The first jet designed from the outset as an all weather interceptor it was also the first to carry air-to-air nuclear missiles. The first F-89A's entered production in 1950 with a total of 1,050 built of all variants.
Today's toy is a good example of how toy companies were eager to present the latest technology. The first prototype of this plane was built in 1948 and there were only two XF-89's built before Northrop was awarded the contract to build more. Producing the tooling for injection molded toys was and is very expensive and doing it to present an airframe of which only two were made shows a big commitment on the part of any toy company. Ideal's XF-89 was part of a three plane "Jet Plane Assortment" Set No. 4851 made from 1951-54 (per 'PLASTIC TOYS Dimestore Dreams of the '40s and '50s' by Bill Hanlon). The toy measures 4" L x 4 7/8" wingspan x 1 3/8" H. This set is odd in that, while the main landing gear was well represented with rolling wheels, the nose gear is nothing more than a straight strut of plastic. There are other disparities in the toy vs. the real aircraft like how the horizontal stabilizer sits too low and the nose isn't long enough but after all this is just a toy. In addition, my sample has a broken off canopy frame - but it'll do for now until I can find one in better condition. Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina
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