XP-82 Twin Mustang/44-83887 Takes Flight Yesterday, 12/31/18

[JohnTerrell]

There were some rumors swirling yesterday that the Tom Reilly-restored XP-82 had flown, and this has just been confirmed via their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Xp-82-Twin-Mus ... 1783063916):

"On 31 December 2018, our XP-82 Twin Mustang flew for the first time since 14 December 1949. Although it wasn’t supposed to fly yesterday, all that was planned to do was the last FAA required runway high-speed taxi test, lift off for a second or two and then back down, deploy full flaps and brake to a stop. It accelerated so fast after the planned lift off that Ray, our test pilot, realized that getting it back down and stopping it in the remaining runway would be marginal. So he pushed the power back up and flew for about five minutes.

The unexpected and dramatic acceleration of our XP-82 at 55 inches of manifold pressure occurred because it was approaching three times the horsepower of a single engine Mustang and one and a half times the weight. The XP-82 has 1860 hp each side for total of 3720 hp, compared to 1500 hp for the P-51. Our XP-82 weighs approximately only 1 1/2 times more than a P-51 - 14,700 lbs. compared to 9500 lbs. for the P-51.

The very short gear-down flight showed zero airframe squawks, hands-off no trim required, with all engine temps and pressures normal.

This wonderful test flight came after a 10.5 year restoration encompassing 207,000 labor hours. Many thanks to Ray Fowler, our test pilot and all of the men and women that made this restoration possible. Thank you, Tom Reilly."




Congratulations to everyone that has been involved in this monumental restoration!

[stryper]

Can't wait to see video(s) of it flying!

[phil65]

Great news....

Phil

[Jesse C.]

What a way to go into the New Year!

Congrats to them all for such a great restoration!!

[Decamara]

Absolutely outstanding!

[Rob W]

Finally! Sweet!

[Pat Carry]

Fantastic!!

[Lon Moer]

"....we 'accidentally' flew it on the last day of 2018....'accidentally'..."

[DH82EH]

John,
You summed up my thoughts exactly with this statement. "Congratulations to everyone that has been involved in this monumental restoration!"
I am so pleased for the entire team. This is wonderful news.
I think it would be hard to find someone as skilled and talented as Tom Reilly, who also comes across as the finest of people.
It would be a privilege to know him, no doubt.

My heartiest congratulations.

Andy Scott

[dred]

Great!!

[Tony C]

Great end to 2018 and start to 2019

[Pogo]

- Tom Reilly's XP-82 Twin Mustang - scheduled test flights this month (following unexpected test flight yesterday) and eventual public display

^^^ I saw this on the "2018 Warbird Rest. Highlights and Looking Forward to 2019" thread and damnear hurt myself dropping my jaw -- and now I see what happened. FANNN-tastic!!

To Tom Reilly and crew I offer my heartiest congratulations -- you have an awful lot of people gaping in utter awe at what you hath wrought!!!

Tony C, you said it!

[Cvairwerks]

"....we 'accidentally' flew it on the last day of 2018....'accidentally'..."

That's why the YF-16 actually has Flight 0 in the books. Phil found a flight controls gains problem during a high speed taxi and it was safer to take off and figure out what was going on, over trying to stop the gyrations and keep the bird on the ground.

[Cutlass]

Congrats Tom and crew!!!

[JohnB]

When was the last time ANY F-82 flew?