F-94 nose needed! - UPDATE Nevermind :)

[Thomas Reilly]

Wow dont see one like this everyday...

[Spectre_I]

Very interesting indeed. What does the "EC" signify? I recall the E signified being loaned out for test work; what was the "C" for? Also I wonder if the full designator would be "ECF-94A"? I recall one of the surviving B-17s carried an "EDB-17G" designation.

"EC" generally stands for Electronic Combat today, although I don't know if that held true in the late 40's.

[quemerford]

If it's a test bird, then JF-94A, NF-94A or EF-94A would be more likely. I'll see if I have the aircraft's record card.

I don't think 'ECF-' (or 'CF-')was an approved designation.

[Spectre_I]

A little hard to see, but this is it.

[quemerford]

Very interesting indeed. What does the "EC" signify? I recall the E signified being loaned out for test work; what was the "C" for? Also I wonder if the full designator would be "ECF-94A"? I recall one of the surviving B-17s carried an "EDB-17G" designation.

"EC" generally stands for Electronic Combat today, although I don't know if that held true in the late 40's.

The 'C' is for 'Cargo' (as in EC-135, EC-130 etc).

[APG85]

I might have stood for Electronic Conversion. Just a guess...

[marine air]

Okay, I checked my copy of Col. Bud Andersons book "To Fly and Fight." and it mentions on pp. 238 and 239 that in 1956 he was assigned to the 6511th Test Group (parachute) . They shared space not at Edwards but with the Navy at El Centro. They used f-94's to do test work and as chase planes. Could your aircraft be one of those?

[quemerford]

It's an east coast bird from manufacture if I recall: straight to (Cornell?) for stability testing and no USAF service I think.

[Spectre_I]

It's an east coast bird from manufacture if I recall: straight to (Cornell?) for stability testing and no USAF service I think.

That sounds like what I was told about it.

[sandiego89]

Interesting, and actually she will look better that way! I never considered the nose of the normal F-94 as pretty....

[airnutz]

Electronic countermeasures testbed aircraft?

[shrike]

How was it stenciled EC-94? Small datablock informational stencil,or big 'Buzz Number' stencil?
If the latter is it possible that EC was 'El Centro' and '94' just a coincidence? How were other test birds there marked?

[Spectre_I]

How was it stenciled EC-94? Small datablock informational stencil,or big 'Buzz Number' stencil?
If the latter is it possible that EC was 'El Centro' and '94' just a coincidence? How were other test birds there marked?

I'll get a pic today.

[Spectre_I]

OK, it's an EF-94. Had a nice chat with the guy who did the research today. It was a test bed it's whole life, and was purposely refitted with the T-33 nose so it could carry various instruments. It never saw front line service. He says some logs show it was flown by Neil Armstrong. So, a very interesting bird it turned out to be! I'll post pics in another thread as we get it done. Should be fully assembled in a couple weeks.

This is the stenciling just below the canopy:


For placement reference: Just your standard inch or so letter stenciling.

[Chris Brame]

Note the "A" after the serial - that's because there was another F-94 with the same last three digits in its serial, 51-5500:

(image from archive.org version of millionmonkeytheater.com)
...which coincidentally also had a nose job, to fit a 20mm rotating cannon.

Last edited by Chris Brame on Mon May 20, 2019 5:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.