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Description
| Manufacturer: | Lockheed | |
| Base model: | F-94 | |
| Designation: | F-94 | |
| Version: | A | |
| Nickname: | Starfire | |
| Designation System: | U.S. Air Force | |
| Designation Period: | 1948-Present | |
| Basic role: | Fighter | |
| See Also: | ||
Specifications
| Not Yet Available |
Known serial numbers
Examples of this type may be found at
| Museum | City | State |
| United States Air Force Museum | Wright-Patterson | Ohio |
| Vermont ANG - 158th FG, Burlington | Burlington | Vermont |
F-94A on display
United States Air Force Museum | Vermont ANG - 158th FG, Burlington |
Recent comments by our visitors
| William B Rose Tucson, AZ | Arrived McChord AFB early Oct 1951,the 317FIS had just completed the transition from the F82 to the F94A.My AFSC at that time was 32230(fire control system).The radar shop was located in hangar 1.Would like to hear from anyone who was there at that time. 08/11/2014 @ 07:30 [ref: 68600] |
| Glenn Lockwood Deforest, WI | My dad was stationed at Ladd AFB where I was born. One of you guys must have known him. He said he won a bet that he could climb in the intake cowling and come back out head first. I was born in 1953 when he was a crew chief and worked on p-38, f-86 and f-94 aircraft. 08/15/2012 @ 16:52 [ref: 65685] |
| Walter J. Moore Natchitoches, LA | The picture of the F-94 A, FA 525, has a man standing next to it. Do you know his name? My wife's uncle, George West, was one of the ground crew for this aircraft. I have other pictures of "525" taken by George while with the squadron. Those snapshots were provided by one of his surviving sons; "525" with the "Snow Eagle" emblem on the nose is in color, the other two are b&w profiles. Am willing to send copies of photos for answer to above question. Please let know by email. 01/30/2009 @ 16:58 [ref: 23585] |
| Joe Nofil hayesville, NC | Back in 1951 after A&E school at Amarillo Texas I was sent off to Mcguire AFB to become crew chief on an F-94A, a plane I had never seen before but the minute I took one look at it I thought it was the most beautiful piece of machinery I had ever seen. I look at the pictures here and I still think the same way. It is like looking at a shiny 1958 Buick, with its bulk and beauty that was so much of the designs of those days.
After three years of maintaining the plane I always appreciated its mechanical simplicity. Yank the tail off and pull the engine out, when we were showing off, could be done in under 15 minutes. It was the Model A of its time in simplicity. When it was retired to the ANG we were given F-86D's, with electronic fuel control and all the other modern goodies that no longer allowed a plane to have a one man mechanic. The days of this great old plane were over and so was my enlistment but I still have fond memories of it. Joe Nofil, 5th Fighter Intercepter Squadron, Mcquire AFB 02/02/2008 @ 10:55 [ref: 19510] |
| Hal Irving Fair Oaks, CA | Joined the 449th Fighter Sqd at Ladd AFB in May 1949 as a Corporal in the Communications Section. We only had F-82 Twin Mustangs at that time. Shortly after the start of the Korean conflict we received F-94 A aircraft. A dream come true as we only had to open a nose side cover to reach our equipment...these aircraft still had the ARC-3 eight channel VHF radios, the ARN-6 Radio Compass, and the APG-33 (I think) Radar. Yes, we deployed to Galena in 1950 where we lost an F-94 and crew just off the end of the runway. With security in mind I crawled under the overturned aircraft and retrieved the crystals controlling the frequencies of the ARC-3 Radio and returned them to Ladd. Our Commander at the time was a much loved Major Robert Bruce. I left the 449th as a Sgt in July 1951 going stateside for discharge but reaching McChord AFB via C-124 I was informed that President Truman had extended all enlistments 1 year. I was assigned to Hill AFB at Ogden and served there until Dec 1951 and transfered to Warner-Robins Georgia. Promoted S/Sgt in May 1952 I elected to be discharged on 1 July 1952. In Nov 1954 I went to work as a civilian employee at Hill AFB doing overhaul of F-89 electronics systems.....a long trail but I retired at McClellan AFB California in Jan 1986 with over 35 years of USAF service... 11/04/2007 @ 13:59 [ref: 18397] |
| Maynard G. Lerner Spokane,, WA | I was in the 449th from about February 1951 to October 1951. I was a crew chief on the F94A. Our afterburners were not working due to a lubrication problem. If the afterburner eyelids came open the may not close. Most of my time there was spent at Galena or Elmendorf TDY. 56 days were spent in the hospital at Ladd due to a rash of Hepatitus A. transfered to Griffiss AFB and F86A aircraft 05/31/2007 @ 16:20 [ref: 16687] |
| Bruce Meissner Sacramento, CA | My father, Lt. Edward "Bud" Meissner, of Philadelphia, flew that very aircraft, FA-520, as the navigator/radar officer "guy in back". According to him, this is probably a 1951 photo, as the revised wing tanks, which were relocated to the wing tip, added 50 gallons of fuel to each tank, and made the aircraft less agile.
My dad flew in F-94's, and later F-89's out of Ladd AFB, from 1950-53 05/26/2007 @ 21:46 [ref: 16617] |
| James E . Lee aka Cocker Camp Hill ,, PA | Assigned to Wright-Pat 1949-53. The All Weather Flying Division , ALLWX , was absorbed into Flight Test as The All Weather Branch .The Icing Investigation for Jet Aircraft began when a squadron of F-84`s enroute to Korea , all crash landed after T.O. in an Icy Freezing Rain and faded into the Gloomy Sky . There were no reports after ward . Hours later , Phones began to report the accidents . All had crash landed due to Ice accretion .. Weather Scientist Thomas Brennan occupied the back seat and we departed in the early morning murk when the worst icing conditions were forecast . The plan was to enter and remain in the Icing Layer for collection of Samples for study . This F-94 model had a large bulbous Radome and was modified with a port or hatch on the left rear so as to open in flight and extend rotating spools into the icy stream for timed exposure . With depressure and open port , It was soaking wet and freezing cold . frost covered everything .Wiping the frost off of an instrument helped . Flood lights and cameras running , We stayed in the Ice for the complete collection , then returned to base , Mission complete . A flight of this nature had Smashed the Icing Barrier , where speeds in excess of 250 Knots prevented any Ice Accretion after take off due to Compressability heating . Mystery Solved . It was the opinion that climbing rapidly after Take Off was the better method of reducing exposure to icing in the climb . This proved to be in error as it presented the underside of the Aircraft to the direct flow and accumulation of the Ice . This load of Ice exceded the Max Gross Weight of the Aircraft and lowered the Critical Altitude of The Aircraft to below ground level . This 250 knot Climb Proceedure then became standard practice .. A contribution to the safety of Flight . 10/19/2005 @ 23:03 [ref: 11520] |
| Carl B. Jordan Port Charloote, FL | I was a pilot in the 449th FIS from July 54 to July 56. I
had attended F-89-D school at Moody AFB. But,I flew the F-94-A and the F-94-B when I first arrived at Ladd AFB. I've seen the "F-94-A" at the Air Force Museum, and I'm not sure that's what it really is. The best way to tell the "A" from the "B" was that the F-94-B had midline wingtip tanks, just like the bird in the Air Force Museum. If I could get to the flight controls, I could tell for sure. On the "A" the flight controls were "loose." On the "B" they were spring-loaded so the stick would return to the center "neutral" spot in the cockpit when it was released. This had me confused the first time I flew a "B" and my flight leader, 1/Lt Dick Hardy, had to come out on the ramp and assuage my concerns. The "snow eagle" (the symbol of the 449th FIS) is actually a Gyrfalcon. It's an artic bird that "intercepts" its prey in summer or winter. It's also depicted on the tail of the F-89 that's on display at the Air Force Museum. Unlike the F-89, the F-94 was a "stop gap" all-weather interceptor. It had no hot wings, tail or engine intakes to preclude icing. And, unlike the '89, the '94 only had one engine. In a '94 if one engine quit, you had to punch out. With the '89, the other engine would get you home. Much credit goes to the ground crews who kept the squadron's airplanes in combat-ready condition and on "24/7" alert status during those harsh Alaskan winters! From the ring of the bell to takeoff was constantly accomplished in two minutes or less. Quite a fete for all of us "youngsters" (ground crew and aircrew) who were engaged in that enterprise. (I was 21 when I got there.) The Soviets were only 40 minutes away and we were literally "the first line of defense." As history will record, they never tested us. 09/03/2001 @ 08:11 [ref: 3103] |
| Carl B. Jordan Port Charloote, FL | I was a pilot in the 449th FIS from July 54 to July 56. I
had attended F-89-D school at Moody AFB. But,I flew the F-94-A and the F-94-B when I first arrived at Ladd AFB. I've seen the "F-94-A" at the Air Force Museum, and I'm not sure that's what it really is. The best way to tell the "A" from the "B" was that the F-94-B had midline wingtip tanks, just like the bird in the Air Force Museum. If I could get to the flight controls, I could tell for sure. On the "A" the flight controls were "loose." On the "B" they were spring-loaded so the stick would return to the center "neutral" spot in the cockpit when it was released. This had me confused the first time I flew a "B" and my flight leader, 1/Lt Dick Hardy, had to come out on the ramp and assuage my concerns. The "snow eagle" (the symbol of the 449th FIS) is actually a Gyrfalcon. It's an artic bird that "intercepts" its prey in summer or winter. It's also depicted on the tail of the F-89 that's on display at the Air Force Museum. Unlike the F-89, the F-94 was a "stop gap" all-weather interceptor. It had no hot wings, tail or engine intakes to preclude icing. And, unlike the '89, the '94 only had one engine. In a '94 if one engine quit, you had to punch out. With the '89, the other engine would get you home. Much credit goes to the ground crews who kept the squadron's airplanes in combat-ready condition and on "24/7" alert status during those harsh Alaskan winters! From the ring of the bell to takeoff was constantly accomplished in two minutes or less. Quite a fete for all of us "youngsters" (ground crew and aircrew) who were engaged in that enterprise. (I was 21 when I got there.) The Soviets were only 40 minutes away and we were literally "the first line of defense." As history will record, they never tested us. 09/03/2001 @ 08:11 [ref: 3102] |
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