Northrop F-89J Scorpion: The Cold War fighter aircraft that fired a nuke over Nevada

Описание: The US Air Force pinned its hopes on Northrop's F-89 "Scorpion" for an all-weather, jet powered interceptor. Pre-production designs called for swept wings, which were rejected in favor of a straight wing design for better low-speed handling, according to some sources. Also, the armament was simplified and made more manageable to get the plane into production. Despite production delays, a version of the aircraft in service by September of 1950. Still, a major design resulted in the F-89D, complete with 2.75" Folding Fin Aerial Rockets (FFAR) divided between pods at each wingtip. The H model was armed with a combination of the radar and infrared GAR Falcon missiles while the J model was equipped with the nuclear Genie rocket. All these models were expected to have to face waves of Soviet bombers in the defense of North America.

‪@USAFmuseum‬

Credits (please check out the full length videos below)

F-89 Scorpion - Nuclear Rocket Launcher
   • F-89 Scorpion - Nuclear Rocket Launcher  
‪@DarkDocsSkies‬

AIM-4 FALCON: As Bad As Its Reputation Suggests?
   • AIM-4 FALCON: As Bad As Its Reputation Sug...  
‪@notapound‬

To see more of the aircraft featured in today’s episode, please visit:
https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Vis...



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Music: Going It Alone (Cyberlink PowerDirector 2025).