by Albert B.
In 1953, I was hired right out of college
by the Glenn L. Martin Company. I was assigned to the servomechanisms section
in engineering and was tasked to work on an electro-mechanical airborne
computer. This was part of a fire control system called T-08, a turret
containing four 20mm guns to be mounted on the nose of an F-89 Scorpion. The
turret could roll 360 degrees. The guns could traverse from dead ahead to 110
degrees, thereby providing more than a hemisphere of coverage. A target
tracking radar was provided in the nose of the turret. A handful of engineers
tested the system on a modified F-89 at Yuma Air Force Base in 1954 and 1955. Yuma
typically provided airborne tow sleeves for fixed rocket fires. We added a
radar corner reflector to the sleeve to simulate a target. I got to fly as radar
operator in the F-89 and to fire the guns. On our first flight, we flew
alongside the tow target. I was about to fire when the pilot of the tow plane
yelled that the guns were pointed toward him! I assured him the computer was
providing the necessary lead angles for the guns. We subsequently flew numerous
different trajectories. The tests were successful, but the corporation decided
to get out of the turret business. For me, it was a very interesting and
exciting start of a 35-year engineering career with Martin.
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| Here's a photo of the F-89 with the "Scorpion's Sting" and test pilot. |
