Was The F-82 Better Than The P-51?

The North American F-82 Twin Mustang was a twin-fuselage fighter developed at the end of World War II, designed by pairing two P-51 Mustang fuselages.

The Difference

The F-82 was created to meet a 1944 requirement for a long-range fighter capable of escorting B-29 bombers in the Pacific. While the P-51 Mustang, with drop tanks, had a range of about 1,600 miles, the F-82 boasted a larger internal fuel tank and four drop tanks, extending its range to over 3,300 miles.

In 1947, a Twin Mustang made a non-stop 5,000-mile flight from Hawaii to New York, a record for propeller-driven fighters that still stands today.

The Twin Mustang Design

Though referred to as the Twin Mustang, the F-82 was more than just two P-51s welded together. Its fuselages were lengthened for added internal storage, and the tail section was modified.

A new center wing was incorporated, while the outer wings, though similar to the P-51’s, were strengthened to support multiple hard points. The landing gear was relocated inward to the fuselages, and the main armament—six .50-caliber machine guns—was positioned in the center wing.

The F-82 could carry up to 4,000 pounds of bombs, with each hard point supporting a 1,000-pound bomb. Additionally, it could be equipped with up to 25 five-inch rockets. The plane’s twin cockpits allowed two pilots to share the demands of long-range flights.

Early versions were powered by Rolls-Royce Merlin engines, the same used in the P-51, but after the war, the British imposed a $6,000 royalty per engine. This led the U.S. to switch to Allison V-12 engines, which together generated 3,200 horsepower, pushing the aircraft to an impressive speed of 465 mph.

The Last Propeller-Driven Fighter

Although the first F-82 prototype wasn’t accepted until August 30, 1945—just three days after Japan’s official surrender—the plane continued into production. However, with the rise of jet-powered aircraft, the F-82 became the last propeller-driven fighter ordered by the U.S. Air Force.