Interesting aircraft from the past

[Danjet500]

I had never heard of this plane.

P-82 Twin Mustang – Meet America's Strangest Piston-Engined Fighter - MilitaryHistoryNow.com

“The plane’s innovative airframe featured two slightly elongated P-51 fuselages to offer additional fuel capacity.” WORLD WAR TWO ended before one of the most improbable piston-engine fighter planes ever designed had the chance to see...

militaryhistorynow.com

 

[sceva]

There is one at the Air Force Museum near Wright Patterson Air Force Base

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/196117/north-american-f-82g-twin-mustang/

 

[Wyandot Jim]

The only flying Twin Mustang and it can be yours for 12 million dollars.

World’s Only Flying Twin Mustang Goes On Sale

Given the incredible success of the P-51 Mustang during the Second World War, it’s perhaps no surprise that the United States entertained the idea of combining two of the iconic fighters on t…

hackaday.com

Assuming you've got $12 million laying around, anyway. Even for a flyable WWII fighter, that's a record setting price tag. But on the other hand, you'd certainly be getting your money's worth. It took over a decade for legendary restoration expert [Tom Reilly] and his team to piece the plane, which is actually a prototype XP-82 variant, together from junkyard finds. Even then, many of the parts necessary to get this one-of-a-kind aircraft back in the sky simply no longer existed. The team had to turn to modern techniques like CNC machining and additive manufacturing to produce the necessary components, in some cases literally mirroring the design in software so it could be produced in left and right hand versions.

 

[Bruce51]

Thank you for posting this article! I knew about this variant as I have a book or lots of books on WWII planes.

I never knew about its use in combat or the longest flight record. A great read for those who enjoy the history of aircraft.

Bruce

 

[Danjet500]

There is one at the Air Force Museum near Wright Patterson Air Force Base

I live about 2.5 hours from there. I keep telling my wife we need to go, hopefully this summer.

 

[bhp9]

I have an aircraft book at home and you would not believe the amount of war planes in it, many most people have never even heard of and I am just speaking of the WWII era.

 

[Jeepnik]

When I went through Lackland they had old aircraft scattered around on green spaces. I seem to recall the F-82 was one of them.

Most airbases have a "plane on a stick". Usually it is one from their past. You know you're old when you find a lane that was on a stick and has now been tossed aside due to the base closing.

This one was hauled off into the dirt at the east end of the flight line.

As fate would have it, this one tried very hard to kill me and the rest of an O-11B crew.

 

[bhp9]

Although the P38 was at the beginning of the war the fastest of the fighters in the end the P51 probably was the best fighter of the war and way more maneuverable.

 

[bhp9]

The most "unsung" fighter of WWII was the British Hurricane. It was built in greater numbers than the always much scarcer Spitfire and never got the recognition it deserved as it was the actual savior of the Battle of Britain.

 

[Jeepnik]

Like a P-38 on steroids. Allow me to introduce the P-61 Black Widow.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

Jeepnik,

This is a P-38 on steroids

Hughes XP-11 Size EXTRA large

 

[WanderLust]

I found out very late in life that one of my uncles was a mechanic during WWII on the P-38s. He said they were quite respected by the enemy (called the fork-tailed devil by Germans) and he enjoyed his time on them.
Never knew where he was based or even the branch (I always assumed the Air Force). He had said he would give me copies of his papers from then but sadly I never got anything from the family.

I do seem to recall a story about long-range experiments with a fairly famous pilot who was really into flying two P-38s with their wings interlocked. They would take off, link up and fly together until it was time to land, which boosted fuel use tremendously. The pilots involved proved it would work, which was important as these planes were being sent completely around the world. The next two pilots to try it crashed and died, so the program was stopped. I may be remembering this wrong; someone enlighten me if so. But I'd like to see if anyone remembers that part.