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Subject: Northrop F-89 Scorpion
Date: 10 Oct 2018 08:10:10 -0700
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_F-89_Scorpion
The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was an American all-weather interceptor built during
the 1950s, the first jet-powered aircraft designed as such from the outset to
enter service. Though its straight wings limited its performance, it was among
the first United States Air Force (USAF) jet fighters equipped with guided
missiles and notably the first combat aircraft armed with air-to-air nuclear
weapons (the unguided Genie rocket).
The XP-89 had a thin, straight, mid-mounted wing and a crew of two, seated in
tandem. The slim rear fuselage and the high-mounted horizontal stabilizer led
Air Force. The intended armament of four 20 mm M-24 cannon in a small nose
turret was not ready when the XP-89 was completed in 1948. Pending the
availability of either of the two turrets under development, an interim six-gun
fixed installation, with 200 rounds per gun, was designed for the underside of
the nose. The thin wing had an aspect ratio of 5.88, a thickness-to-chord ratio
of 9% and used a NACA 0009-64 section, which was selected for its low drag at
high speed and stability at low speeds. A further advantage of the straight wing
was that it could accommodate heavy weights at the wingtips. The wing could not
fit the circular-type ailerons used in the P-61, so Northrop used the
"decelerons" designed for the unsuccessful XP-79 prototype. These were
clamshell-style split ailerons, which could be used as conventional ailerons, as
dive brakes, or function as flaps as needed. All flying surfaces, the flaps and
the landing gear were hydraulically powered. The thin wing dictated tall, thin,
high-pressure (200 psi (1,379 kPa; 14 kgf/cm2)) mainwheel tires, while the low
height of the fuselage required the use of dual wheels for the nose gear.
Role
Interceptor
Manufacturer
Northrop Corporation
Designer
Jack Northrop
First flight
16 August 1948
Introduction
September 1950
Retired
1969
Primary user
United States Air Force
Number built
1,050 and 2 prototypes
Unit cost
US$801,602 (F-89D)
US$988,884 (F-89H)
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. A
total of 682 were built. In August 1956 a pair of F-89D interceptors were
scrambled from Oxnard Air Force Base to shoot down a runaway F6F-5K drone
leading to The Battle of Palmdale incident.
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.
Specifications (F-89D)
General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 53 ft ?9 1/2 in (16.40 m)
Wingspan: 59 ft ?8 1/2 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)
(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:
Bombs: 3,200 lb (1,500 kg)
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