# F-89 Scorpion "Gravel Gobbler"



## Wildr1 (Apr 26, 2018)

This plane had a bad tendency of sucking debris from the runway and taxi-way into its low mounted engines.
Iowa ANG









124th Fighter sq patch




Washington 116th Sq

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## Wildr1 (Apr 30, 2018)



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## Wurger (Apr 30, 2018)




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## Wildr1 (May 4, 2018)



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## Wurger (May 4, 2018)




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## Gnomey (May 4, 2018)

Good stuff!


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## tyrodtom (May 5, 2018)

I remember the extreme lengths the USAF went to prevent FOD material on the runway during the mid 60s.
FOD was most often gravel thrown from vehicle tires. Or anything small and loose, just waiting to get sucked up and processed by those high tech vacuum cleaners.

Some flight line vehicles were flight line use only, so they never, ever, got off the hardtop.
Whenever a non flight line use vehicle had to enter any of the aircraft service areas, you had to get out and check your tires very carefully for any gravel stuck in the tread, or anything loose around you or the vehicle. Then you were double checked by the SPs.
If they found anything you'd overlooked, you were wrote up. You could look forward to some nasty extra duty.

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## MIflyer (May 5, 2018)

Nice shots!

On the other hand, it was a not a maintenance hog like the F-86D.


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## Zipper730 (May 7, 2018)

tyrodtom said:


> I remember the extreme lengths the USAF went to prevent FOD material on the runway during the mid 60s.


More than the RAF, RAAF?


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## tyrodtom (May 7, 2018)

Zipper730 said:


> More than the RAF, RAAF?


I have no idea how much attention other services, or even other locations took care of the FOD problems.
I was never in the RAF, or RAAF, or at any of their airfields.
FOD measures were different even at other USAF airfields. It depended on the aircraft operating commonly at that airfield, I suppose.

At NKP airfield, Thailand , there seemed to be no FOD measures taken, that I saw. They had a metal mat runway laid over gravel, but they operated only prop jobs and helicopters, except for the occasional C-141, bringing supplies, or a F-4 or F-105 that was so damaged it couldn't make it back to it's home base

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## Wildr1 (May 14, 2018)



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## Wurger (May 14, 2018)




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## Wildr1 (May 18, 2018)




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## Wurger (May 18, 2018)




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## Wildr1 (May 23, 2018)



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## Wurger (May 23, 2018)




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## daveT (Jun 12, 2018)



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## daveT (Jun 12, 2018)

I Need more photos of the Rocket armament equipped version


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## daveT (Jun 12, 2018)

The 1950s were an interesting time for jet training and the introduction of rocket armed jet interceptors required changes to armament training methods. There were some blunders along the way and a routine training flight for a Northrop F-89D Scorpion jet interceptor ended in drama in the desert. More than 60 years later, another blunder unfolded in the same desert. This story details a live fire rocketry mission that ended in a crash and the expedition to the crash site that also encountered problems.

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## Wildr1 (Jun 23, 2018)



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## Wurger (Jun 24, 2018)




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## Wildr1 (Jul 9, 2018)



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## Wurger (Jul 9, 2018)




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## sandokan (Aug 3, 2018)

What superb images!!!! Great!


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## vikingBerserker (Aug 3, 2018)

I totally agree!

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## daveT (Aug 4, 2018)

Load them up, 52 in each pod









Fire them off....

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## Gnomey (Aug 4, 2018)

Nice shots!


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## Wildr1 (Aug 23, 2018)



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## tyrodtom (Aug 23, 2018)

In my day the duty officer would be all over that AP in the first picture. 
Wrinkled uniform, crooked gig line, and what'd you shine those shoes with, a hersey bar.

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## Gnomey (Aug 23, 2018)

Good shots!


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## Wildr1 (Sep 7, 2018)



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## Wurger (Sep 7, 2018)




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## Wildr1 (Sep 15, 2018)



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## Wurger (Sep 15, 2018)




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## Wayne Little (Sep 15, 2018)

Nice..!


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## daveT (Sep 16, 2018)

Wildr1 said:


> View attachment 509667
> View attachment 509668


I really like the overhead photo with the 2 crewmembers!


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## Wildr1 (Sep 17, 2018)



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## Snowman (Sep 17, 2018)

Just of curious, what is the purpose of the bucket which is hanged under the port wing of the upper F-89?


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## Wurger (Sep 17, 2018)




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## Wildr1 (Sep 17, 2018)

I never noticed that before, Iowa Air guard Des Moines. Fuel leak???

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## special ed (Oct 28, 2018)

In post 33, What is the color or finish on the six F-89s middle pic 2nd row?


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## Wurger (Oct 29, 2018)

the pic source: Northrop F-89D Scorpion. [photograph]

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## YF12A (Oct 30, 2018)

If I recall right, I think the tires were inflated to around 1,000,000 psi! Just kidding but the pressure was higher than I thought. And then there is the B-58. Great pics from the good old days.


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## Wurger (Oct 30, 2018)

special ed said:


> In post 33, What is the color or finish on the six F-89s middle pic 2nd row?



Do you mean these?


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## special ed (Oct 30, 2018)

yes


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## Wurger (Oct 31, 2018)

IMHO these are still of the NMF. It is very likely there are the red painted areas. If you look at the third kite in the row you may find the lighter spot in the front of the tail that can indicate that. Their dark appearance is caused by the oxidation of the metal skin and a light trick at the shining plates.

Please see the pic posted by me above in the post #42 and these below.. the effect can be seen.





the pic source: the Internet.





the pic source: Northrop F 89 Scorpion- Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia


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## special ed (Oct 31, 2018)

It could be, but those six do not appear to have fuselage insignia or buzz numbers. The fin/rudder have numbers where they should be and the tip appears to be a different color. The six may be replacements from an area where the climate affects the skin. It is a fun mystery. I guess photoing full scale aircraft and building models causes me to see these things. There is also a reason they were put in the back row for their picture, like children that got their clothes dirty before the picture.


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## Wurger (Oct 31, 2018)

I see. I have noticed the lack of the national insignia too. What is more there is no trace of the anti-glare black panels in front to the windshields. The frames of their cockpit canopies are still of the silver ( metalic ) tone. The fin tips seem to be of white, yellow or light blue-grey while the black numbers are on the silver background that can be also noticed on these planes of the foreground row. Additionally please make a focus on the light rectangular panels on fuselage sides in front of cokpits and below. These look exactly the same like in the first pic of my post #46. The next point is the air intake to engine and the wheel hub of the first plane of the row.Both have the metalic glare what indicate the lack of paint there. I have to admit that my initial though was these planes were painted overall with a red or another colour. But the longer I watch them the more I'm convinced these weren't painted in that way. The light metalic spot at the third Scorpion of the row , the thin dark strip between the lighter tail tip and the rectangle with the black numbers let me believe the tails were red painted but the entire rest of the planes were of NMF. I have seen the same effect on Mig-15/17/21 when I was in service for the Polish AF. Initially these were silver because of the gloss clear varnish applied. But the longer these were in service the darker the clear varnish became. Just the aluminium caused the effect. There is another point that has to be mentioned .. if there is the red colour on the planes ( tails, wings ) it might be that the shiny silver sourfaces could reflect it like a mirror. In the case the B&W photo shows the red ( dark tone ) on all surfaces. No matter if there is the paint or not.

I have enlarged the pic more to see them better.






Also I would like to pay your attention the plane on the right. It is standing perpendicularly to the sunlight beams.As a result she seems to be very dark as well while she is of the NMF undobtedly.


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## special ed (Oct 31, 2018)

Number five back seems to have the canopy covered.


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## Wurger (Oct 31, 2018)

Yes I think the same. The glare there is very huge so it might be because of the cockpit glass set at the different angle.


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## Wildr1 (Nov 13, 2018)

I'm sorry I have been without internet for a month, moving after 30 yrs in the same house. The may have been target planes for SAMs or air to air targets. That is how many of the 89's died. Many had a Grey paint job.

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## Tieleader (Nov 14, 2018)

As least this one survived. Part of what was then the Bradley Air Museum ,



Connecticut from the early 80's if remember. Didn't start dating the 35mm pixs till later...


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## Wurger (Nov 14, 2018)




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## Tieleader (Nov 16, 2018)

Same bird as above but in 1977


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## daveT (Nov 25, 2018)

F-89 Northrop Ad, love the graphics

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## Gnomey (Nov 29, 2018)

Nice shots guys!


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## Wildr1 (Jan 12, 2019)



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## Wurger (Jan 12, 2019)




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