The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was a twin-engine, all-weather fighter-interceptor designed to locate, intercept, and destroy enemy aircraft by day or night under all types of weather conditions. One of the most heavily armed fighter aircraft, the F-89 was the backbone of the North American Air Defense Command until newer interceptors became available. The F-89 helped the USAF’s Air Defense Command to patrol the skies during the period when Soviet intercontinental bombers first became a threat.

The first F-89 made its initial flight in August 1948 and deliveries to the Air Force began in July 1950.  The F-89 received its name during testing at Muroc Dry Lake (today's Edwards AFB) after crews remarked that the interceptor looked like a scorpion ready to strike. The name stuck and was later officially recognized by the Air Force.

The F-89 was the first multi-seat, all-weather jet interceptor and was the first aircraft designed to carry an all-rocket armament. At the time of its production, the F-89 had an advanced radar system enabling the radar operator (rear cockpit) to guide the pilot into proper attack position to  engage hostile bombers in any weather.

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. The type entered service in June 1951. 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.

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 2.75in "Mighty Mouse" folding fin aerial rockets (FFAR), for a total of 104.  A total of 682 were built.

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 (later AIM-4) Falcon air-to-air missiles like the F-102 Delta Dagger.

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 2.75in "Mighty Mouse" rockets, 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). 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.

On July 19, 1957, a Genie test rocket was fired from an F-89J during John Shot of Operation Plumbob, the first and only time in history that an air-to-air rocket with a nuclear warhead was launched and detonated.  Three hundred and fifty F-89Ds were converted to "J" models which became the Air Defense Command's first fighter-interceptor to carry nuclear armament .

The F-89 entered service with the 84th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron of the 78th Fighter-Interceptor Group based at Hamilton AFB, CA in June of 1951. A total of 1,178 F-89 were produced and flew with both Active and ANG Squadrons. Scorpions also flew with 2 active (321 FIS, Paine AFB, WA; 497th FIS, Portland IAP) and 2 ANG (116th FIS at  Spokane IAP, WA; 123 rd FIS, Portland IAP, OR) squadrons assign to the 25th Air Division, and also with the 318 FIS during the squadrons assignment to Presque Isle, ME from August 1954 through August 1955.

The last Scorpion (F-89J S/N 52-1896) left operational service with Maine ANG’s 132rd FIS in 1969. 

TYPE:  Long range Interceptor

POWER:  Two Allison J35s turbojets of 7,200 lbs. thrust each with afterburner

SPEED:  636 mph at 10,600 feet, 523 mph at 46,500 feet

RANGE:  1,600 miles

SERVICE CEILING: 49,000 feet

WEIGHT: Empty - 25,194 lbs, Combat - 37,190 lbs, Gross - 42,241 lbs , Max T/O 46,789 lbs.

DIMENSIONS: Wingspan 59 ft 8 in, Length 53 ft 10 in, Height 17 ft 6 in

ARMAMENT: (F-89D) Armed with 104 2.75-inch folding fin unguided rockets in wingtip pods. Underwing racks could carry 16 five-inch rockets (F-89H) a combination of Two AIR-2A Genie air-to-air rockets with nuclear warheads plus four or six AIM-4C Falcon missiles or 42 2.75-inch folding fin unguided rockets.

CREW:  Two (Pilot & Radar Observer)

PRODUCTION TOTALS: 1,178 - 18 (F-89A); 37 (F-89B);  152 (F-89C); 682 (F-89D); 156 (F-89H)

COST: $1,009,000

318th FIGHTER-INTERCEPTOR SQUADRON SERVICE: 
 5 August 1954 – 18 August 1955 at Presque Island AFB Maine,