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| The F-82 was the last propeller-driven fighter acquired in quantity by the USAF. It appears to be two Mustang fuselages on one wing, but in reality, it was a totally new design. Its purpose was to provide a fighter carrying a pilot and co-pilot/navigator to reduce fatigue on long-range bomber escort missions. Delivery from production did not begin until early 1946, too late for World War II. After WWII, radar-equipped F-82s were used quite extensively by the Air Defense Command as replacements for the P-61 night fighter.
During the Korean War, 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. Of a total of 273 F-82s produced, 20 were B models. 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 prop-driven fighter. "Betty-Jo" was delivered to the museum in 1957. SPECIFICATIONS: Span: 51 ft. 3 in. Length: 38 ft. 1 in. Height: 13 ft. 8 in. Weight: 24,800 lbs. maximum Armament: Six .50-cal. machine guns, 25 five-inch rockets and 4,000 lbs. of bombs Engines: Two Packard V-1650s of 1,380 hp each Cost: $228,000 PERFORMANCE: Maximum speed: 482 mph Cruising speed: 280 mph Range: 2,200 miles Service ceiling: 39,000 ft. |
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| Bibliography: National Museum of the USAF |