North American F-82 Twin Mustang

The North American F-82 Twin Mustang is the odd-looking fighter with two fuselages and one wing. It was built to escort bombers across the Pacific, then ended up fighting at night over Korea.

The full specification table for the aircraft is on this page. The sections below explain the story behind the numbers.

Why North American Built a Twin Mustang

The design grew out of a 1942 Army requirement for a long-range escort fighter. Pacific distances meant a single pilot could spend many hours in the cockpit before reaching a fight.

North American’s team, led by Edgar Schmued, began work in late 1943. The answer was two Mustang-style fuselages joined by a new center wing and a shared tailplane, so two pilots could share the flying.

The first XP-82 flew in June 1945. Sources give both 15 June and 26 June, and Wikipedia’s article carries both dates. World War II ended before the type could fight.

Is the F-82 Just Two P-51s Bolted Together?

No, although it looks that way. Only about 20 percent of the Twin Mustang’s components were interchangeable with the single-seat Mustang.

The airframe was a new design with a new center wing. Its wingspan is 51 ft 3 in (15.62 m).

Engines: Merlin First, Then Allison

The first two XP-82s and the first 20 P-82Bs used Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin V-1650 engines. The Allison V-1710 powered the P-82C and later models.

The Allison-powered versions had a lower top speed and weaker high-altitude performance than the Merlin aircraft.

On the F-82G, the two engines turned in opposite directions, a V-1710-143 on the port side and a V-1710-145 on the starboard side. Each was rated at 2,250 hp (1,678 kW) at war emergency power.

F-82 Variants

Production reached about 272 or 273 aircraft, depending on the source. Wikipedia’s variant table and its production text count slightly differently.

The F-82E served with Strategic Air Command as an escort fighter. The F-82F went to Air Defense Command, and the F-82G served in the Far East.

The F-82H operated with the Alaskan Air Command. The Air Force redesignated the P-82 as the F-82 on 11 June 1948.

The Betty Jo Record Flight

On 27 February 1947, Colonel Robert E. Thacker flew the P-82B “Betty Jo” nonstop from Hawaii to New York. The 5,051 mi (8,129 km) flight took 14 hours and 32 minutes.

That averaged 347.5 mph. Betty Jo is now in the Cold War gallery of the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Range and Performance

The panel lists a range of 1,950 nm · 2,240 mi · 3,610 km. That is a published F-82G figure, not the distance of the Betty Jo flight.

The record flight covered more than twice that distance, which shows what a lightly loaded Twin Mustang could do when the mission was a pure endurance test.

Armament and the Night-Fighting Role

On the F-82G night fighter, a radar operator replaced the second pilot. The radar pod hung below the center wing between the two fuselages.

The standard armament was six .50 caliber M3 Browning machine guns in the center wing. Four outer wing hardpoints could each carry up to 1,000 lb (450 kg) of ordnance.

The Korean War

F-82Gs of the 68th Fighter (All Weather) Squadron were in the Far East when North Korea invaded in June 1950. On 27 June 1950, Lt. William “Skeeter” Hudson and radar operator Lt. Carl Fraiser shot down a North Korean Yak-11 over Kimpo Airfield.

The first three North Korean aircraft destroyed by U.S. forces were F-82 kills. The Air Force claimed 20 enemy aircraft destroyed by F-82s, four in the air and 16 on the ground.

The F-94 replaced the Twin Mustang in Korea from April 1951. The last operational F-82, serial 46-377, retired on 12 November 1953.

Where F-82s Survive Today

Wikipedia lists five surviving aircraft. Two F-82Bs, including Betty Jo, are at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

An F-82E stands at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, and another F-82E is under restoration. The XP-82 prototype 44-83887 was restored and first flew again on 31 December 2018.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the point of the F-82 Twin Mustang?

It was designed to escort bombers over very long Pacific distances. The second crew member let pilots share a mission lasting many hours.

What plane was called the Mustang?

The North American P-51 Mustang was the single-engine fighter of World War II. The F-82 Twin Mustang was a different airframe that shared its look and many of its design ideas.

Was the F-82 used in combat?

Yes. F-82Gs flew in the Korean War, and one scored the first North Korean aircraft kill by U.S. forces on 27 June 1950.

How many F-82s were built?

About 272 or 273, depending on how conversions and deliveries are counted.

Can you still see an F-82?

Yes. The National Museum of the United States Air Force displays two F-82Bs, and a restored XP-82 prototype flew again in 2018.