Both Twin Mustangs now on display at the NMUSAF

AFML · **Posted:** Thu Jun 03, 2010 9:03 am

"If anyone else has any pics of the restoration work"

Here's a few:

Wes

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Thu Jun 03, 2010 3:33 pm

Nice photos, thanks.

Pat Carry · **Posted:** Thu Jun 03, 2010 3:34 pm

Misterg97 wrote:

When the 82 was brought into the gallery, she not only had no pod, but no propellers as well. That was a few weeks ago .. last Friday, they were still putting finishes touches on her when my shift ended .. The F-84 is unbelievable as I was able to get up close ..

I have no intentions of contradicting anyone or creating hard feelings ... each and everyone of you have a right to express your thoughts and I respect each and every one ... However, mine are different and from a different prespective ....

"WHAT WAS KOREA"?

A while back, I was asked that question, while volunteering in the Korea section, by a youngster perhaps an early to mid teen .. that question perhaps more than anything in the past 3+ years of volunteering has given me a true sense of the NMUSAF ..

The newly renovated Korean Section of the MFG is about to open ... and what a tremendous effort the staff has put into it .... They call it the Korean War ... not the Police Action as called when I was drafted .. as I walked thru the new gallery while going thru my duties I was amazed by all the new exhibits ... no longer will a visitor be able to go thru the area rather quickly ... It will now tell much of the history that evidently is not being taught in some of our schools throughout this great land ... Yes the planes are still there ... and thankfully, although static, they will help to tell the strory ... And by the way as one who had some time in a C-124 Globemaster, it's kind of a good feeling to see one standing tall and proud .. They had a large impact during the Korear War ... somewhere in my records, I have a photo taken at K-55 (Osan) of both a 124 and a 119 that I had flown in.

"A keeper of their stories" ..

By the way, it took me a few minutes as memories of 50+ years ago flashed thru my brain, but I did answer that question ... honeslty, truthfully and which much sadness.

I urge all ... come and take the time to visit the new Korean Gallery at the NMUSAF ... not just the great warbirds .. but read the stories behind them ..

If you got this far ... this old-timer says "Thanks" .. for listening to my 2 cents.

Thanks for all that info/update Jerry. I will have to get down there and check it out one of these days.

groundpounder · **Posted:** Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:08 pm

So... excuse my ignorance, but just what was the purpose behind the twin mustang? One or two pilots ? Double the power, but close to double the weight as well ?? Speed , armament ?? Sorry, i really do know nothing about this aircraft other than the fact that it looks all business !

Dan K · **Posted:** Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:12 pm

2nd pilot for long escort missions.

Misterg97 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:15 pm

I'll take my small pocket Nikon with me tomorrow and see if I can get a few good shots during my volunteer shift in the MFG. Will take both the 82 as well as the F-84 which I think came out one of the best in the museum. I meant to take the camera last week and forgot but I have put it in my blazer pocket so I don't forget it this time.

JDK · **Posted:** Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:51 pm

It's easy to beat up on the CAF and the NMUSAF. At the end of the day, leaving childish 'everything must fly' extremism to one side, they are both organisations busy 'preserving' and presenting aircraft for public entertainment and education (a definite second in both cases) and also giving a more exclusive group of guys a chance to play with cool toys from their youth in different ways. Neither is perfect, neither could do the job of the other - we are in fact lucky to have both.

It's interesting that no-one seems to want to ask 'could the CAF done anything differently to avoid this outcome?' Whatever the merits of the case, there were several actions which could be learned from, but only be looking to what you can fix in your own organisation, rather than pointing fingers at the other guys and avoiding any self-examination.

For a start, the CAF restored an aircraft to airworthy, and then broke it, all on their own.

It's hard to get around the fact that bending the aircraft in a crash was a problem - and a bigger one than just finding a rare prop. Today's CAF is a very different organisation, so that's not a fair current criticism, but I'd hope that the CAF and other organisations would endeavour to figure out how to avoid this dumb process happening again.

Likewise only action within the NMUSAF is likely to change what are seen externally as management issues. External pressure can be applied, but it would need to be a lot more constructive.

Just some thoughts.

groundpounder wrote:

So... excuse my ignorance, but just what was the purpose behind the twin mustang? One or two pilots ? Double the power, but close to double the weight as well ?? Speed , armament ?? Sorry, i really do know nothing about this aircraft other than the fact that it looks all business !

Someone was having a contest with another guy over whose Mustang was better. He reckoned that making it a twofur would win the debate.

More seriously:

Quote:

Based on the P-51 Mustang, the F-82 was originally designed as a long-range escort fighter in World War II, however the war ended well before the first production units were operational, so its postwar role changed to that of night-fighting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-82_Twin_Mustang

Clifford Bossie · **Posted:** Thu Jun 03, 2010 10:47 pm

I saw both yesterday. 162 looks really good:

Obergrafeter · **Posted:** Fri Jun 04, 2010 7:50 am

Does anyone know if that was a strip and paint or just a touch up?

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Fri Jun 04, 2010 8:10 am

I believe it was a strip and paint. A friend of mine who is also a WIX member that posts in the Vintage area said that she saw the plane outside infront of the shops at one point during the restoration, and that it had no paint on it at all. "Betty Joe" was never moved outside until it was moved into the Cold War Gallery.

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Fri Jun 04, 2010 8:17 am

And not meant to negative in any way, but she was pretty rough when it came in. I don't see how they could have just painted the repair areas as the black paint was in rough shape.

Dan K · **Posted:** Fri Jun 04, 2010 12:25 pm

So, now we have a P-82B, painted black so that it resembles a podless P-82C/D, but with the markings of 46-357, an F-82G with the 68th Fighter Squadron.

In the museum's defense, -357 was one of the MIA crews from the 68th in Korea, so I can appreciate it as a tribute scheme. But (and please forgive me for this) no pod and the incorrect FWF profile give the impression of a rushed job.

I love the museum at Dayton--one of my favorite places in the world. IMO this display doesn't measure up. The Lackland F-82E could be "converted" to a G more easily, accurately, and effectively. Put this one on a pole if Lackland needs one that badly.

Django · **Posted:** Fri Jun 04, 2010 1:10 pm

"Bucket of Bolts" would have made a nice paint scheme.

Do any of the pods even exist anymore? None of the other survivors have them, correct?

maradamx3 · **Posted:** Fri Jun 04, 2010 7:03 pm

I travel to Midland a couple of years ago and get to walk all around, next to, rub against (lightly), and even smell the P82 twin Mustang. I travel to the NMUSAF last week and can't get within 50 feet of the same Mustang - on my birthday too. From these baseless facts alone, I'll side with the CAF (Civilian Airplane Friendly)! I got to get within .001" of an inch at Midland and it wasn't even my birthday. On my birthday, no closer than 50 feet! OK, had the NMUSAF known it was my b-day, would I have gotten closer? I think not! Send it back, right now, so maybe one day I can get "Oh so close again" and maybe, just maybe, even see it fly one day! Otherwise, take down the ropes/barricades/fences etc.
My $.02

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 11324

What did they do for the unobtanium prop on the one side?

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Both Twin Mustangs now on display at the NMUSAF

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