Northrop F-89 Scorpion - Variants

Variants

XF-89

First prototype, powered by two 4,000 lbf (17.8 kN) Allison J-35-A-9 engines.

XF-89A

Second prototype. Fitted with more powerful (5,100 lbf (22.7 kN) dry, 6,800 lbf (30.3 kN) with reheat) J-35-A-21A engines and revised, pointed nose with cannon armament.

F-89A

First production version, eight built. Fitted with revised tailplane and six cannon armament.

DF-89A

F-89As converted into drone control aircraft.

F-89B

Second production version with upgraded avionics. 40 built.

DF-89B

F-89Bs converted into drone control aircraft.

F-89C

Third production version with more powerful engines (5,600 lbf (25.0 kN) dry, 7,400 lbf (32.0 kN) reheat J-35-A-21 or -33). 164 built.

YF-89D

Conversion of one F-89B to test new avionics and armament of F-89D.

F-89D

Main production version which saw deletion of the six 20 mm (.79 in) cannons in favor of 104 rockets in wing pods, installation of new Hughes E-6 fire control system, AN/APG-40 radar and the AN/APA-84 computer. This new system allowed the use of a lead-collision attack in place of the previous lead-pursuit-curve technique. A total of 682 built.

YF-89E

One off prototype to test the Allison YJ71-A-3 engine (7,000 lbf (31.2 kN) dry thrust, 9,500 lbf (42.4 kN) with reheat), converted from F-89C.

F-89F

Proposed version with new fuselage and wings and J71 engines, never built.

F-89G

Proposed version equipped with Hughes MA-1 fire control and GAR-1/GAR-2 Falcon air-to-air missiles, never built.

YF-89H

Modified F-89D to test features of F-89H. Three converted.

F-89H

Version with E-9 fire control system, six GAR-1/GAR-2 Falcon missiles and 42 Folding Fin Aircraft Rockets (FFAR). 156 built.

F-89J

Conversion of F-89D with underwing hardpoints for two MB-1 Genie nuclear armed rocket and four Falcon missiles, and carrying either the standard F-89D rocket/fuel pod or pure fuel tanks. A total of 350 were converted from F-89Ds.