ROCKET KING: The Extraordinary Nuclear Rocket Armed Scorpion Was The F-35 Of The 1950s

[@No_Deal-fergetaboutit]

Thanks for making this. My dad flew (RO) the D/H/J models so I had him watch it. Here's his response: "By far the most complete and accurate video on the 89 I have seen. The only tiny error I noticed, though not about the 89, was when he mentioned the interim F-94C, the picture was an F-94B. I knew the 89 was historic, but this video really brings this fact home, and I flew every version except the early gun armed models. Very possibly, I am the most experienced 89 crew member left in the world. I remember the first time I ever saw a Scorpion. The commander of AF ROTC at NMSY (Las Cruces) flew some 6 of us students to attend an AF ROTC conference at, I believe it was Peterson AFB, Colorado. While standing around on the ramp at Peterson an F-89D taxied by; I was very much impressed, not realizing at the time that I soon would be flying that aircraft. Incidentally, at that conference I met a general, don’t recall his name, maybe Scott, who had been a Flying Tiger. So in my lifetime I have met two Flying Tigers, him and Bonington." What dad left out is that he flew the F-89D/H/J with the 76th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at McCoy AFB. The 76th, along with the 74th and 75th FIS, are the descendant units of Claire Chennault's 1st American Volunteer Group (nicknamed Flying Tigers). So, not only did he meet two of the Tigers, he technically flew with them too. They fly A-10s now, and retain the original patch: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/76th_Fighter_Squadron#/media/File:76th_Fighter-Interceptor_Squadron_-_Emblem.png Dad's next assignment was as "scope wizard" in the F-101B. It'd be fantastic if you could review this next. I'm sure he'd get a kick out of providing information, if you do. (FYI, his later assignments were RF-4C (100 Missions N Vietnam), and the F-111A/F)

[@notapound]

Thank you so much for this! An amazing comment and I enjoyed reading it. Recording these first hand experiences is so valuable and I appreciate you taking the time. Also glad I did the subject justice :)

[@No_Deal-fergetaboutit]

@@notapound My dad said to thank you as well! "Many thanks; brings back so many memories."

[@No_Deal-fergetaboutit]

@@notapound I didn't see if you explicitly mentioned it, but, the F-89H was the first aircraft in the world to operationally carry guided air-to-air missiles. It beat the F-102 by about 8 months. My dad mentioned that once in a while, in the H, three missiles would fail to retract back onto their wing pod. They'd have to fly back to base with the missiles extended. The aircraft humorously giggled and shook all the way back from the turbulence. Then, a ground crewman would climb up on a ladder with a broom handle, look down into one of the open missile doors, and jab something. Then the three would all retract. He said "Obviously they knew what to hit." A bit of trivia. Dad commented: if you look closely at photos, you can see the rear two missile doors flipped outward. However, the forward two doors flipped inward when open. Just unexpected.

[@brandspro]

Sounds like our fathers were on the same track! My father rode the back seat in the Scorpion in Iceland, and then became a Scope Wizard on the 101. Then ultimately into the front seat of the F-4C. Sadly, he didn’t make it home from Vietnam so I don’t know his feelings about the Scorpion.

[@No_Deal-fergetaboutit]

@@brandspro Sorry to hear about your dad. However, rest assured he had a blast flying during what my dad calls "the golden era of the Air force"! Back then you could try anything, he said. For instance, F-89's had poor spin recovery so it was prohibited, but he knows they sneaked off and did it all the time. Dad, himself, loved to fly so much that on his days off he'd go check out an F-89 and just fly it around the countryside for fun (and rack up hours). He'd land at some other air base and they'd come out, refuel him, and off he'd go again. No plans. Just do! Nothing like that level of freedom today. Yeah, dad lost 30% of the 14th TAC Recon out of Udorn in 1968. Those were risky days to go north. Prior to 1967, Robin Olds once said in an interview "Nobody made it through their tour. Everyone got shot down before their 100th mission." It took them until '67 to figure out how to deal with the air defenses. Even at that, obviously not completely. Thanks for chiming in!

[@erloriel]

The early Cold War is without a doubt one of the most fascinating eras of technology and especially aircraft design. Thanks for creating this video!

[@ahsansariyadi29]

fascinating era of engineering

[@octaviovaladaoferreirinhad2689]

​@@ahsansariyadi29 I feel the same. It's absolutely fascinating

[@sergioleone3583]

I agree 100%.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

F-89's were featured in one episode of "Father Knows Best"....

[@jonathanhudak2059]

Well said!

[@lookythat2]

The F-89 employed the entire gamut of late 40s to 50s weapon technology, including 20mm autocannon, rockets (FFARs), SARH and IR guided missiles, and the nuclear Genie. Not mentioned were the experimental twin 70mm rocket firing guns and a huge 4x30mm cannon installation. The Scorpion was indeed a bridge between WW2 and later Cold War interceptors.

[@notapound]

Thanks for the comment. I elected not to mention the various experimental weapons (or the nose turret) because they never saw service. The F-89 designers had a wild career!

[@kevinmello9149]

A separate video on the experimental programs would be interesting

[@bassetdad437]

The Hawker Hunter was armed with 4 x 30mm Aden Cannon. It flew in full squadron service. The Gloster Javelin was also armed with 4 Aden cannon.

[@terrygardner3031]

The F89 was the first jet aircraft model I made as a kid. We lived 30 miles from a SAC base and had B52's fly low level over our farm all the time. Glad I found your channel.

[@marckyle5895]

I used to be able to buy my 1:72 scale models at the BX (Base Exchange) for a quarter to 50 cents in the early 70s. Think I built everything in the USAF inventory that Monogram, Hawk, Airfix, Lindberg and Revell made

[@terrygardner3031]

@@marckyle5895 Me too. I still have about 25 or so that I haven't touched. At one time I had 208 1/ 72nd scale WWII aircraft, German, Japanese British and American. I even modified a JU87 to make a tank buster with 2 P51 drop tanks and 2 finishing nails to make it look like the 37 mm canons under the wings.Most were the 3rd generation. Sadly when I went off to school my parents took all my models and placed them in boxes and as you can guess propellers, landing gear and other parts left the airplanes.

[@miketully9905]

I'm a geezer and I actually had an 8 inch long one piece toy version of the A model made of a rubbery plastic. As a kid I had no idea that this was a real aircraft, I just thought it was a made up (and at the time) Sci-Fi-ish looking fighter of the future. As an adult I'd never heard of an "F-89" or the name "Scorpion" so this video was an eye opener for me. Later I built plastic models of the F-101 Voodoo Jet, an incredibly sleek beauty with a canopy you could open and close, and an incredibly complex set of retractable landing gear that took forever to assemble. But I have to say the F-104 Starfighter was THE most totally badass looking aircraft ever to take flight in early part of that era. The "missile with a man in it" looked more like something you'd throw at a dart board than a real aircraft. And it's still one of my favorites, but there are dozens of videos on that one. THANK YOU for making this unexpected and really informative video. And I was riveted by the "deep dive". It was fascinating.

[@notapound]

Love this comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed it the video. I’m planning the get to the Voodoo some time soon. It performed so many roles that it’s quite a complicated subject - I get sucked into the weird little details!

[@frankpienkosky5688]

Vodoo featured in the movie "The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming"@@notapound

[@ReviveHF]

It's crazy to think that how technologies evolved really quickly within 4 decades after the introduction of F-89. Because from 1980s onwards, it is possible to fit reliable fire control computer and radar systems into small, lightweight and agile airframes such as F-20 Tigershark and F-CK 1 Ching Kuo, which was unthinkable back in the 1940s.

[@jackmoorehead2036]

In 58, an F 89 made an emergency landing at the Grant County Air Port in southwestern New Mexico. Half the County came out to see it. They did some repairs and then flew it on to Holloman in Alamagordo.

[@petesheppard1709]

Thank you for bringing light to this early Cold Warrior! Born in '56, these early 2nd generation aircraft were still prominent during my early childhood and fed my early fascination with aviation! Please consider a video on the F-86D interceptor, also armed with the 2.75" rocket. Interestingly, the 2.75" FFAR (nicknamed 'Mighty Mouse') became the pod-launched ground attack rocket so prominent in the Vietnam war, and continues in use as the 70mm Hydra system.

[@notapound]

Thanks so much for the comment and extra context. I have plans for videos on the interim interceptors. The Twin Mustang, Sabre Dog and Starfire are all interesting aircraft in their own right but mainly forgotten now. I’ve made some progress on the latter and I think I’ll get to the F-86D in the Fall. So many aircraft, so little time :)

[@petesheppard1709]

@@notapound Indeed! You won't run out of material soon.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

believe the Starfires were the interceptors sent up after the UFO's that flew over DC in '52.....but to no effect as they just zipped away....only to return later....@@notapound

[@davidchisholm1151]

Wonderfully detailed and researched. My father was an F-89 Test Pilot. He would have been fascinated with your film. His best friend was Rol Owen, pilot of the F-89 that crashed into the Pacoima school yard in 1957, as depicted in the film La Bamba. Tragedy in a collision of technology and innocence.

[@beverlychmelik5504]

The US Air Force was also a one way airforce for a good part of the 50s. B-29s and B47s didn't have the range either. The B-47s had a chance of getting back with air refueling, but the chances of finding a tanker on the way back post attack was slim at best.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

B-47's were usually forward deployed...only the B-36's and later the B-52's flew from the states....

[@bennybenitez2461]

An outstanding and most interesting and informative presentation. As an American Legion Post Historian, I salute you and complement you on a brilliant production.

[@notapound]

Thanks so much for the kind comment! I’m really glad you enjoyed the video - a labour of love :)

[@romainnelseng3264]

After this, my second view of your well-done analysis and production, I write to thank you for the excellent entertainment. In my three years in the rear seat of this great 2.75” FFAR rocket flinging beast, firing at towed radar reflector targets towed about a mile or so behind a T-33 above the various of the Great Lakes ranges. Your take on the 89 is higher than the pilots of my time, 1958-61, but likely seems closer to how it may be seen, absent the ultimate arbiter, a Russian nuclear bomb attack. I am thankful for your series, and that we were able to avoid a horribal war flinging these weapons of madness. Best, R.O. Nelsen

[@TastyBusiness]

This is totally cool! Nice to see the F-89 getting some recognition and real technical breakdown of what it could do, within the context of the era. Thanks for taking the time to talk about one of my favorite aircraft!

[@Ensign_Cthulhu]

Regarding the AIM-4: The figures on the AIM-4D that I've seen from Vietnam indicate four kills plus one cripple that needed finishing, out of forty-something missiles fired. This is quite impressive when you consider that the contemporary Sidewinder and Sparrow were doing about the same... but the Falcon had no proximity fuze so all the Falcon kills were by definition direct hits, a much more difficult "ask". The F-4D pilots also had the problem that visual confirmation was required, the LN2 coolant for the missile seekers had a limited supply once you pushed the 'activate' button, and all this plus the actual warm-up sequence had to be managed while dogfighting and not getting shot down yourself. The fire control systems for the later continental interceptors (the Convair deltas and maybe the F-101?) were designed to warm up the missiles while inbound on an intercept course against a very large target that couldn't pull more than a few G without ripping the wings off, so that by the time the firing point was reached, they were ready to go and it was something the pilot didn't have to manage. And rules of identification would have been very relaxed under the circumstances - better to risk shooting down a few of your own than letting a nuke-armed bomber through. That being said, yes - the early GAR-1 had serious teething problems, but then it was every bit as much of a pioneer as the F-89 was. A lot of people don't realize how small and light the AIM-4 series is - just over 2m long and some under 140 pounds weight. There are PEOPLE who are bigger than that.

[@rickatkins1789]

Wow great video! Brought back some really great memories. In the early 1960's I was a fifteen year old Civil Air Patrol Cadet. We had a variety of frequent activities on the Portland Air Base. Which included preparing for close order drill competitions. At the time the Base had T-33's, F-89's, F-102's and C-119, Flying Box cars. The Scorpions were operated by the Oregon ANG. A few times we were in the maintenance hanger when Scorpions were in there and got to walk around them up close and personal. We were under tight supervision, didn't get in the way or touch anything. For a wide eyed airplane nut kid it was great. Our drill practices were often in the evening and a few times the 102-s and Scorpions were scrambled to do intercepts on the T-33's out over the Oregon coast. It was a sight to watch the jets take off at night with the afterburners lit. When we had our regional completion they flew us from Portland to Moffet Naval Air Station down in the Bay area in C-119's. The trip was not uneventful, but that's another story. The competion was in a WWII blimp hanger, and there were lots of birds inside the hanger. Being inadvertently hit by bird poop was a hazard. Anyhow, I digress, thanks for the video. Thanks

[@cecilboatwright3555]

What an EXCELLENT treatment of not only the F-89, but, also, a nice treatment of the doctrinal decisions driving its development and service! VERY NICE JOB!!

[@mikequilty7710]

Thank you for this video. My Dad had many hours in the ‘89s and loved this big bird. Great memories of growing up on air bases were these were a daily sight overhead.

[@PhantomLover007]

Awesome story. I had no idea that either the black widow, nor the scorpion was set up for a secondary role of air to ground. Especially for the black widow used during the bulge. Learn something new every day. I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the scorpion, because it was loaded with so many rockets and especially when they started, attaching the genies and falcons to the outer shell of the rocket pods. It just look like bristling death.

[@jedibusiness789]

While stationed at NAS Lemoore about thirty minutes before the sun set and coyotes howled, a 106 came into the break in full afterburner, turned crosswind and set up for landing. Back taxied to hold short, then took the active and that’s when the show started. We were at the far end of the flight line, working on a F-18 and less than 100 yards from the Dart. Pilot held brakes, throttled to military, then eased into afterburner then continued to the stop. That flame was almost as long as the airframe and the roar shook our tool box. He held it for a good minute and released the brakes and that Delta wing rotate against the sunset in full afterburner was a gorgeous sight. Our Hornet, on its best day couldn’t do what we just saw.

[@majorbloodnok6659]

I'll come clean, I'm a biplane man really but I love the F-89, thanks again, another goodie.

[@notapound]

Show me a man who doesn’t love a biplane and I’ll show you a man who has no soul. I was poking around a beautiful Gloster Gladiator the other day. What a stunning aeroplane. Glad you enjoyed the video. More love for the Scorpion than I expected :)

[@majorbloodnok6659]

@@notapound Well deserved, it's a good video

[@WardenWolf]

The AIR-2 Genie was a rather brilliant weapon. An airburst nuke that would destroy or upset anything within a wide radius, very effective against formations of bombers.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

do you really think they would have attacked with their bombers in a formation?....in reality you would have found yourself searching for a single bomber using wildly evasive tactics in order to reach its target.....

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

Unfortunately the brass were still thinking along WW2 USAAF bomber mission lines and realising that the mission specification had changed more to the WW2 RAF Bomber Command bomber stream model but with fewer aircraft heading for each target.

[@markcoveryourassets]

That 1952 map of the US for air defense was from the period my father served in the Air Force at forward radar posts. Except that he was in Alaska. I recall him showing slides of F89s at other Alaska bases where he served. Great platform and testbed for building our tech. One thing I love about that period of aircraft is how beautiful the wheels are. :-D

[@wmsollenberger8706]

As a kid 1n 1955-57 my mom would drive our station wagon down from Hollywood to pickup my dad from work at Hughes Aircraft in Culver City, CA. The runway along side the massive complex of chromate green buildings featured regular appearances of a multitude of aircraft taking off and landing while being tested at Hughes and this proved a daily treat for us kids!! The F89 was, by far, the most common. A special place in my memories, always loved that aircraft!

[@captainvladmir7535]

Straight up have to say "thank you" for this video. Was just...randomly looking for something to watch tonight and ended up finding a deep dive video that hits several of my aviation interests: night fighters, early Cold War aircraft and continental U.S. Air Defense, which have also been some of the hardest subjects to find well-presented information on. This and the F-94 video made my evening.

[@randalparks9648]

I always enjoyed watching the F-89s launching from Portland Air Base (Oregon) i the late 50s and early 60s. Its one of my favorite aircraft of all time. Thanks for making this video!

[@MrApvel]

listening to this while teaching people the "dont go head on with me" lesson in a 89D in war thunder

[@sergioleone3583]

Another VERY interesting and informative video about an aircraft that doesn't get much coverage. Fascinating stuff.

[@sidefx996]

These videos are a real hidden gem and are very well made and researched. Thanks so much for making and sharing them.

[@dereksollows9783]

Excellent story-telling. It was news to me that the Scorpion was still in service in 1969.

[@FirstDagger]

The charts you have made for this video are superb, and put things really into perspective.

[@stevebishop9928]

I once met a retired Ltc. He flew the F89 in the airforce then later in the airguard! great video!

[@SBCBears]

When I was a kid, I remember being impressed by the number of rockets it held in each wingtip pod. "Cool", I thought. I was 10.

[@paintnamer6403]

You did a real nice video here! I have always loved the F 89 and the crazy rocket armament.Some 1950s science fiction movies show the FFARs launching out of the massive wing tip pods.

[@Freesavh1776]

Man you make excellent content! Keep doing what you're doing, & you'll go far. Thanks for the great videos.

[@stevenhashimoto4472]

My Dad was an RO on the F-89D at Portland International, Oregon (360th FIS) and Thule AB, Greenland (74th FIS) in the late 1950s. I remember the flying tiger patch on his flight jacket. He told me stories about ice skating out to the runway in the Scorpion and melting the soles of his boots after a compressor failure.

[@JeffSharonLive]

Your stuff is always fantastic. I particularly love your dry sense of humor in your narration. You are a FANTASTIC writer. I personally would love to see you do a video on the B-57 Canberra in USAF service, among many other topics too numerous for me to list concisely.

[@kevinwilt5496]

I grew up in Camarillo CA. Our high school mascot was the Scoripon the jet not the bug. When the high school was built the main plane at Oxnard Airforce base now Camarillo airport was the Scorpion. At that same time neighboring Point Mugu navy base was testing the Sparrow 1 missile with the F7U cutlass

[@silentone11111111]

I am loving these deep dives into obscure but influential planes. Glad I subscribed. Keep it up, recommending to my friends ❤

[@johnross8273]

Another fantastic vid. Your conversational type of narration makes watching very easy. Keep up the great work.

[@billenright2788]

Gotta love the Genie. If you can't beat 'em, NUKE 'em.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

used to watch those 102's fly over....without ever realizing what was inside of them!

[@wesvdell]

After discovering this jet during a research project for the North Dakota ANG, I really appreciate the depth of knowledge presented in this video! Great work, and subscribed!

[@Blitio]

underrated

[@dennisfox8673]

Outstanding content, this really fleshes out my knowledge and understanding of an important, if now obscure chapter of aviation history.

[@foxxy46213]

Glad I found this channel. Love this kinda of stuff. There's loads of early cold war stuff I knew nothing about. Very interesting time.

[@nopenotme6369]

History/Aviation nerd and professional aircraft mechanic here, love your content and subscribed a few days ago. 👍

[@notapound]

Thank you!

[@originalSPECTER]

I don’t know much about this ABSOLUTE UNIT of an aircraft until your video. Great job!

[@edchesley1144]

The D has always been one of my favorites, both in terms of its looks and its mission. Thank you for this analysis of its huge contributions!

[@hooperturner]

Thank you so much for your always well researched and thought provoking content. Especially these histories of more obscure warplanes that are little discussed in the 21st century.

[@mattjacomos2795]

I've been an "aerosexual" all my life and I appreciated the depth of your analysis. Well done.

[@notapound]

Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it - it was really fun to make… although my wife did look at me oddly when I was puzzling over grainy pictures of 1950s Soviet bomber routes over the pole 🤣

[@Strong_UP_Calvins_zombie]

What?!

[@frankpienkosky5688]

.....DEW line, Mid-Canada line, Pine Tree line.....remember those?@@notapound

[@oliverlotus]

Fascinating era. Your videos are incredibly detailed. Much appreciated.

[@armisteadab]

One of my fave planes. What a tempo of development compared to now, and so many competing companies.

[@JohnKruse]

Thanks again! My dad flew these before I was born but I always had models around and would really enjoy his recollections. The explanation of the Genie rockets with the atomic warheads always seemed utterly bizarre to me. I guess many things that were normal for us in the Cold War would seem crazy to a kid today.

[@genetomblin2883]

My father worked for Northrop for mare than 30 years. The F89 was a misunderstood aircraft. It's wing made it appear dated and inferior. Few realized that as an interceptor time to altitude and fire power were, far more important than top speed. Up against the TU4 or the Bison or Bear it would have proved as lethal as a brick wall. Few know that if you dropped the nose in full burner it would pop through the sound barrier. Air force delivery pilots quickly learned this and many F89s "accidentaly" went supersonic west of the Southern California coastline.

[@alancranford3398]

I'm glad that you mentioned the battle of Palmdale. Have you covered SAGE in an earlier video? SAGE moved F-89 Scorpions into position--along with the other interceptor aircraft.

[@notapound]

My current plan is to cover it in a video I’m making about the F-102 as the two are contemporary. Did you read the excellent Ars Technica article about it a few years back? An amazing piece of technology, to be sure!

[@alancranford3398]

@@notapound I was introduced to SAGE in 1964 or 1965 because my father was an Air Force radar tech. Taking me into work one day, he sat me at a training console and told me to play with it to see if it was airman-proof. I had to grow up, learn to read and write, and wait for the various parts of the system to be declassified before I understood the network. It was impressive back then.

[@mikebutzon3317]

I was an AFSC 30352 Radar Repairman at Finley N.D. 785th Radar Squadron (SAGE) back in the 60's. The Air Guard pilots out of Fargo's Hector Field use request to do what was called a Bubble Check at our site. I was woken up many times in my barracks by the thunderous sound of an F-89 at about 50 feet of the deck flying in between the domes ( bubbles) of the radar towers. Fun times.

[@misham1213]

You have gained a subscriber. Top shelf video.

[@Drummercommander]

Wow very cool to learn about the cutting edge weaponry!

[@craigmidgley7909]

Just found this channel, already subscribed. Love the way you seem to gravitate towards the slightly obscure. Would you be able to do an item on Russell Brown, the first victorious jet versus jet combat victor? Thanks, love your work!

[@warrenholmes3311]

The F-89 reminded me the most, of the first American attempt at a Jet fighter, the Bell P-59 Airacomet.

[@SimonWallwork]

Great Channel. I shall watch more of your films. Every day a schoolday!

[@mikedrop4421]

What a gem of a channel

[@oilguygamer1744]

WoW! What a plane. Amazing. Thank you. great video.

[@P2541-kz1cu]

Fascinating video which paints a nice picture of both the F89 and the cold war nuclear bomber threat context

[@BlacktailDefense]

The F-89 Scorpion was an interceptor; the 1950s analog of the F-35 was the F-84 Thunderjet.

[@ReviveHF]

Also, F-84 Thunderjet was the spiritual successor to the F-47 Thunderbolt(P-47).

[@frankpienkosky5688]

...F-84's...or at least the F model... were often cast as Migs in the movies......@@ReviveHF

[@malcolmtaylor518]

The title illustrations you use for your channel are great, and draw you to the subject. Better than photos.

[@coreyandnathanielchartier3749]

This is a great video, with tons of relevant details and free of hype. I like how you tie together past and future to explain the evolution of US air defense doctrine throughout the Cold War era.

[@danpaolillo2636]

I’m so glad I stumbled on these videos!

[@Gyrocage]

Excellent video! The F-89 certainly deserves to be remembered and was a very important Cold War player. But glamorous? I don’t really think it was ever called glamorous. A ‘looker’ it wasn’t.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

it "looked" lethal....because it was....a heavy weapons platform....fitting it would be the only one to fire a nuke....

[@Gyrocage]

It was the first, not the only. The F-101, F-102, and F-106 were all capable of carrying nuclear air to air weapons.

[@FoxtrotYouniform]

always happy to see an appearance of my favorite of the B-tier of celebrity ww2 aircraft, the Black Widow. Awesome bird.

[@s.marcus3669]

Yet another GREAT video, thank you!

[@JonBius]

What a wonderful video - thank you for this!

[@TheAnxiousAardvark]

Back in the day, there was a free roadside air museum in Florence, SC. We'd go past it every few years, and I'd beg for us to take a break there. Once the nearby section of I-95 was completed in the late 60's, there were fewer visitors and it was getting rather sad looking. But. There was a B-47, an F-89J and more. It's gone now, with the planes sent off to other museums. My family didn't understand my fascination with the F-89.

[@callenclarke371]

Love this kind of content. Keep it coming.

[@notapound]

Thanks for the kind comment. Really glad you enjoyed it!

[@robbrooks5951]

Great video! I have always been interested in the F-89.

[@TheKeithvidz]

Astoundingly detailed sir.

[@karlgruber3973]

I remember the F-89s at the PDX Oregon Air National Guard. One thing about them, was the noise when the afterburners were lit. BAM!! Much louder than the F-102 and F-101s that the OANG later used.

[@daszieher]

Excellent content! Really enjoyed the deep dive

[@FPG25-b3y]

Thank you a lot for this video. I share your view about F89 Scorpion on the following weapon systems.

[@texleeger8973]

Excellence.

[@Kanudigit856]

great review! Your content is one of my favorites!

[@mk14m0]

Extremely informative. Thank you to the video creator.

[@BrokenOAP-pn4dk]

Congrats you have a very relaxed style of presentation 👐🙌👏👍👍

[@billballbuster7186]

The P-61 Black Widow was as big as a Medium Bomber and about as fast, the reality was the 8th Air Force did not want the P-61 and asked for the Mosquito. But there were none available and so the P-61reluctanrly stayed. I love the F-89 Scorpion, it was a much better Night / All Weather Fighter, superior to the Meteor NF Mk12 and the CF-100 Canuck. But I really liked the design, so aggressive looking.

[@hiphip4808]

Im lucky enough to live in Montana, I was able to go see THE plane that fired the AIR2 live in that famous video, its a beautiful aircraft.

[@daniellarge9784]

You get the very best photographs and film. I tip my hat to you.

[@ChristianOakley-q1e]

Rather liked that. Terrific synopsis of an aircraft not really well known. 10 out of 10 I reckon.

[@B1900pilot]

What struck me the most is how big an airplane the F-89 is! We had the B-57 nuclear depth charge in the Navy which could be armed and set from the airplane.

[@DrewShotsFan]

Great video, as always. Not sure about the P-61 being faster than a Mossie, though. The aircraft involved in the trial was a "tweaked" P-61, not a standard production model. The Black Widow was known for being too slow compared to other fighter interceptors. The kill ratio is also a tad dubious. On paper it may be true, but that's due to the low numbers involved in the statistics

[@chrismartin3197]

The Brits also had incentive for the Mossie to throw the fight…

[@jemc4276]

Great video and great little channel mate., I only just discovered you, being a self confessed military aircraft history neeerd! Can't wait to say I was here pre-2700 Subs when you reach over 1 million. You definitely have the formula right from what I see of other similar population aviation channels.... 👍🙏

[@rudolfyakich6653]

There was an F-89 out behind my Tech school in Helena, Montana. All I knew about it was that it was a co-star in Godzilla movies, being the jet used to attack the monster. Great in debt subject matter yo.

[@XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX981]

Another excellent video on an almost unknown aircraft today, and it's significance in early 50's ADC strategy. Appreciated!

[@notapound]

Thank you! I have to admit that I’m currently failing to resist the urge to make an F-94C Starfire video…

[@petesheppard1709]

@@notapound PLEASE!!!

[@Robutube1]

The speed at which the 'planes of those days went from proposal to introduction in to service is nothing short of remarkable. I appreciate their lack of sophistication compared to today, but they were still at the cutting edge of the technology of their day.

[@wacojones8062]

My dad helped build the boosted rocket guns they were planning on using in the F-89 bit too expensive and way too accurate 1 mil at a thousand yards for the full load of ammo. He also worked on the M39 used in the F-100 and F-5 all while he was an apprentice Tool and Die maker at Illinois Institute of Technology Armor Research Center.

[@notapound]

Thanks so much for the comment and the historical info! That 'excess of accuracy' was definitely an issue for the rocket gun. I've also seen similar things said about the M-61 when mounted on the F-105. The latter's air-to-air sight wasn't particularly accurate, but the gun was like a laser beam!

[@pattracy5264]

Very good history lesson, nice job! The "lead sled"was common in America's cold war sky from the 50's to the mid 60's. Very few people today would even know about it and fewer yet ever saw one fly! Your far to many twinkies comment on the size comparison to the F-80 is outstanding! If you were standing on the wing you'd say this is a dam big airplane.

[@johnearle1]

The F-89 was deployed at Ernest Harmon AFB, my hometown of Stephenville. It was superseded by the F-102 Delta Dagger.

[@frankpienkosky5688]

this plane was deployed a lot in the northern climes....

[@SpacePatrollerLaser]

I was in middle childhood when that ship was one hot piece of kit, especiallly the D. It was featured in LIFE Magazine or Collier's. Nice to learn more about it. Thanx

[@ctrains123_]

I love this I've been trying to find channel like this for months now! aslo if you could do a deap dive on the f3h2 that would be amazing

[@notapound]

Thanks for the kind comment. Glad you’re enjoying the channel. I definitely am planning to cover early Cold War navy fighters so the Demon is on the list :)

[@ctrains123_]

@@notapound can't wait for those videos! And np I just wanted to share how mutch I liked yhe content!

[@jerryjohnson4008]

Love your work

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

Great video...👍

[@RamblerTurbo]

If you want a great indicator of the F-89's size, go to Google Maps, select satellite view, and look up the airport in Great Falls, MT. The Air National Guard is in the same area and the most prominent gate guardian is the F-89. Next to it are a F-15, F-16, F-102, F-106, and a T-80. A C-130 and F-86A sit just down the road. And across town, the AFB has a F-84F and F-101 in their open air museum. So much Cold War goodness here. 😊

[@Patrick-pm1sn]

Looking foward to the Sexy Six´s story! Great work, great channel!

[@romainnelseng3264]

What say, but thank you for this excellent inquiry into the lives I lived back then, beginning when first flung from AvCadet infancy in 1957 to become an 89-D RO hatched at JCAFB near Waco, shipped up to the SDANG, where riding along in 94C gave a sense of life and death, then to 2 informative years in the 89D, with a bit of H trade-off with the Minneapolis ANG, then to ride shotgun in the J, leading to where I’d wanted to be first off, that is pilot training, the Deuce School, followed by 9 years in that machine, split between the SDANG, interspersed with a brief IWS tour at Tyndale and then closing out my Deuce life with the CalANG at Ontario. That experience leads me to agree with you, to the extent I gleaned enough to dare speak. But here goes my take: line crews would likely provide better insights into what to build and shoot than engineers would in chasing future truths. Thanks again for reflections on where we were and what we might have done by slinging a nuke on anything. Ro Nelsen