The F-82 was the last propeller-driven fighter acquired in quantity by the U.S. Air Force. It appears to be two P-51 Mustang fuselages on one wing, but in reality it was a totally new design. The Twin Mustang carried a pilot and co-pilot/navigator to reduce fatigue on long-range bomber escort missions. Production deliveries did not begin until early 1946, too late for World War II. After WWII, Air Defense Command flew radar-equipped F-82Gs as replacements for the P-61 night fighter. During the Korean War, Japan-based F-82Gs were among the first USAF aircraft to operate over Korea. On June 27, 1950, all-weather F-82Gs shot down the first three North Korean airplanes destroyed by U.S. forces.
Of a total of 273 F-82s produced, 20 were F-82Bs. The F-82B on display, Betty-Jo, flew from Hawaii to New York on Feb. 27-28, 1947, a distance of 5,051 miles, the longest non-stop flight ever made by a propeller-driven fighter. Betty-Jo came to the museum in 1957.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Armament: Six .50-cal. machine guns, 25 5-inch rockets and 4,000 lbs. of
bombs
Engines: Two Packard V-1650s of 1,380 hp each
Maximum speed: 482 mph
Cruising speed: 280 mph
Range: 2,200 miles
Ceiling: 39,000 ft.
Span: 51 ft. 3 in.
Length: 38 ft. 1 in.
Height: 13 ft. 8 in.
Weight: 24,800 lbs. maximum
Serial number: 44-65168
Click here to return to the Cold War Gallery.