North American F-82 Twin Mustang

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_...2_Twin_Mustang

The North American F-82 Twin Mustang was the last American piston-engine fighter
ordered into production by the United States Air Force. 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.

In the postwar era, Strategic Air Command used the planes as a long-range escort
fighter. Radar-equipped F-82s were used extensively by the Air Defense Command
as replacements for the Northrop P-61 Black Widow as all-weather day/night
interceptors. During the Korean War, Japan-based F-82s were among the first USAF
aircraft to operate over Korea. The first three North Korean aircraft destroyed
by U.S. forces were shot down by F-82s, the first being a North-Korean Yak-11
downed over Gimpo Airfield by the USAF 68th Fighter Squadron.

Role Long-range escort fighter and night fighter
Manufacturer North American Aviation
First flight 15 June 1945
Introduction 1946
Retired 1953
Primary user United States Air Force
Number built 272
Unit cost US$215,154[1]
Developed from North American P-51 Mustang

Initially intended as a very long-range (VLR) escort fighter, the F-82 was
designed to escort Boeing B-29 Superfortress bombers on missions exceeding 2,000
miles (3,200 km) from the Solomons or Philippines to Tokyo, missions beyond the
range of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning and conventional P-51 Mustangs. Such
missions were part of the planned U.S. invasion of the Japanese home islands,
which was forestalled by the surrender of Japan after the atomic bombings of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the opening of Soviet attacks on Japanese-held
territory in Manchuria.

Specifications (F-82G)

General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 42 ft 9 in (12.93 m)
Wingspan: 51 ft 3 in (15.62 m)
Height: 13 ft 10 in (4.22 m)
Wing area: 408 ft² (37.90 m²)
Empty weight: 15,997 lb (7,271 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 25,591 lb (11,632 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Allison V-1710-143/145 counter-rotating liquid-cooled V12
engines, 1,380 hp takeoff (1,029 kW each) each

Performance
Maximum speed: 482 mph (400 kn, 740 km/h) at 21,000 ft (6,400 m)
Range: 2,350 mi (1,950 nmi, 3,605 km)
Service ceiling: 38,900 ft (11,855 m)

Armament
Guns: 6 × .50 in (12.7 mm) Browning M3 machine guns
Rockets: 25 × 5 in (127 mm) rockets
Bombs: 4,000 lb (1,800 kg)




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