The Northrop F-89 Scorpion is an all-weather, twin-engined interceptor aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Northrop Corporation.

The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was a subsonic second-generation jet interceptor of the United States Air Force. After a long development during the postwar era of the late 1940s, it began reaching operational units in the early 1950s.

U.S. Air Force F-89D Scorpions in formation, S/N 32623 in the foreground Northrop designed the F-89 as an all-weather fighter-interceptor for the Air Defense Command. With the radar operator in the rear seat guiding the pilot, the F-89 could locate, intercept and destroy enemy aircraft by day or night under all types of weather conditions.

Northrop designed the F-89 as an all-weather fighter-interceptor for the Air Defense Command. With the radar operator in the rear seat guiding the pilot, the F-89 could locate, intercept and destroy enemy aircraft by day or night under all types of weather conditions.

Jul 18, 2024 · From cannons to rockets to nuclear-armed ordnance, the F-89 seemed a formidably armed interceptor, protecting North America in the early years of the Cold War from Soviet bomber fleets coming...

Feb 10, 2025 · The F-89 Scorpion, one of the U.S. Air Force’s early jet interceptors, suffered from a critical wing design flaw. Discover how this defect led to deadly crashes and forced major redesigns.

Aug 16, 2018 · The F-89 Scorpion was this country’s air defense interceptor during a large part of the 1950s. Though no F-89 ever fired a shot in anger, Scorpions did a vitally important job few ever even knew was being done.

Apr 29, 2021 · The Northrop F-89 Scorpion delivered a decade of service to the United States Air Force, charged with the critical defense of the upper North of the American continent from Soviet bomber incursions during the Cold War.

Though its straight wings limited its performance, it was among the first United States Air Force (USAF) jet fighters with guided missiles, and notably the first combat aircraft armed with air-to-air nuclear weapons (the unguided Genie rocket).

The Northrop F-89 Scorpion, serving in the 1950s and 1960s, was a key U.S. Air Force all-weather interceptor designed for the defense against Soviet bomber threats during the Cold War. As one of the first jet-powered interceptors in the USAF’s arsenal, the F-89 was distinctive for its twin-engine, straight-wing design, and innovative armament ...