North American F-82 Twin Mustang

The Twin Mustang, although a propellor driven aircraft in the jet age, was actually planned in 1943 as a long-range escort fighter. The war in Pacific required fighter escorts to spend as long as eight hours in the air, thus putting a heavy burden on fighter pilots as far as attention to navigational details over large expanses of water. So a second man in the cockpit was essential for the purposes of navigation and pilot relief during these long flights.

At first glance the F-82 seems merely the joining of two P-51 Mustang fighters together with a common wing and stabilizer. However, North American did actually design a totally new structure. In the left cockpit the pilot had a complete set of instruments and controls; the navigator/co-pilot in the right cockpit had only adequate instrumentation and controls to guide the aircraft in relief of the pilot.

The end of World War II suddenly curtailed the production of fighter aircraft. The need for escort aircraft such as the F-82 was felt to be no longer needed so the USAAF decided the Twin Mustang should become a night fighter. The F-82Fs and Gs then replaced the obsolescent Northrop P-61 Black Widows. [Check out the Black Widow in Hangar 18. Click Here!] The F-82's career ended with the Korean War as most prop fighters gave way to jet-engine ones.

--Paraphrased from U.S. FIGHTERS by Lloyd S. Jones, 1975

General Characteristics
F-82G Twin Mustang

Contractor: North American Aviation, Inc.
Type: fighter-bomber
Power Plant: Two Allison V-1710-143/145 V-12 liquid-cooled, 1,600 hp each
Length: 42 feet 5 inches
Height: 13 feet 10 inches
Wingspan: 51 feet 3 inches
Weight: 25,591 lbs
Maximum Speed: 461 mph at 21,000 feet
Range: 2,240 miles
Ceiling: 38,900 feet
Crew: two
Armament: six machine guns; 4,000 lbs bombs
Date Deployed: Circa 1946

Thumbnail List
1. USAF Museum
2. Kelly AFB F-82 submitted by Remmel Wilson

Yes Bob,

That is me in the first picture admiring that beautiful old plane.

I have always admired the P-51 series of aircraft. Have a book on them. The most amazing thing about the plane is the British procurement officer who had guts enough to place a substantial order for the plane, despite the prototype was rolled a day late for the bidding, and had parts on it that were not in the production model..

On my old computer system I had a icon that played a sound track of a Rolls Royce Merlin in a high speed pass. When I got bored I would click it and revel in the roar of that great old engine.

Remmel.

P-51Flyby

(Use The Buttons Above)

3. Kelly AFB F-82 submitted by Remmel Wilson


	On June 27, 1950, Lt. William Hudson, flying an F-82G, became the first pilot of the new U.S. Air Force to claim the first American aerial victory of the Korean war.

12:02 7/12/2002

Some pertinent e-mail correspondence of Remmel Wilson...

"I have always admired that beautiful old plane. [The F-82] And of course the sound of a Rolls Royce "Merlin" engine in a high speed pass is a real thrill.

"I made quite a few rubber band powered models quite a few years ago. The best flier was a British "Puss Moth" that I built from the plans published in The Model Airplane News magazine.

"At one time I was a Flight Mechanic Instructor in a PBY Catalina flying boat squadron. After my discharge I bought a model airplane kit of a PBY, altered the plans by covering the entire model with balsa planking, and building a stand for it so I could set it on my desk. The model got crunched during a home move, so I did the only honorable thing I burned the remains.

"I hope you will email me a picture of the model after you finish it. [Reference to a 10 foot flying model of the F-82] I can appreciate that your model is a major undertaking. I recently gave a workman, who did some plaster work on my home after a rather costly fire, a top of the line radio transmitter and receiver for his son, who is into "RC" modeling.

... "Keep me informed of your progress..."

14:03 3/10/2003