#

1608

F-82 "'win Mustang

Mini in action

By Larry Davis
Color By Don Greer
Illustrated By Joe Sewell

COPYRIGHT 1996 SQUADRON/SIGNAL

PUBLICATIONS, INC.
IllS C ROWL EY DRIVE CA RROLLTON,
TEXAS 7S011-S0IO
All ri ghts reserved. No part of thi s publi cati o n
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
tran s mitted in any for m by mea ns e lec tri ca l,
mechanical or otherwise, without written permi ssion of the publi sher.
ISBN 0-89747-367-1
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Lieutenant William 'Skeeter' Hudson, with

Lieutenant Carl Fraser as his Radar
Operator, shot down the first North
Korean aircraft of the Korean War on the
afternoon of 27 June 1950, while flying top
cover over the evacuation at Suwon.

Acknowledgements
u.s. Air Force Mu

eum

David Menard
David McLaren
Jeffrey Edlell
Rockwell IntI. (NAA)
Wan'en Thompson
Merle Olmsted
Marty Isham
Dick Starinchak

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MIDNIGHT SINNER, was a 4th Fighter (All
Weather) Squadron F-82G flying top cover
over the evacuation of U.S citizens from
Kimpo Air Base, South Korea during June
of 1950. (Don Garrett)

Sq uadron/Signal Publications, Inc.

1115 Crowley Drive
Carrollton, TX 75011-5010 USA

engine co ncept, two fu selages, each conta ining an engine and joined by a short wing secti on. In that way he e liminated the aerodyAt the beginning of the Second World War, na mi cs of a third fu selage o r nace ll e, thu s
th e War De pa rtm e nt was ve ry co nce rn ed
drag was redu ced co ns iderabl y. Schmu ed 's
about long range fi ghter escort of its bomber des ign could have two pilots and fli ght conforces to targets in Occupi ed Eastern Europe
tro is to re li eve eac h oth e r durin g th e ve ry
and the Pac ific. The B- 17s and B-24s we re
long range fli ghts.
ca pa bl e o f hittin g th e ta rgets, but fi g hte r
O n 7 Janu ary 1943 , Genera l H.H . ' Hap '
escort stopped at the French-German border. Arn o ld , C hi ef o f the Arm y A ir Fo rce, was
And even th e bo mber force in th e planning
v is itin g th e No rth Am e ri ca n plant in
co uld not reac h the Japanese Home Island s
In g lewoo d , Ca li fo rni a to c hec k o n P- 5 1
fro m Alli ed bases in th e Pac ifi c, mu ch less
Mustang producti on. During the visit he was
any fi ghter type being pl anned for escort mi sshow n th e novel tw in e ng ine pro posa l and
sions. It would be a co upl e of years before enthusiasti call y gave North Am eri ca n the gothe Allied air forces would have a fi ghter type ahead fo r the project know n onl y as A- 120.
to perfo rm th e lo ng ra nge esco rt mi ss io n.
Engineers immedi ately began constructi on of
And o nl y then after much hard fi ghtin g fo r a moc kup and wind tunne l model of the NA island bases much nearer to Japan.
120. O n 8 February 1944, after inspecti on by
During the war, the longes t range fi ghter AAF brass, North Ameri can was given a leta irc raft ty pes we re th e Loc kh eed P-38
ter contract and approval to build two XP-82
Li g htnin g and th e N o rth Am e ric a n P-51 D
prototy pes with Packard/Merlin engines, and
Mu s ta ng . B o th had max imum ra nges in
two XP-82As with Allison engines .
excess of 2,000 mil es, whi ch was plenty for
The tw in fu selages for th e NA - 120 we re
mi ssio ns from Eng land to Be rlin and bac k. developed using the basic fu selage from the
But certainl y lac king fo r missions from bases ex pe rim e nt a l XP-51 F li g htw e ig ht fi g hte r
in th e S o lo m o n I s la nd s o r eve n Th e des ign that led to the P-5IH. The twin fusePhilippines, to targets like Tokyo. What was
lages were length ened 57 inches behind the
needed was a very long range escort fi ghter, coc kpit f o r in sta ll ati o n o f additi o na l fu e l
with perfo rm ance at least on a par with the
tanks and equipment. The outer wing pane ls
contemporary fi ghter designs. In late October were also deri ved from the li ghtwe ight P-5 1F.
of 1943, the North Ameri ca n Av iati on design They were modified, however, by de leti on of
tea m bega n deve lo pme nt o f a twin e ng ine
the gun s and ammuniti on bays inherent to all
fi ghter type that eventuall y would lead to the
P-5 1 des igns. The gun s would be installed in
P-82 Twin Mu stang very lo ng range esco rt
the ce nter wing sec ti on. Additi o nall y, eac h
fi ghter.
w in g ha d a pa ir o f hard po ints, to whi c h
py lons could be mounted fo r the ca rn age of
Most twin engine fig hter designs are quite
simil ar - a separate fuselage with the engines ordnance up to 1,000 pounds, or an additi onal
pair of drop tanks.
mounted in nace lles alo ngsi de the fuselage.
T he center wing secti on was of the same
Ed ger Sc hmu e d , No rth A me ri ca n D eS ig n
.
Chi ef, ca me up with a novel idea fo r a twin
In February 1944, the mockup for the XP-82 Twin Mustang was unveIled at. t~e North
American plant in Inglewood, California. The XP-82 used two XP-S1 F fuselages Jomed by a
short center wing. The pod under the wing could hold guns, radar, or cameras. (NAA)

n ro uClon

was
engines
the fuselage
---:--.;.....--:-

basic de sign as the outer wing pane ,

with a consta nt chord throughout. Not on ly
wo uld the center wing section house the main
arm ament of six .50 ca li ber Browning M2
machine gun s, it wou ld have two add itional
hard points for carriage of bombs or drop
tanks. A large parallel chord stabili zer wou ld
connect the two fuselages at the tail assemb ly.
The vertica l tail assemb ly was again borrowed from the P-51 F design, but with a very
large dorsal fin fillet added for stability in
case of an engine failure.
The XP-82 w{)u ld be powered by the venerab le Packard-built Roll s Royce V-1650
Merlin as used in production P-51 Mustangs
from the P-51B model on. The Merlin was
rated at 18 10 horsepower in War Emergency
setting . The left e ngi ne (V- 1650-23) had a
gear reduction box to make the left propeller
turn opposite the right engine (V-1650-25 ).
Thus, both propellers wou ld turn toward the
fuselages. T hi s was opposite that of the P-38
Lightning design, whi ch had both propellers
turning away from the fuse lage. Turni ng the

ers toward the fuselage meant mu ch

better control during single engine operation.
The cockpits were identical except that the
left cockpit had complete in strum e ntati on,
whil e the right cockpit had full flight controls
but on ly basic instrumentation.
The first prototype XP-82 (serial 44-83886)
was co mpl ete d a nd ro ll ed out from the
In glewood plant on 25 May 1945. The Army
Air Force, however, was so impressed with
the pote nti al of the twin engine des ign that
they had already ordered 500 P-82 B production aircraft based on the XP-82, two months
before the XP-82 was fini shed. On 16 Jun e
1945, North American test pilot Joe Barton

made the first flight in the XP-82. The second XP-82 (seri al 44-83887), was accepted
by Army Air Force in September of 1945.
The XP-82 was thirty-nine feet long, with a
wingspan of fifty feet eleven inches, and was
thirteen feet six inches in height. Clean, i.e.
with no external stores, the XP-82 weighed
19, 100 pounds with 600 ga ll ons of internal
fue l. The performance was favorab le to say

The XP-82 showing some of the ordnance it was capable of carrying, including two 500
pound bombs and ten five inch HVAR rockets under the outer wings, and a pair of 1,000
pound bombs under the center wing. (USAAF)

- The XP-82 carrying a gun pod under the center wing containing eight .50 caliber machine
guns (never used operationally). Originally, the rockets had retractible launcher 'stubs',
which were replaced by rocket 'trees' on the production aircraft. (USAFM)

the lea t. T he bi g Twin Mustang could run

away fro m the P-51D. Where the P-51D had
a top speed of 437 mph, the XP-82 topped out
at a phenomenal 468 mph . Service ce iling
was 4 1,000 feet. Range on internal fu el was
1,390 mjles. But with fo ur 110 ga llon underw in g dro p ta nks in sta ll ed , th e m ax imum
ra nge j umped to an incredibl e 3,445 miles.
And mu ch larger drop tanks were ava ilable.
A rm a me nt was th e s ta nd a rd U SAA F
req uirement, and th e sa me as found in prod uctio n P -51 D a nd P-51 K Mu sta ngs, s ix
Brow nin g M 2 .50 ca libe r m ac hin e g un s
mo unt e d in th e ce nte r win g section .
Add itio nall y, th e main arm ame nt co uld be
au g me nted by in sta ll a ti o n o f a la rge pod
under the center win g, containing eight more
.50 cali ber guns. The M2 gun s were changed
to the faster firin g M3 .50 caliber gun beginnin g with th e seco nd XP-82. U nd e rw ing
stores carriage co uld be up to fo ur 1,000
pound bombs or drop tanks under the center
wi ng and o ute r w in g pa ne ls. Retrac tabl e
rocket launchers were initiall y fitted into the

o ute r w in g pa ne ls. But th ese we re la te r

replaced with removable rocket ' tree' launchers, each holding up to ten fi ve inch rockets,
whi ch could be fired singly or in pairs. The
drop tank s, bo mb s, o r c he mical we ap o ns
co uld be salvoed in fli ght but th e roc kets
co uld not. U nd erw ing sto res carri age was
halved if the gun pod was insta lled under the

center wlllg.
The XP-82A (seri al 44-83888), powered by
two Allison V-171 0 engines, was identi cal to
the XP-82, except that the nose was reshaped
to fit the AIJison engines and ex haust configurati on. Two were call ed for, but only one was
ever built. T he XP-82A was fini shed in late
Summer of 1945 , and accepted by Army Air
Force in Octobe r of 1945. With the new ly
created United States Aj r Force, the Alli sonengined P-82As were redesignated as F-82Es
during 1948.
The first prototype XP-82 flying formation
with a P-51 D (the evolution is obvious).
There is a direction finder loop antenna on
the left fuselage.

Development
XP-82

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The P-82B was the production version of

the XP-82 prototype aircraft. The AAF contract of March 1945, called for a production
run of 500 P-82Bs. But the Second World
War e nd ed before P-82B producti o n go t
und e rway. As wi th many othe r military
orders, the end of the war brought drastic cutbacks or total e limin a ti o n of production
orders. P-82B production was cut back to a
total of twenty aircraft, se rial s 44-65160/65179 . The P-82B was identical to the XP-82
except for hav ing Browning M3 .50 caliber
0u n.
It was powered by 1,860 hp
Packard/Merlin V-1650-23 /25 e ng ines with
water injection. First flight of the P-82B took
place on 19 October 1945. Del iveri es of the
P-82B began in November of 1945, with the
last of the original order being delivered in
March of 1946. Most were delivered to Air
Training Command. The 'flyaway cost' of
the P-82B was $ 140,5 13.00.
The P-82Bs served mainly as trainers for
the later ve rs io ns of the Twin Mustang.
Several went to the first ope rat io na l Twin
Mustang equipped unit, the 27th Fighter
Escort Group (SAC) based at Kearney Army
Air Force Base, Nebraska. One P-82B set a
world di stance record flying non-stop from
Hicka m Field, Hawaii , to LaGuardia Field ,
New York Ci ty. On 28 February 1947,
Lieutenant Colo ne l Robe rt Thacker, with
Lieutenant John Ard in the right cockpit, took
off from Hickam F ield. Their aircraft, P-82B
seri al 44-65 168, was named BETTY JO and
had been stripped of all arm ament and modi-

fied to carry four 310 gallon underwin g drop

tanks , with additional fuselage fue l tanks,
which brought its total fuel capacity to 2,2 15
gallons. Lieutenant Colone l Thacker touched
down at LaGuardia Field fourteen hours thirty-two minutes after takeoff. The BETTY JO
had covered the 4,968 miles at an average
speed of347 mph .
There were actually on ly eighteen P-82Bs
accepted by AAF. The remaining two were
pulled from the production line and modified
with the addition of an airborne intercept
radar receiver, for use as a night all-weather
interceptor. The tenth P-82B (se rial 4465 169) was equipped with the SCR-720C
radar, the same unit as was in the Northrop P61 Black Widow. The radar sca nner was
mounted in a large pod , called a ' pickle ' or
' dong ', and in sta lled under the center wing
where the gun pod had been on the XP-82
and P-82B. This aircraft was designated P82C.
The P-82D began as the eleventh P-82B
(seria l 44-65170), but was pulled from the
assembly line and had the AN/APS-4 radar in
the ' pickle'. The radar pod on both the P82C and P-82D exte nd ed beyond the propeller arc to place the radar scanning dish in
front of the propeller, thus e liminating any
interference from the propeller. Both the P82C and P-82D had modified ri ght cockpits
to accept all the radar intercept equip ment
and scopes. First flight of the P-82C came on
27 March 1946, with the first flight of the P82D taking place two days later on 29 March.
The last of the Merlin-powered P-82Bs was
phased out of service in December 1949.

The third P-82B Twin Mustang on the ramp at Andrews Field during 1946. The P-82B was
the production version of the prototype XP-82, differing only in the use of M3 guns and the
installation of an ADF antenna. (USAFM)

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Specification
North American P-82B Twin Mustang
Wingspan .............. S1 feel 3 inches (1S.62 m)
Speed ..................482 mph (776 km/h)
Length .............. 39 feel 1 inch (11.91 m)
Service Ceiling .. .41 ,600 feel (12,680 m)
Height.................... 13 feel 10 inches (4.21 m)
Crew....................Two
Empty Weight. ... 13,40S pounds (6,081 kg)
Maximum Weight..22,000 pounds (9,979 kg)
Powerplant. ..... Two 1,860 hp Packard Merlin V-16S0-19/21 liquid-cooled enginse
Armament. ..... Six SO caliber machine guns, four underwing bomb racks.

A P-828 Twin Mustang in flight over Texas during 1946. Only twenty P-828s were produced, most of them serving in the Air Training Command. This aircraft carries a ' PO' buzz
number, 'P' for Pursuit and '0 ' for North American P-82 type aircraft. (USAFM)

The exhaust shrouds for the Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin V-1650 liquid-cooled engine
were very streamlined around the exhaust stacks. The perforated panel under the exhaust
ports covered the carburetor air intake filter and was the same as found on the P-51D
Mustang. (Author)

BETTY JO in flight over California during a test hop to check the flight characteristics of
the huge 310 gallon drop tanks. Using the 310 gallon tanks that were modified to fit the P828 pylons, BETTY JO flew non-stop from Hawaii to New York during February of 1947.
The Twin Mustang carried a direction finder loop antenna in football shaped housings on
the fuselage spine behind each cockpit. (USAAF)

BETTY JO on the ramp at LaGuardia Field, New York City, following the record flight.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Thacker, with Lieutenant John Ard in the right cockpit, covered
the 4,968 mile trip in fourteen and a half hours, averaging 347 mph. (via Dick Starinchak)

ADF Football Antenna

P-82B

Ig;;;;;;;;;;;;>J I

Blade
Antenna

P-82C/D

Radar
Pod

The P-82C over Malibu Beach

during 1946. The P-82C used
the SCR-720C airborne intercept radar in the ' pickle ' .
Externally, the P-82C and 0
were identical. The radar
' pickle ' cut about five mph
from the top speed. USAFM)

The P-82D on the ramp at Mines Field during in 1946. The P-82D had the AN/APS-4 airborne intercept radar mounted in the large pod, called a 'pickle' or 'dong'. (USAFM)

The F-82E was a development of the second prototype aircraft, the XP-82A. The XP82A was the basic Twin Mustang prototype,
but powered by a pair of Allison V-1710
engines. Congress and the Army Air Force
were tired of paying a $6,000.00 royalty to
the British Rolls Royce firm for the rights to
build the V-1650 Merlin engine in the U.S.
The Allison V-171 0 was a good engine, as
shown by its performance in the Curtiss P-40
and Lockheed P-38, just not as good as the
Merlin, especially at high altitude combat.
But throughout the war, the Allison engine
division of General Motors had been constantly improving the V-I7l0 until it was able
to produce up to 1,700 hp at 21,000 feet,
which made it comparable in performance
with the Merlin. It was, however, never as
reliable as the Merlin, often being referred to
as the "Allison Time Bomb!"
Army Air Force wanted an American fighter design that was powered by an American
designed engine. The P-82A would have
Allison V-1710-143/l45 engines, rated at
2,250 hp in War Emergency setting. The propellers would be the ten foot eleven inch full
feathering, constant speed Aeroproducts A542F-D I on the left engine, and AL-542F-D I

on the right. The AAF issued a letter contract

(W33-038ac13950) to North American on 5
February 1946 to build two hundred fifty long
range escort fighters (P-82A). This was later
amended to one hundred escort fighters and
one hundred fifty night fighter Twin
Mustangs based on the P-82C and D prototypes.
With the exception of the installation of the
government furni shed Allison V-I7l 0 engine,
the F-82E was simi lar to the P-82B. The F82E length was thirty-nine feet one inch,
wingspan was forty-two feet two inches, and
the height was thirteen feet eight in c hes .
Armament was the same as the P-82B , six
Browning M3 .50 caliber machine guns in the
center wing and the K-18 computing gun
sight, and the underwing stores capabilities
remained as on the P-82B , including possible
use of the eight .50 caliber gun pod mounted
on the center wing. The nose of the aircraft
was recontoured to match the contours and
exhaust stacks, two per cylinder, of the
Allison engine. The first flight of the P82AIF-82E came on 17 February 1947.
Did the performance justify the additional
cost and engineering hours involved ? Some
say yes, some vehemently say no! The many
problems associated with Allison certainly
hindered development and operational use of
the F-82E. The top speed was 465 mph at

The first P-82E on the ramp at Muroc Dry Lake Army Air Field for an air. show in June of
1947. The P-82E was powered by Allison V-1710 liquid-cooled e~gi~e~, With a recontoured
nose. The P-82E was first rolled out in February of 1947. (Ron Plcclam)

P-82B

Six Exhaust
Sacks Per Side

o
P-82E

Twelve Exhaust
Per Side

No

Recontured
Nose

Mechanics check the engine on a 27th FEG F-82E following a long range flight to
Ramey AFB in Puerto Rico. The 27th FEG was Strategic Air Command's only very
long range escort unit during the late 1940s. (via Warren Thompson)
A 27th FEG F-82E on the ramp at Kearney AFB, Nebraska during 1948. Although
redesignated an F-82E, this aircraft still retains its ' PO' buzz number. The nose
flash is Dark Blue, while the tail and wingtips are White with Black trim. (USAFM)

-,

A 27th Fighter Escort Group P-82E taxies for takeoff at the Minneapolis Airport during an
air show in 1948. The twin tail wheels made the Twin Mustang ride like a buckboard. For
this flight, the right cockpit is empty. The tail stripe is White, while the drop tank flash has
Black trim. (L.L. Coombes)

2 1,000 fee t, a nd th e ra nge w ith sta nd a rd

ex tern al tanks was 2,504 miles. There was
one very BIG problem with the Allison installati on however. There just weren' t enough of
them fo r the production run to be completed.

And the engines th ey had ava ilable suffered

fro m many prob lems such as spark plug foul ing, supercharger fa ilures, o il leaks, roughness and surging. Spark plug fouling became
so ac ute th at th ey had to be c hanged after

Nose Development
P-82B

P-82E

Six
Exhaust
Stu

Twelve
Exhaust
Stubs

Recontoured Nose

15

" OLE 97" was Colonel Cy Wilson 's F-82E when he commanded the 27th FEG during 1948.
The underside of the nose was recontoured to fit the Allison engine which had a total of
twenty-four exhaust stacks - two per cylinder. (via Warren Thompson)
A pair of Blue-nosed F-82Es from the 27th FEG over the Caribbean Sea during 1950.
These are some of the last F-82Es in service, and carry 200 gallon Fletcher drop tanks
originally designed for the F-80CfT-33. (Lieutenant Colonel B. Mitchell)

A pair of 523rd Fighter Escort Squadron F-82Es over Texas on one of the many long range
demonstration flights conducted by SAC during the late 1940s to impress the Russians.
With four 310 gallon drop tanks, F-82Es could escort SACs B-29s and B-36s to targets anywhere in the world. (via Warren Thompson)

every flight!
By November 1947, only one F-82E had
been delivered! Alli so n s imply cou ld not

deliver the high performan ce V-1710s

required. North American had to fini sh the
remainjng airframes and store them in an old

An F-82E from the 27th FEG at Kearney AFB in 1948. The 27th FEG was assigned to the
8th Air Force, SACs long range bombing arm, and carried the 8th Air Force badge on the
right side of the right cockpit. The nose is Dark Blue, the wingtips, and tail stripe are
White. (via Jeff Ethell)
.

17

A flight of four 27th FEG F-82Es on the ramp at Stewart AFB during 1948. The F-82E was
capable of carrying the eight gun underwing pod and other ordnance including bombs and
rockets. (Don Maggert)

Vultee plant in Downey, Cali fornia. All the

F-82E airframes were finished in April 1948,
but the last aircraft wasn ' t delivered to the
USAF until April 1949! The flyaway cost of
th e P-82A/F-82E rose significa ntl y to
$2 15, 154.00.
.
Most of the F-82E production run was
assigned to the 27th Fighter Escort Group at
Kea rney (now) A ir Force Base. The 27th
FEG was ass igned to the Strategic Air
Command, and its mission was long range
escort of SACs B-29s and B-36s. The F-82E
was ri ght for the mi ssion. They flew many
long range demonstration flights to prove the
point. Howard AFB in Panama and Ramey

18

AFB in Puerto Rico were all visited by the

long range Twin Mustangs of the 27th FEG to
show the Soviets that the USAF could protect
its own anywhere they were needed. But by
the beginning of the Korean War, with the
advent of the Jet Age, the days for the propeller-driven fighter aircraft were numbered,
no matter how great its performance. With
the newly developed inflight refueling capaThis F-82E was assigned to the Air
Research and Development Command at
Wright-Patterson AFB during 1946 and was
equipped with a test boom on the port
wing. (USAFM)

FQ-

Captain Ray Sharp climbs into the pilots cockpit of Colonel Cy Wilson 's " OLE 97", which
was named partly from the serial number - 46-297. The underwing rocket launcher 'trees'
were mounted for use on the fighter bomber mission. The tail and wingtip stripes are Red,
White, and Blue, indicating a commander's aircraft. (via Warren Thompson)

biliti es, jet fighter s now had the ra nge to

escort SACs bombers anywhere in the world .
One oth e r unit had several F-82E Twin
Mustangs, although it was simpl y a ' loan '.
That was th e 449 th Fighter (A ll -Weather)
Squadro n based at Ladd AFB , A laska. The
449th was charged with air defense of North
America against any in truders coming across
the A laskan bo rd e r s. Th ey had bee n
equipped with North rop P-6 1 Black Widow
night fighters . But when F-82Fs became
avail able, USAF bega n the immediate transiti o n to the muc h hig her pe rform ance Twin
Mustang. In September 1948, the 27th FEG

loa ned th e 449th F(AW)S three F-82Es and

six pil ots for transition training. Within six
months, the 449th F(AW)S was operationa l in
the F-82F. The 449ths use of the F-82F was
short-lived however, as they went into F-82G
and H interceptors in Ma rch 1949. The F82E began total phaseout fro m the USAF in
March 1950. F-82E seri als ran from 46-255/354.
One of the last surviving F-82s was this F82E mounted at Kelly AFB as a memorial. The
markings are totally bogus since F-82s never
carried the " U.S. Air Force " logo. (Dave
McLaren)

The F-82F was an all -weather interceptor

version of the F-82E. The Army Air Force
had ordered one hundred fifty night fighter
versions of the P-82A in September/October
of 1946. These differed from the P-82A1F82E on ly in the special equipment and radar
specified for the interceptor mission. The F82F was equipped with the AN/APG-28
tracking radar, an updated version of the
AN/APS-4 radar used in the earlier P-82D. It
was mounted in the same type of pod under
the center wing as developed for the P-82D.
Additional equipment in the F-82F included a
glide path receiver, abso lute altimeter,
AN/ APS-13 tail warning radar, loca li zer
receiver, RC-193 marker beacon, a AN/APN19 radar beacon, and a SCR-695B IFF identification system .
Armament remained the same as on the

es cort fighter F-82E, six M3 .50 ca liber

machine guns in the center wing. The underwing stores capacity, however, was reduced
to compensate for the extra weight of the
radar 'pickle' . The F-82F. could on ly carry

2,000 pounds of ordnance under the wings .

Gross weight of the F-82F was 22,080
pounds clean, and 26,208 pounds with two
310 gallon drop tanks. In spite of the addi tional weight and drag of the radar 'pick le' ,
the performance of the F-82F was comparable to the escort fighter F-82E. Maximum
speed with full internal fuel and two drop
tanks was 460 mph, serv ice ce ilin g was
38,900 feet, and the combat range was 2,240
miles. The first tlight for the all-Gloss Black
F-82F came on II March 1948.
The USAF Air Defense Command was the
primary user of the F-82F, mainly using the
fighter to replacing their aging F-61 Black
Widow night fighters. The first of an eventual ninety-one F-82F Twin Mustangs went into
service with the 52nd Fighter (All Weather)
Group at Mitchell Air Force Base, New York
in July of 1948, followed c losely by the 325th
F(AW)G at Moses Lake AFB, Washington in
1948 and the 449th F(AW)S at Ladd AFB ,
Alaska during September/October of 1948.
F-82F serial numbers we re 46-405/-495.
Flyaway cost of the F-82F, G, and H
remained the same as the F-82E

A F-82F carrying air sampling pods under the wings, si~s. on the ~amp ~t Wri~ht-Patte~son
Air Force Base in the late 1940s. The F-82F was the Allision-engined night fighter variant
of the F-82D, with an updated AN/APG-28 air intercept radar in the 'pickle'. The air sampling pods were used for weather research.) (USAFM)

Blade Antenna

P-82C/D
Merli n Engine, Six Exhaust
Stub s

-<1 j,

==
I(~ )
Rada r
Pod

~~E

-f..

"

6J

'"

~I

P-82E
Allision Engine, Twelve
Exhaust Stubs

No Antenna

C2J"
Deeper
Chin

P-82F/G/H

No Antenna

Flame Dampening Exhausts

Longer '-J.
Pod
"

An F-82F with the 319th F(AW)S at Moses Lake Air Force Base during 1950. The exhaust
flame dampeners are visible and the radar 'pjckle' extends beyond the propeller to keep
the propeller blades from causing interference with the radar. (via David Menard)

"

A F-82F Twin Mustang flown by the commander of the S2nd Fighter (All Weather) Group
Celell!!1 OIiV!!f C!!lIilli, at Mitetl@lI Air Feme Base in March of 1950. The 52nd F(AW)G, along
with the 2nd and 5th Fighter (All Weather) Squadrons, were the main all weather interceptor force protecting the eastern United States in the late 1940s. The fuselage stripes are
Silver and Gold, as are the stars on the Medium Blue tail assembly. (Bill Larkins)

CUMULOUS WOODY, a 319th F(AW)S F-82F on the ramp at Moses Lake Air Force Base,
carries one of the five rocket 'tree' launchers on the inboard pylon. Even though assigned
to the Air Defense Command and used in the all weather intercept mission, F-82F aircrews
were still required to be proficient in fighter bomber tactics and air-to-ground gunnery. All
lettering is in Red. (David Menard)

22

Specification
North American F-82G Twin Mustang
Wingspan .............. 51 feet 3 inches (15.62 m)
Speed ................. .461 mph (742 km/h)
Length .................. .42 feet 5 inchs (12.92 m)
Service Ceiling ... 38.900 feet (11.857 m)
Height.................... 13 feet 10 inches (4.21 m)
Crew.............Two
Empty Weight... .... 15.997 pounds (7.256 kg)
Maximum Weight..25.891 pounds (11.744 kg)
Powerplant. ..........Two 1.600 hp Allison V-171 0-143/145 liquid-cooled enginse
Armament.. ............ Six 50 caliber machine guns. four underwing bomb racks.

23

NIGHT TAKEOFF was an F-82F Twin Mustang assigned to the 319th F(AW)S at Moses Lake
AFB, Washington during 1950. The 319th F(AW)S was part of the 325th F(AW)G that
defended the northwest portion of the United States. Nose art was very prevalent on
319th aircraft. (David Menard)

HARD LUCK carries the Yellow spinner and Flight Leader bands of an F-82F assigned to
the 5th F(AW)S based at Mitchell AFB, Long Island, New York. Even with the bulbous radar
'pickle' creating drag, the F-82F could still attain a top speed near 460 mph in a clean condition (no underwing stores). (R. Miller)

This F-82B, BETTY JOE, with the name incorrectly spelled, set
a trans-continental record of 4,968 miles non-stop during
February of 1947.

NIGHT TAKEOFF, was a F-82F of the 318th

Fighter (All Weather) Squadron at
McChord AFB, Washington during 1949.

CALL GIRL was Colonel John Sharpe's F-82G when he

Commanded the 4th F(AW)S at Naha, Okinawa during 1950.
The name was on the inside of the starboard fuselage.

ZERO ZERO was a F-82G assigned to the 339th F(AW)S at

Johnson Air Base, Japan during 1951.

Hard Luck was a F-82F assigned to the 5th

Fighter (All Weather) Squadron at Mitchell AFB
during 1949.

This F-82G from the 449th F(AW)S at Ladd

AFB, Alaska, had the radar pod removed.

An F-82F from the 318th F(AW)S over Salt Lake City, Utah during 1950. This F-82F has two
different canopies indicating that they were interchangeable with their corresponding
parts on a P-51 Mustang. (via Warren Thompson)
Colonel Oliver Cellini, Commander of the 52nd F(AW)G at Mitchell AFB, Long Island, New
York flies over Long Island Sound with a pair of wingmen during 1949. The 52nd F(AW)G F82Fs flew all-weather missions defending the East Coast until they were replaced by
Lockheed F-94BsStarfires during 1951. (USAF)
.

27

Pods
Gun Pod

> - - - - - -

Eight .50 Caliber

Machine Guns

Radar Pod

AN/APG-28
Radar (F-82F)

SCR-720 Radar
(F-82G)

A F-82F from the 2nd F(AW)S at Mitchell AFB. The aircraft is assigned to an Element
Leader as indicated by the single White band around the fuselage. The spinner, wingtips,
and vertical tail are Medium Blue, with Silver stars and trim. (Ron Picciani)

UPSTAIRS MAID, CUMULOUS WOODY, and SPOKANE SPOOK were examples of the fine
nose art seen on 319th Fighter (All Weather) Squadron F-82Fs. (David Menard)

T he F-82G was the Allison-engined produ ction version of the P-82C. It had identical
equipment as the F-82F, with the exception of
the scanning radar unit. The F-82G used the
older but very reliable SCR-720C, the sa me
unit that was in the Northrop F-61 Bl ack
Widows the F-82G would be replacing. The
F-82G gross we ig ht was 2 1,760 po und s
clea n, and 25,89 1 pounds with dro p tanks.
First flown on 8 December 1947, fo ur months
before the F-82F, the first of an eve ntu al
forty-fo ur F-82Gs, serial s 46-355/-383 a nd
46-389/-404, were delivered to sq uadrons of
the 347th Fighter (All Weather) Group in the
Far East. The F-82Gs were a lso painted
Gloss Black for ni ght operations. It was these
squad ron s that we re part of the Ja pa nese
Occupatio n Force th at took the F-82 Twin
Mustang into co mbat during the Korean War. .
When war broke out in Korea on 25 June
1950, the Fifth Air Force had o nl y three
sq uadrons that co uld effecti vely operate for
long hours over the evac uati o n cente rs at
Inchon and Kimpo - the three sq uad rons of F82Gs assig ned to the 347 th Fighter (All
Weather) G ro up . The 4th F(AW)S was at
Naha Air Base on Oki nawa; the 68th F(AW)S

was located at [tawke, and the 339th F(AW)S

was based at Yokota. 5th AF immedi ately
moved all three F-82G squadron s to Itawke,
the nearest air base to the Korean battlefield.
Ironi call y, the 347th F(AW)G had been deactivated just one day before war broke out, and
Fa r East Air Force had to reac ti vate th e
Gro up as a Provisional unit - th e 347 th
Fighter (All Weather) Group (Prov is io nal).
The Lockheed F-80C Shooting Stars of th e
8th F ig hte r Bomber Wing a nd the 51st
Fighter Interceptor Wing were also based at
Hazuke. But even wi th the sho rt distance
from Hawke, the F-80 Shooting Stars could
not re ma in over the target areas for much
more than about thirty minutes maximum.
The mission of the F-82 air crews was to
"Seek out and destroy the North Korean Air
Force". On 27 June 1950, while coverin g the
evacuation airli ft from Kimpo and Suwon, a
fli g ht of 68th F(AW)S F-82Gs intercepted
so me North Korean Yak fighters atte mptin g
to break up the evacuation fro m Suwon. 1st
Lieutenant Wm . ' Skeeter' Hud so n, w ith
Lieutenant Carl F raser as Rada r Operator,
shot down a NKAF Yak-II scorin g the first
official kill of the Korean War. A mild controversy ex ists about the victory as Lieutenant
C harl es Mo ran also shot down a Yak-9 at
almost the exact same minute. Major James

A new F-82G Twin Mustang of the 68th Fighter (All Weather) Squ~dron on .the ramp at
Itazuke Air Base, Japan during 1950. The F-82G was the Allison-engmed version. of the P82C and was equipped with the SCR-720C radar. The radar pod had a Brown flbreglass
nose. (Merle Olmsted)

30

A 68th F(AW)S F-82G Twin Mustang flies over Korea during the Summer of 1950. With its
extraordinary range, the F-82G could loiter in the target area for hours. The Lockheed F-80
Shooting Star jet fighters, with their shorter range, were lucky to stay on station much
more than fifteen minutes. (Merle Olmsted)

OUR LlL' LASS was assigned to the 339th Fighter (AI Weather) Squadron. The 339th was
based at Yokota Air Base, Japan when the Korean War broke out, but moved to Itazuke Air
Base when the 5th Air Force decided to concentrate the F-82G force in one location closer
to the Korean battlefield. (Hale)
.

A 68th F(AW)S F-82G patrQls high over the mountains of North Korea during the Fall of
1950. As the United Nations ground forces moved up the Korean peninsula, the F-82Gs
were based further north to keep them in constant contact with the fleeing North Korean
Air Force. (via Warren Thompson)
LOVER BOY, a 339th F(AW)S F-82G, shares the ramp at Yokota with a 19th Bomb Group B29 Superfortress. The 347th F(AW)G was the parent unit for all three F-82G squadrons,
and the sole operator of the F-82 Twin Mustang in the Far East. (USAF)

A 68th F(AW)S F-82G on the alert ramp at Suwon Air Base, South Korea in the Fall of 1950.
By the Fall of 1950, some of the F-82G squadrons were being used for night intruder, truckbusting missions, armed with five inch HVAR rockets on the underwing rocket trees.
(Dave McLaren)

L ittl e, lea din g a fl ig ht f ro m th e 339th

F(AW)S got a NKAF La-7 fo r the third F-S2
victory of the day.
With the North Korean Air Force eliminat-

ed from the confli ct by rov ing patrols of 5th

AF F-S2Gs and F-SOCs, the F-S2G squadrons
began fl ying long range interdi ction missions
aga in s t No rth Ko rea n ta nks a nd tr ucks .

A 68th F(AW)S F-82G sits alert at Itazuke in August of 1950 armed with five HVAR rockets.
During the hectic summer months of 1950, the F-82Gs were sometimes pressed into use
as fighter-bombers in a desperate attempt to stave off the advancing North Korean tank
forces. (Carl Fraser)

Three F-82G Twin Mustangs of the 339th F(AW)S line the ramp at Itazuke during the
Summer of 1950. The 339th F(AW)S was the squadron that flew top cover for the evacuation of u.S. citizens, who were being threatened by the North Korean invasion forces.
(USAF)
,

Carrying bombs and five inch HVAR rockets,

the F-82Gs were very effecti ve due to their
ability to ' loiter ' in the target area fo r long
periods, so metim es as lo ng as a co upl e of

hours. On 2 July 1950, the F-82Gs began a

new mi ssion - ni ght in terdi cti on over Korea.
With thei r airborne intercept radar, the Twin
M ustangs co ul d roa m u p a nd d ow n t he

Maintenance during the Korean War was always accomplished under the harshest conditions, and usually right out on the open air ramp. These 68th F(AW)S mechanics are
. checking the coolant tanks at Ashiya in the late Summer of 1951. (USAF)

Instrument Panels
Pilot's Instrument Panel

1. Clock
2. Instrument
Approach Indicator
3. Voltmeter
4. Altitude Limit Switch
5. Radio Altimeter
6. Left Fuel Gage
7. Right Fuel Gage
8. Accelerometer
9. Air Speed Indicator
10. Remote Indicating
Compass
11 . Attitude Gyro
12. Left Engine Gage
13. Right Engine Gage
14. Engine Charge
Temperature Gage
15. Radio Compass
16. Altimeter
17. Turn & Bank Indicator
18. Rate 01 Climb
Indicator
19. Manllord Pressure
20. Tachometer
21 . CoolantTemperature
22. Ignition Switches
23. Radar Scope
24. Armament Control
Panel

K-18 Gun
Sight

23 "

24

Bomb/Rocket
Trigger

Control Stick

Radar Operator's
Instrument Panel

Light

Light
O~V

1. Clock
2. Oxygen Pressure
Gage
3. Oxygen Flow Indicator
4. Airspeed Indicator
5. Altimeter
6. Free Air Temperature
7. APN-12 Indicator
8. SRC 720 Radar Scope
9. Footrests
10. Remote Indicating
Compass
11 . Radio Compass

SRC-720

@O

o~
O@,

@<:>

]
(

Antenna Hand Control

35

The two stripes around the aft fuselage of "OAQUAKE" indicate that the pilot was a Flight
Leader with the 68th F(AW)S. When the Russian MiG-15 jet fighter was introduced into the
skies over Korea, it spelled the beginning of the end for the F-82G's combat career. (Merle
Olmsted)

Korean pe nin sul a with relati ve impunity, hittin g ta rge ts that th e N o rth K o re an R e d s
tho ught were in vulne rable at ni ght. Late r in
th e wa r, thi s mi ss io n was fl o wn by ni g ht

intrude r Douglas 8 -268 In vade rs.

The ro le of the F-82G durin g the Ko rea n
w a r we nt bac k to inte rce pto r wh e n No rth
Ko rean PO-2 bipla nes bega n the ir infamo us

Lieutenant William 'Skeeter' Hudson's crew chief climbs into the cockpit of Hudson's 68th
F(AW)S F-82G (serial 46-383). Barely discern able under the windscreen is the small Red
star in circle indicating the first kill of the war, a North Korean Air Force Yak-11 that was
shot down by Hudson and his Radar Operator Lieutenant Carl Fraser. (Merle Olmsted)

36

A gun camera confirmation of a kill against a

North Korean Yak fighter by Lieutenant
Hudson's F-82G Twin Mustang early in the
Korean War. The Twin Mustangs scored a
total of four air-to-air kills and another twenty ground kills. (Merle Olmsted)

"Bedcheck Charlie" raids. At thi s mi ss ion,

the F-82Gs were at a loss - but so was every
other aircraft type in Korea. The PO-2s flew
simply too low and slow for the F-82Gs to
intercept. By 1952, the F-82Gs were being
replaced by Lockheed F-94B jet interceptors.

By the end
operations in Korea, the
three Twin Mustang squadrons had fl ow n a
total of 1,868 sorties, scoring twenty-four victories, four air to ~jr and twenty ground victones.

Three 68th F(AW)S F-82Gs line the ramp at Pyongyang Main Air Base, North Korea. The
field was captured by units of the U.S. 8th Army in late October 1950. From Pyongyang
Main, the F-82Gs could range along the entire .North Korean border, from Vladivostok to
Antung, until the MiG-15s arrived! (via Marty Isham)

CALL GIRL was Colonel John Sharp's F-82G when he commanded the 4th Fighter (All
Weather) Squadron. Following the virtual destruction of the North Korean Air Force, the F82Gs were committed to a night intruder mission very similar to that of the 8-26 Invader
squadrons. (Cecil Marshall)

F-82H
The last nin e F-82F, serial s 46-496/-504,
and five F-82G airframes, serials 46-384/388, were specially equipped for cold weather
operations and designated as F-82H . They
had thermal anti-icing equ ipment and de-icer
boots with electric heaters on the propeller
blades. De-icing equ ipme nt fo r the flying
surfaces took hot air fro m behind the aftercooler radiator and blew it across the leading
edge of the wing and tai l surfaces. Other
equiment included improved cabin heating
systems, type F- I autopilots, radar altimeters,
RC- J 93 radar beacon, and glide path and
localizer receivers, and AN/ARA-8 homing
receiver. The F-82Hs were all equipped with
the SCR-720C search radar, the same as the
F-82G. Gross weight for the winterized F82H was 22,060 pounds 'clean' , and 26,186
pounds with a pair of drop tanks.
All the F-82H aircraft were also painted
overall Gloss Black as found on the F-82F
and F-82G . The first flig ht of the F-82H
came on 15 February 1949. Most of the F82H production was assigned to the 449th
Fighter (A ll -Weather) Squadron based at
Ladd AFB, Alaska, replacing earli er F-82Fs

38

and Gs that were not modified for cold

weather operations. During the Korean War,
the 449th F(AW)S F-82Hs flew two s hip
patrols over the Bering Stra it . The 449th
F(AW)S was based at Nome, Alaska during
this period. Staging through Marks Field, the
449th had the mi ss ion of photo reconnai ssa nce of the Soviet install atio ns just across
the Bering Strait. Since the camera pod for
the F-82 cou ld not be used due to installati on
of the radar 'p ick le', the 449th Radar
Operators had to resort to using hand-held
cameras for the mi ssion.
But these too were short lived in the era of
the jet engine, as they were replaced with
Lockheed F-94B Starfire jet interceptors in
1952. The last F-82H was retired from service with the 449th F(AW)S in June 1953 .
North American Aviation built a total of two
hundred seventy two P-82/F-82 Twin
Mustangs for the US Air Force. At least parts
of fo ur survive today, a P-82B at the US Air
Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio; and a second
P-82B being restored by the Confederate Air
Force, a F-82E on display at Lackland AFB,
TX, and another F-82E in a private collection
in Ohio, who also has one of the XP-82 fuselages .

One of the many ground kills scored by Twin Mustang crews was this IL-10 Stormovik that
was shot up on the runway at Kimpo during the late Summer of 1950. F-82G Twin Mustang
crews would score twenty such ground kills during the Korean War. (USMC)

Rocket Installations
Retractable Stubs (Not Used Operationally)
Retractable Stubs

Ten 5 Inch HVAR Rockets

Rocket Tree Launcher

Pylon
Arming Wire
5 Inch HVAR
Rocket

39

-'--

.-----

A trio of 68th F(AW)S F-82G Twin Mustangs parked on the ramp at Itazuke Air Base during
July of 1950, including SIAMESE LADY in the foreground. From Itazuke, the F-82Gs could
loiter over the evacuation centers at Inchon and Kimpo for up to three hours. (Merle
Olmsted)

SIAMESE LADY was a 68th F(AW)S F-82G. The F-82G was externally identical to the earlier
F-82F, with only the radar, a SCR-720C unit, plus the cockpit displays, being different. The
name is Yellow, while the numbers on the drop tanks are Red with White trim. (via Merle
Olmsted)

40

ZERO ZERO, a 339th F(AW)S F-82G at Johnson Air Base, Japan during the Summer of
1951. The SCR-720C radar could be used against ground targets such as trucks as well as
in the air-to-air intercept role. (Martin Bambrick)

This F-82G Twin Mustang (Serial 46-364) was the aircraft flown by 68th Fighter (All
Weather) Sqadron pilot Lieutenant Charlie Moran on the first day of the Korean war. After
Moran shot up a North Korean Yak fighter, another Yak shot up his rudder and he was
forced to crash land at Suwon. (USAF)

"

....

- ...

..-

"' -

-.....
.

...

41

- ...

A 4th F(AW)S F-82G returns to Itazuke Air Base following another mission over Korea during July of 1950. Since the aircraft is lacking its drop tanks, it is evident that the North
Korean Air Force was encountered on this mission. F-82G crews accounted for four air-toair victories in Korea. (USAF)
A pair of 339th F(AW)S F-82Gs prepare to leave snow-covered Misawa Air Base, Japan, for
another patrol up the east coast of Korea during 1951. Although the squadrons were initially based at Itazuke, FEAF ordered several detachments to other bases throughout
Japan and Korea as the primary night air defense weapon. (Harry White)

A mechanic performs one of the vital engine checks on a 68th F(AW)S F-82G on the ramp
at Kimpo Air Base, Korea during the Spring of 1951. By this date, the F-82Gs were successfully flying night intruder missions into North Korea, in addition to providing night air
defense over FEAF air bases. (USAF)
Captain Johnnie Gosnell waves goodbye to his family as he taxis his 68th F(AW)S F-82G
past some 51st FIG F-80Cs at Itazuke in July of 1950. During the early days of the Korean
War, a pilot could have his family stay with him, almost like a normal job. A pilot said
goodbye in the morning, put his life on the line over Korea during the morning and afternoon missions, then returned home to his family at supper. (USAF)

.,'

"

~~

A pair of very unusual F-82G Twin Mustangs. These aircraft were assigned to the 449th
F(AW)S at Ladd Air Force Base, Alaska, as replacements for F-82Hs during 1952. Neither
aircraft has a radar pod under the center wing, although both still have the flame dampening exhaust stacks and F-82G serials. There is a stylized bird face on the outboard drop
tank of FQ-377. The 449th F(AW)S turned in their F-82Gs and F-82Hs for F-94B Starfire jet
interceptors in June of 1953. (via David Menard)

GRUESOME TWOSOME parked on the Pierced Steel Plank (PSP) ramp at Johnson Air
Base, Japan during the Summer of 1951. Detachments of two aircraft each were sent to all
active FEAF air bases for action against the North Korean PO-2 night harrassment raiders,
commonly called BEDCHECK CHARLIE. Johnson Air Base was also the home of the MiG
Killers of the 4th Fighter Interceptor Wing. (Jack White)

The MISSGUIDED VIRGIN was a Flight Commanders (identified by the two Red stripes on
the rear fuselage) F-82G Twin Mustang assigned to the 4th Fighter (All Weather) Squadron
at Naha Air Base, Okinawa. The 4th F(AW)S was one of three squadrons assigned to the
347th F(AW)G that were moved to Itazuke Air Base, Japan after the war broke out. (via
Warren Thompson)

45

Nose art was plentiful and varied on the F-82Gs that flew combat in Korea. MID NIGHT
SINNER, of the 4th Fighter (All Weather) Squadron had the name in Light Blue with a White
outline. The propeller spinners were in Medium Blue. (via Warren Thompson)

This F-82G of the 68th Fighter (All Weather) Squadron was flown by George Dever. The
name was in Yellow with a Bambi character behind the name. The pilots and radar operator's names were carried under the cockpit in White. (Via Warren Thompson)

WEE PEA II was a F-82G assigned to the 68th Fighter (All Weather) Squadron at Itazuke
during 1950. The lettering was Red with a White outline. (John Campbell)

This F-82G was based at Misawa, Japan during 1950. (Harry White)
This 68th F(AW)S F-82 had the entire forward portion of the radar pod covered with cartoon nose art. (via Merle Olmsted)

A strange survivor. One of the XF-82s armed with what appears to be a missile shape for
the GAM-83 (AGM-12) Bullpup guided missile for drop tests along with at least one dummy
250 pound bomb. The information supplied with the photo was dated May of 1951 , some
two years after the Air Force had retired the XP-82s. (via Dave McLearn)

After they were retired from active service a number of F-82s were used as instructional
airframes for maintenance personnel. This F-82B had been assigned to the 27th Fighter
Escort Wing as a conversion trainer. It was later assigned to the 325th Fighter (All
Weather) Group at Hamilton Field, California during September of 1948 as a trainer. (Bill
Larkins)

The Confederate Air Force had a restored F-82B in flying condition during the 1985 air
show season. The aircraft was incorrectly given a Gloss Black paint scheme used on the
all weather variants of the Twin Mustang. The aircraft crashed not long after this photo
was taken. (Confederate Air Force)

The Confederate Air Force F-82B on display at an airshow, complete with the Confederate
Flag. The aircraft was painted in overall Gloss Black to represent a Korean War F-82G all
weather fighter. The aircraft was lost to a crash during 1985.

'l

1109

1026

In action
In action

1045

1067

S ua ron SI na

lea Ions

Colonel Cy Wilson flew "OLE 97" when he

was the Commander of the 27th Fighter
Escort Group at Kearney Air Force Base
during 1948.

,,01

8297

ISBN 0-89747-367 - 1

>