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P-82/F-82 Twin Mustang | |
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XP-82 | |
Role | |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | North American Aviation |
First flight | 15 June 1945 |
Introduction | 1946 |
Retired | 1953 |
Primary user | United States Air Force |
Number built | 272 or 273[1][2] |
Developed from | North American P-51 Mustang |
The North American F-82 Twin Mustang is the last American piston-engined fighter ordered into production by the United States Air Force. Based on the North American P-51 Mustang, the F-82 was originally designed as a long-range escort fighter for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress in World War II. The war ended well before the first production units were operational.
In the postwar era, Strategic Air Command used the aircraft 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.