P-82 Twin Mustang

[sdennison]

OK, open forum. What, when, where, & why? This is an odd one for me. Who was PIC, either side? What was it's design mission and did it ever see action?

Thanks,

[retroaviation]

Pilot sat on left side, radar/armament operator sat on right (but still had a set of controls). A P-82 supposedly got the first air to air kill of the Korean War. Was plagued with engine troubles and not enough power(with the Merlins), but the "new" Allisons in the F-82's (2,200 hp each) gave it the boost it needed. However, the jet age was already there and the piston powered P-82 just didn't last.

That's about all I know about 'em. I guarantee you there are plenty of other folks here that can give you more (and better) information that what I have.

Gary

[Randy Wilson]

The P-82 was originally designed as a very long range escort fighter, capable of escorting heavy bombers on raids in the Pacific theater, specifically raids on Japan. The XP-82 had a top speed of about 468 mph and a range with drop tanks of over 3400 miles and with missions that could last more than 12 hours, two pilots were to share the flying chores, spelling each other.

After the capture of bases closer to the Japanese homeland, such long range escorts were not required and production P-82s, redesignated after 1948 as F-82s, did not enter service until after WWII. As Gary notes above, the later F-82C and D (and some other models) were night fighters with a central radar pod and the right cockpit carried the radar display and operator in place of a second pilot. There were other variants but I hope this gives you a bit more info on the origin of this interesting design.

Randy