Possible one of the strangest looking fighter ever, the F-82 served as an excellent bridge between the propeller driven fighters to the new jets in the late forties and early fifties.
The F-82 was developed at the end of WWI as a long-range fighter escort for the B-29 in the Pacific. It was finished prior to the war but did not enter squadron service until early 1946. The F-82 was based on the P-51 Mustang mounted to a newly designed center wing, tail and propellers, as well as having a unique four wheel landing gear. It reatined controls in both cockpits The night fighter version the F-82F replacecd the contols in one cockpit with a radar intercept set up. The Air Defense Command used radar-equipped F-82s quite extensively as replacements for the P-61 night fighter. 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were downed by F-82’s. The F-82’s ended their career as long-range escorts for SAC bombers in Alaska finally being withdrawn from service in 1953.
The F-82 was developed at the end of WWI as a long-range fighter escort for the B-29 in the Pacific. It was finished prior to the war but did not enter squadron service until early 1946. The F-82 was based on the P-51 Mustang mounted to a newly designed center wing, tail and propellers, as well as having a unique four wheel landing gear. It reatined controls in both cockpits The night fighter version the F-82F replacecd the contols in one cockpit with a radar intercept set up. The Air Defense Command used radar-equipped F-82s quite extensively as replacements for the P-61 night fighter. 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were downed by F-82’s. The F-82’s ended their career as long-range escorts for SAC bombers in Alaska finally being withdrawn from service in 1953.
SPAN: 51 ft. 3 in. (15.62 m.)
LENGTH: 39 ft. 1 in. (11.9 m.)
LENGTH: 39 ft. 1 in. (11.9 m.)
HEIGHT: 13 ft. 10 in. (4.2 m.)
WING AREA: 408 sq. ft. (37.9 m²)
EMPTY WEIGHT: 14,914 lb. (6764.5 kg.)
LOADED WEIGHT: 24,813 lb. (11255 kg.)
MAX. OVERLOAD: 24,864 lb. (11278 kg.)
CRUISING SPEED: 280 mphMAX. SPEED: 482 mph (748 kmh)
SERVICE CEILING: 40,000 ft. (12192 m)
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. ea.
No comments:
Post a Comment