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| Northrop F-89D-45-NO Scorpion interceptors, Goose Bay AB, Labrador (Canada), in the 1950s |
I'm reading Command and Control by Eric Schlosser and on page 151 he mentions the F-89 Scorpion. I don't recall ever hearing of the Scorpion. I'm familiar with the F-86 that we used in Korea and the F-100 Super Sabre (it was really cool), but the F-89? Nada. But then I pull up a picture on the net and boom! It hit me, I remember that airplane. I think I may even have had a toy model of it when I was a kid.
It wasn't supersonic, not with those straight wings, but it packed a serious punch. Six machine guns in the nose, rocket pods or bombs under the wings, and for a topper it could also carry an air-to-air missile armed with nuclear warhead for destroying Soviet bombers that were coming to destroy America with their H-bombs. Boy oh boy, Stalin versus Curtis LeMay.
AIR-2 Genie | air-to-air Nuclear missile
The Atomic Cafe
The 50's were a very strange time. If atomic weapons flying through air wasn't enough, we also had UFO's. The US Air Force in northern Michigan sent a Scorpion to investigate a UFO that had appeared on their radar. They were able to track the target and the interceptor until they met and then the Scorpion disappeared. No trace of it was ever found and the target continued on its merry way apparently unaffected. I'm not saying it was aliens, but you know what? It was aliens.
F-89s had the reputation of being ground-hugging sons-of-bitches. Maybe not as bad as something made by Republic, though.
ReplyDeleteMy father was stationed at Fairchild AFB 63-65. While mostly obsolete by that time the local Guard unit was equipped with F-89s and they were a common sight overhead. Many years later I ran into a fellow at a party who was sporting an F-105 lapel pin. Had a fascinating conversation about his flying career, which included a tour or two in F-89s, which he liked for their solid flying qualities, twin engines (a big plus operating over water out of Greenland or Iceland) and ample fuel supply.
ReplyDeleteNow I wonder if there are any left that are still flying.
ReplyDeleteI seriously doubt that any still fly. They never flew in combat that I know of and that seems to be the main criteria for keeping an old military bird flying. F-86s, a couple of MIG variants, an (one) F-4, an A-4 or three. I'm sure I'm missing some. But I haven't heard a peep about a restored Scorpion.
ReplyDeleteMy dad got a job as crew chief in the Guard when the previous guy got sucked into an intake. Too small to fully fit but messed the dude up petty bad.
ReplyDelete