VERSIONS – XF-89, YF-89A, F-89A, B
Paired cannons in forward position
Cannons at maximum 105º position
Conversion for weapons test purposes, details as F-89A unless otherwise indicated
Nose modified with Martin
D-1 four gun swivelling nose
turret with 4 x 20 mm (.79 in)
cannons with 400 rounds per
gun in two vertical pairs
which traversed from forward
position (shown) to 105º full
deflection with entire nose
section able to rotate 360º
around the centreline axis,
turret/guns controlled by an
automatic fire computer
linked to the radar
AN/APG-29 radar
F-89A
(49-2434)
'Ice Tong' elevator mass balances added to tailplanes, six
external/one internal weights ahead of elevator hinge line
Single piece frameless canopy
Details as YF-94A unless otherwise indicated
6 x 20 mm (.79 in)
T-31 (M-24A1)
cannons with 200
rounds per gun
Pitot relocated to port side of nose
Northrop ejector seats fitted
Smaller wing tip tanks, later slightly extended
in length and rear outboard fin added
F-89A: 2 x Allison J35-A-21 turbojets
with afterburners, upgraded to
J35-A-17A and later J35-A-33
F-89B: J35-A-21A afterburning
turbojets, later J35-A-47
F-89B: upgraded all-weather systems
with revised cockpit lighting, ILS
(Instrument Landing System), Sperry
Zero Reader, Lear F-5 autopilot and
fan marker beacon receiver
Avionics:
A-2 flight computer; AN/ARC-3 UHF radio;
AN/ARN-6 radio compass; AN/ARN-14 VHF
nav system; AN/ARN-21 TACAN; AN/ARN-18
glide scope system; AN/ARN-12 marker
beacon; Lear F-5 autopilot; AN/APX-25 IFF;
AN-A1C-10 interphone
Strengthened wing/
new forged steel wing
attachment points
retrofitted 1952/54
18 x F-89A airframes produced (49-2431/49-2448), 30 x F-89B
airframes (49-2449/49-2478),
some F-89B later modified to
DF-89A/DF-89B radio controlled
drones, F-89B (49-2463) modified
as YF-89D prototype
A-1CM gunsight
Hughes AN/APG-33 radar
Hughes E-1 FCS (Fire Control System)
274 kg (603 lb) ballast added
to nose due to weight of
increased rear fuselage
strengthening
F-89A/B
Pitot moved
to nose cone
2 x Allison J35-A-21 turbojets with afterburners
Revised, more pointed nose
Additional under nose pitot
4 x auxiliary
air inlets
Jet wake fairing
Enlarged engine nacelles
Air inlet
AN/ARC-33 radar with
Hughes E-1 FCS (Fire
Control System)
Second prototype, details as XF-89 unless otherwise indicated
Provision for 8 x HVAR (High Velocity
Aircraft Rockets) (4 mounts) under
each wing
1,158 lt (255 Imp gal, 306 US gal)
non jettisonable wing tip tanks
Pitot on each wing tip tank
1 x hardpoint under each wing
Airframe originally designated
as second XF-89 but requirement
to update to a production
prototype required additional
modifications to new standard
Fuselage length increased
by .91 m (3 ft)
Automatic cockpit
pressurization system
Yaw damper added to
rudder control system
Revised hydraulic
system
YF-89A (46-679)
Large, sliding canopy with central bow
2 x Allison J35-A-9/-15
turbojets
Pitot
Early rounded nose shape for
proposed hinged cannons
Instrumented test boom
High 'T' tail with conventional,
hydraulically boosted rudder/
elevators
Simple exhaust
Provision for 4 x RATO
(Rocket Assisted Take Off)
bottles under rear fuselage
Conventional, hydraulically
boosted ailerons, replaced
by clamshell 'decelerons'
(acting as both a one-piece
aileron and split air brake)
from 33rd flight onwards
Mid mounted, trapezoidal, thin
wing with squared off tip
Simple engine nacelles
2,271 lt (500 Imp gal, 600 US gal)
wing tip tanks later fitted
Large slotted flaps
Sliding canopy
guide rail
2 x ejector seats for pilot
and RO (Radar Observer)
Nose bays empty
XF-89 (XP-89) prototype (46-678)
ILLUSTRATIONS: © ADRIAN DAVID MOORE 2015 • NO ITEMS MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER
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ILLUSTRATIONS: © ADRIAN DAVID MOORE 2015
