I was stationed at Paine Air Force Base, Everett Washington From 1955 until 1959. I was in the 321st F.I.S. until early 1959 when were changed to a base aircraft maintenance only (no pilots) (326th CAMRON). I worked as Airborne Radio Maintenance on the F-89 and some non jet aircraft (C47, etc.)I was initially on the F89D, then the F89H and finally the F89H. We lost 5 F89's (model I don't recall) two flew into Mt. Baker (north of Everett) in the winter , the next spring all of the crew was recovered. Two also hit each other over the Olympic mountains, 3 of the 4 were recovered. We also lost one 89 over Puget Sound (Mukilteo),with a loss of the ro. I have never seen any write-ups of these 5 aircraft in any Washington state Aircraft Wrecks documentation. Colonel Samuel G. Grashio was the Base Commander at he time.
Hi Gene. I’m working on a researching project about the Cold War and Lake Superior. I’d really like to talk with you about the F89 if possible. -Jon Billman 906-373-7397
I'm planning on vertically lifting a museum display F-89J with a CH-53. They want to know where to place the straps on the aircraft. Anyone have any corporate knowledge?
The F-89 Scorpion was a consolation contract awarded to Northrop in the aftermath of the controversial cancellation of its YB49 Flying Wing in favor of the Convair B-36. Learn about this and other related iconic aircraft in my new book.
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I was assigned (1955-1957) to the 318th and 75th at Presque Isle, first as Communications Officer and then as OIC of all Electronics, Electrical, Weapons and Instrument shops. Well remember when we finally build the nose hangers to keep out the weather. 'Backseated' with Ted Harris (Ops OIC), Bob Mize, and Don Zook. Lucky to have been there when the Squadron went from second last to first in rocketry proficiency during the summer of 1956 at Moody AFB. The unit broke all existing records for Hi Sqdn, Hi CO, Hi Ops Off, Hi Sq RO, Hi Pilot, & Hi RO. I can still see the big score thermometer in front of our HG building rising to the top and looping around. And those winters! 181 inches of snow and 40 Deg below. I transferred to Nellis AFB in March '57. 100 deg change in temp during the week long drive to Nevada.
Was with 61FIS at Harmon '53-'55, first with F-94B then transitioned to F-89D, ugly but it grew on you. Easy to fly but def not for dog-fights. Most scrambles with for B-47's and '52s going from Offut to Germany, mostly at night.
bernard schnieders RO 54FIS, e-mail, 23.02.2014 22:56
Was a back seater In the J model. Our alert barn is now the musuem bld at Ellswoth. A 89H that fired the live atomic rocket in Nevada is located at the civilian field at Great Falls mont.
to robert woods iwas at kef when that happened i worked at the alert hanger and lived in hut 10 i was there from nov 57 til nov 58 i am also 75 its been a long time
Was a crew chief on 89 c and d With 74th fighter.We set a flying record with the 89,s 1954 and 55.Made the stars and stripes and also the flying tiger history book but cant find either one.No bragging rights
Stationed at Goose bay Labrador 56-57 assigned to Post Dock working out in 10 below. My NCOIC was TSGT Cole. He slipped on the ice by the left engine and was sucked into the intake. He survived and retired from the USAF. I'm living in Fresno Ca. The Castle Air Museum needs several Pilots cockpit instruments for the F89J model. Need HELP please Bill Hoey
Anyone remember the accidental firing of rockets inside the hanger. The commander was Major Danniel (Chappy) James, 437th FIS. The year was 1954 or 55. Would appreciate more details.
I was a radio repair guy working on F-89D's at Keflavik AB, Iceland in 1957, my friend Robert Nelson was ate(proper term) by an '89 in the winter of 57 /58. God rest his soul, he was 19 years old I am now 75.
From May 1955 until August 1967 I was a weapons mechanic in the 63 FIS at Elmendorf AFB, AK. Would like to hear from others what served at the same time.
My Dad worked on f89'S AND f 102's In Portland. I believe on crashed into the columbia river in about 1954. Dad was a Mechanic and a scuba diver.. So he donned his gear and helped with the recovery.
Wurtsmith AFB 1957 vets: Remember your first deliveries of the W-25 nuclear warheads for the MB-1 in DEC 56, JAN 57 and MAY 57 by train from the Burlington IA AEC arsenal? I was the Nuclear Weapons Officer assigned TDY from Stony Brook AFS MA (Westover AFB) to coordinate the receipt. Much to everyone's surprise the AEC train commander in MAY would only deal with me instead of the base commander. For a fleeting moment I thought I might sign off and take the train off-base to sell to the highest bidder. But then after what seemed like hours of stand off, more level heads prevailed and we cooked up a deal for me to sign personally, transfer control to our 3084th ADG supply officer in MA who in turn transferred the warheads back to the Wurtsmith commander. A first order SNAFU was averted.
P S I am still looking for the F-86 jet jockey who one night in DEC 56 at the Officers Club offered to take me back to Westover. His buddies, luckily, told me to decline because he would probably loop and roll all the way home.I developed a cold in my....
Was a F89D /F94C radar mechanic of the 3630th A&E Maintenance Squad starting in 1956 through 1958 at Moody AFB. Loved the F89 and had the pleasure of working on a 94 when a fellow playing in the cockpit released the tip tanks at the radar "docks". Anyone interested in interacting about Moody or James Connally AFB during the late 50's, give me a shout.
The F-89 Scorpion was the USAF's first aircraft designed specifically to be an all-weather jet fighter. The term "all-weather" meant operations at night or in reduced visibility, and indicated the use of built-in radar. In those days, that meant the aircraft had to be large enough to accommodate a crew of two in addition to the radar, armament and fuel. The inevitable result was a fairly sizable and complex aircraft in comparison with, say, an F-80 or F-86. The F-89 was not designed with a view towards going on-on-one in a dogfight with a Mig, but rather to intercept potential attacks by Soviet intercontinental nuclear bombers against North America. Given that context, the design of the F-89 was more comparable with the Avro Canada's CF-100, than it was with fighters such as the F-86 Saber or Mig 15.
I was in the SD Air Guard and crewed F89D 51-11425 from 1958-1960. The aircraft was given to the city of Aberdeen SD and placed on display at the entrance to their airport. After a few years it was removed and don't know where it ended up SD 51-11443 was given to the city of Sioux Falls and placed in the city's Sherman Park. Later it was taken to a farm south of Canton and later to a farm north of Brandon SD. Here it is on the farm of a former SD Air Guard pilot. If you get on Googl Earth, find Brandon SD. go north on the highway til you come to a curve to the east (right) Keep straight for a mile and 1 /4 there is a home on the right side and you will see a cut up F89D SN 443 in the back yard.
I worked for Northrop at their smaller plant in Anaheim, CA in 1954-55. The F-89 was built at the main plant in Hawthorne, CA across from LAX. The main product at the Anaheim plant was the T-179 periscope and gun barrel sight for a 155mm mobile howitzer; which I worked on as a precision instrument mechanic. When we ran out of part I was temporarily shifted to a small sub-assembly line making F-89 ejection seats and wing pylons for weapons and fuel tanks.
Hi Gene. I’m working on a researching project about the Cold War and Lake Superior. I’d really like to talk with you about the F89 if possible.
-Jon Billman
906-373-7397
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