RF-82 Twin Mustang prototype

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BarnOwlLover

Staff Sergeant
944
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Nov 3, 2022
Mansfield, Ohio, USA
I've seen photos on Ebay from a magazine article on this plane about when it was tested, but not adopted. Do any other photos exist, or in better or good quality aside from this?
 
How about these?

North American F-82-Double Mustang.jpg


NA XP-82.jpg
 
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A single F-82B was converted into a photo-recon RF-82B in the late '40s:

In flight trials:
scan0007-1.jpg

scan0013.jpg

scan0014.jpg


Pod in construction:
scan0008.jpg

scan0009.jpg


With and without pics:
scan0010.jpg

scan0011.jpg

scan0012.jpg
 
To clarify, the designation RF-82 was never used; though a photo pod was tested on a P-82B (F-82B) bailed to NAA, the aircraft involved (s/n 44-65172) retained its production designation throughout.
 
according to article I saw 192 were built
i actually saw one at an air show with a B 36 in about 1950+-
I suspect that article was referring to 'standard' P-82/F-82. I've been through every P-82/F-82 record card, so can verify that the designation 'RF-82' was never used on a production or test model. It is however possible that in the early days a recce P-82 version was discussed, but it would have been designated in the 'old' system so would have probably been designated 'F-16', 'F-17' etc.
 
A single F-82B was converted into a photo-recon RF-82B in the late '40s:

In flight trials:
View attachment 716315
View attachment 716316
View attachment 716317

Pod in construction:
View attachment 716318
View attachment 716319

With and without pics:
View attachment 716320
View attachment 716321
View attachment 716322
Images shown Allison engine powered F-82H, last block. The Merlin powered P-82B were in serial number range 44-65160- 44-65179.
 
Explain the noses being from Merlin powered Twin Mustangs? The Allison powered F-82E day fighters had 12 exhaust stacks (that were unshrouded) per side, and the supercharger intake mounted further back on the nose. Merlins had 6 shrouded exhaust stacks and the supercharger intake immediately behind the spinner.

Compare and contrast these photos:



Unless it's one of the F-82 F/G/H night fighters that was used for this, but those were mostly painted black until after the start of the Korean War and doesn't explain the supercharger intake positioning.
 
I should note that in my search for good books on World War II aviation subjects that I'm interested in that the P/F-82 Twin Mustang book that came out last year (which I'm def. getting soon!), there is a section with photos that details various pods that the F-82 carried experimentally, including the machine gun pod, and the "RF-82" camera pod.
 
Wondering if there's any other photos out there? I know that SDASM has quite a few related to this project that I'll be buying in maybe a month in a half.
 

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