|
The F-82 was the last propeller-driven fighter acquired in quantity by
the USAF.
In October 1943, the North American Aircraft design team began work
a very long-range escort
fighter,
designed to escort B-29 Superfortress bombers on missions exceeding
2,000 mi (3,219 km) from the Solomon's or Philippines to Tokyo,
missions beyond the range of the P-38 Lightning and conventional P-51
Mustangs. The capture of islands close to Japan, gave the US Army Air
Force (USAAF) the ability to use their current fighter aircraft to
escort for the Japanese missions which were part of the planned U.S.
invasion of the Japanese home islands forestalled by the surrender of
Japan days after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The basic design P-82 consisted of a
two lengthened P-51H
fuselages mounted to a
newly designed center wing, tail, and propellers, as well as having a
unique four-wheel landing gear. Even though the P-51 was used as the
base for the design of the P-82, the two aircraft only have a 20%
commonality in parts. The
extra fuel needed for the long-range missions lead to increasing the
length of the fuselage, which led to a higher weight and the need to
install a more powerful engine, stronger wings, and larger control
surfaces.
The experimental XP-82 was to be powered by two Packard-built
Rolls-Royce V-1650 Merlin engines. Initially, the propeller of the
left engine (V-1650-23) was designed to left propeller to turn
opposite to the propeller of a more conventional right engine
(V-1650-25). In this arrangement both propellers would turn upward as
they approached the center wing, which in theory would have allowed
better single-engine control. Unfortunately, this unconventional
design prevented the flight of the first XP-82, leading to a redesign
of the engine / propeller arrangement. After a month of work North
American engineers discovered that the upward rotating the propellers
created sufficient drag to cancel out all lift from the center wing
section, to fix the issue the engines and propellers were then
exchanged, with their rotation meeting on the downward turn.
The first XP-82 prototype (44-83886) was completed on 25 May 1945, and
made the type's first successful flight on 26 June 1945. This aircraft
was accepted by the Army Air Force on 30 August 1945. AAF officials
were so impressed by the aircraft while still in development that they
ordered the first production P-82Bs in March 1945, fully three months
before the aircraft's first flight. Although some P-82B airframes were
completed before the end of World War II, most remained at the North
American factory in California waiting for engines until 1946. As a
result, none saw service during the war.
On 27 February 1947, a P-82B 44-65168 named Betty Jo and flown by
Colonel Robert E. Thacker made history when it flew nonstop from
Hawaii to New York without refueling, a distance of 5,051 mi (8,129
km) in 14 hr 32 min (347.5 mph/559.2 km/h). The aircraft carried a
full internal fuel tank of 576 gal (2,180 l), augmented by four 310
gal (1,173 l) tanks for a total of 1,816 gal (6,874 l). To this day,
it remains the longest nonstop flight ever made by a propeller-driven
fighter, and the fastest such a distance has ever been covered in a
piston-engined aircraft.
P-82Bs and P-82Es retained both fully equipped cockpits so that pilots
could fly the aircraft from either position, alternating control on
long flights, while later night fighter versions kept the cockpit on
the left side only, placing the radar operator in the right position.
On 11 June 1948, the newly formed United States Air Force eliminated
the "P" or pursuit designation, replacing it with "F" or fighter.
Subsequently, all P-82s were re-designated as F-82.
The F-82E was the first model to reach operational squadrons and its
initial operational assignment was to the Strategic Air Command 27th
Fighter (later Fighter-Escort) Wing at Kearney Air Force Base,
Nebraska in March 1948. In June, the 27th FW deployed to McChord AFB,
Washington where its squadrons stood on alert on a secondary air
defense mission due to heightened tensions over the Berlin Airlift. It
was also believed that the 27th would launch an escort mission,
presumably to the Soviet Union, if conflict broke out in Europe. From
McChord, the group flew its Twin Mustangs on weather reconnaissance
missions over the northwest Pacific. With a reduction in tensions, the
27th returned to its home base in Nebraska during September where the
unit settled down to transition flying with their aircraft. The 27th
FEW began transitioning to the F-84 Thunderstreak beginning in March
1950, and the F-82Es were largely declared surplus, with the last Twin
Mustangs being phased out by September.
A few were sent to Far East
Air Forces for combat in Korea and a few were sent to Alaska to fly
bomber escort missions over the Arctic from Ladd AFB until 1953. The
majority were sent to reclamation and were gone by 1952.
The appearance of the Soviet Tupolev Tu-4 'Bull' (copy of the B-29
Superfortress) in 1947 posed a new threat to postwar USAAF planners. During a
number of simulated raids on the United States carried out by Strategic Air
Command, defending F-51 Mustangs and F-47 Thunderbolts, being used as
interceptors, repeatedly failed to find the incoming bombers, or when they knew
they were on their way, rarely got themselves into a firing position.
It was found that the radar-equipped P-61's were very effective in
locating and attacking the incoming SAC bombers, and had the range to
attack the bombers far from their intended targets. In the late 1940s,
there was not a jet US interceptor ready to perform the interceptor
mission, so the ADC used the Black Widow as an interim measure. P-61s
available were worn from extensive use in World War II, so the ADC
looked towards a version of North American F-82 Twin Mustang models
modified into an all-weather interceptor to replace the Black Widows.
The production interceptor versions of the Twin Mustang were
designated the F-82F and F-82G; the distinguishing feature between the
F and G models was largely the nacelle beneath the center-wing that
housed radar equipment (F-82F's AN/APG-28 and F-82G's SCR-720C18). In
addition, the interceptor version required numerous modifications. The
right side cockpit was replaced with a radar operator's position
without flight controls. A long radar pod, was attached to the
underside of the center wing, below the six .50 in (12.7 mm) machine
guns and with its dish in front of the propellers to prevent signal
interference. The radar pod could be jettisoned in an emergency, or
for belly landings; it was sometimes lost during high-G maneuvers.
F-82F models were designated for ADC units in the United States, while
the F-82G models were deployed to Far East Air Forces for air defense
of Japan and Okinawa. No F-82s were deployed to Europe. The first
F-82F models replaced the P-61s of the 52nd Fighter (All Weather)
Group (2nd and 5th Fighter (All Weather) Squadrons) at
Mitchel AFB, NY in July
1948. On the West Coast F-82Fs were deployed with 325th Fighter (All
Weather) Group (317th, 318th and 319th Fighter (All Weather)
Squadrons) at McChord and Moses Lake AFBs.
The Twin Mustang was phased out of ADC during 1950-1951 by the F-94
Starfire, the last being with the 318th FIS at McChord in late 1951.
Some were sent to Alaska with the 449th Fighter (All Weather) Squadron
where they were modified into the F-82H configuration; most, however,
were sent to reclamation.
In the years following World War II, the Northrop P-61 Black Widow was
the Far East Air Forces (FEAF) primary air defense interceptor.
However, a chronic lack of spare parts and constant maintenance made
it difficult to keep the war-weary aircraft in the air. Until an
all-weather jet interceptor was available, the F-82G Twin Mustang was
seen as the interim solution. The last operational P-61s were sent by
the 68th and 339th Fighter (All Weather) Squadrons to the reclamation
yard at Tachikawa Air Base in February 1950, with Twin Mustangs
arriving as replacement aircraft.
In Far East Air Forces, there were three squadrons operating the Twin
Mustang consisting of 45 aircraft. The 4th Fighter (All Weather)
Squadron was attached to the 51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing at Naha Air
Base, Okinawa, with the mission of providing air defense within the
Twentieth Air Force's area of responsibility during hours of darkness
and inclement weather. The 68th F(AW)S area would cover southern Japan
from their base at Itazuke and the 8th Fighter Bomber Wing, with the
339th F(AW)S covering Tokyo and northern Japan from Johnson Air Base.
FEAF had about 40 Twin Mustangs assigned to the command.
During the Korean Conflict, Japan-based F-82s were among the first
USAF aircraft to operate over Korea. The first three North Korean
airplanes destroyed by U.S. forces were shot down by all-weather F-82G
interceptors on June 27, 1950.
Twin Mustangs destroyed 20 enemy aircraft, four in the air and 16 on
the ground during the conflict.
In December of 1948, the F-82H (F-82F/Gs modified for cold weather)
began service with the 449th
Fighter (All Weather) Squadron
at Adak
Island AK. The Twin
Mustang was well suited for the air defense mission in Alaska due to
their long-range flying ability. In March 1949, the squadron was
reassigned to Ladd AFB,
near Fairbanks, AK
where an additional eight were assigned bringing the squadron's total
inventory up to fourteen aircraft. In 1953, the 449th F-82s were
replaced by F-94 Starfires ending the service for the piston-engined
fighter.
|
