North American F-82 Twin Mustang

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P-82/F-82 Twin Mustang
XP-82
General information
Type	Long-range escort fighter Night fighter All-weather interceptor
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	North American Aviation
Primary user	United States Air Force
Number built	272 or 273[1][2]
History
Introduction date	1946
First flight	15 June 1945
Retired	1953
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.