3,200 lb (1,500 kg)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Avro Canada CF-100
• Lockheed F-94 Starfire
• North American F-86D Sabre
• Sud Aviation Vautour
• Yakovlev Yak-25
  

Related lists

• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of fighter aircraft
  

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

• Joe Baugher F-89 pages
• "First Look Inside The USAF F-89 Scorpion Fighter," Popular Science 1951 article with cutaway of F-89 with original six 20 mm cannon nose, article at bottom of page

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