F-82 Twin Mustang
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The North American F-82 Twin Mustang was a long-range escort fighter and night fighter. It consisted of two fuselages, based on the P-51H Mustang, mounted on a newly-designed wing. It retained both cockpits and both pilots could fly the aircraft. It first flew in 1945 but did not see service during World War II.
F82_twin_mustang.jpg
The first two prototypes had Packard built Merlin engines like most P-51s. The third protoype and subsequent production models used Allison V-1710 engines. The production F-82s had contra-rotating propellers.
While originally intended as an escort fighter (B and E variants), the F-82 also saw service as a night fighter equipped with either APS-4 (D and F variants) or SCR-720 (C and G variants) radar. It was a night fighter Twin Mustang that shot down the first MiG-15 jet to be destroyed by an American fighter during the Korean War.
The last flying P-82 stalled and crashed in Harlingen Texas in 1987. That aircraft and one other are currently being restored to flying condition.
Specifications
General Characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Length: 42 ft 9 in (12.93 m)
- Wingspan: 51 ft 3 in (15.62 m)
- Height: 13 ft 10 in (4.22 m)
- Wing area: 408 ft² (37.90 m²)
- Empty: 15,997 lb (7,271 kg)
- Loaded: lb ( kg)
- Maximum takeoff: 25,591 lb (11,632 kg)
- Powerplant: 2x Allison V-1710-143/145, 1,600 hp (1,193 kW) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 461 mph (742 km/h) @ 21,000 ft
- Combat Range: 2,250 miles (3,605 km)
- Service ceiling: 38,900 ft (11,855 m)
- Rate of climb: ft/min ( m/min)
- Power/Mass: hp/lb ( kW/kg)
Armament
- 6x .50 Browning M2 machine guns
- 4,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs
Sources
- The Concise Guide to American Aircraft of World War II by David Mondey, Chartwell Books, Inc., 1994.
Related content
Related development: P-51 Mustang
Comparable aircraft: Messerschmitt Me 609
Designation sequence: XP-79 - F-80 - XP-81 - P-82 - XP-83 - P-84 - XF-85
See also:
- Heinkel He 111Z - another "twinned" aircraft
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