This is the Twin Mustang which amazingly flew 5000 miles non-stop from Hawaii to New York in February 1947. The P/F-82B was an early variant which was retired from USAF service in 1949. Given the markings and the snow, the photo seems to have been taken in late 1948 or 1949 at an airport with TWA service. 44-65168 was used by NACA in the 1950s, coded EFQ-168. Its last flight to the USAF Museum in Dayton was in summer, on 21 June 1957. Photo from: US Air Force

This slide was taken at the outdoor aircraft display area at the original museum on Patterson AFB. The a/c is currently on display in the current museum. On 27-28 February 1947 this F-82B flew nonstop from Hickam Field, HI. to LaGuardia Field in New York City. In 1950 through 1957 it was assigned to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, where it was used for testing ramjets. It was damaged in June 1957 and was transferred to the museum.

Delivered to the USAF as P-82B 44-65162 in 1947. Redesignated as an F-82B in 1948. Withdrawn from use in 1949. Preserved at Lackland, TX from 1955. To the Confederate Air Force as N12102 in 1968 and returned to airworthy condition. Damaged in an accident at Harlingen in 1987 and stored. Returned to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in 2009.

Now part of the collection of the USAF Museum

Designed for long range bomber escort, this second XP-82 was accepted by the US Air Force as 44-83887 on September 11, 1945, just after the end of WWII. Used by North American for the type's development until March 1946, the aircraft was assigned to NACA (forerunner to NASA) in 1947. Damaged after sliding off an icy runway in February 1950, it was sold to collector Walter Soplata as scrap in the mid-50s. One of the few aircraft to be let out of his collection, in 2008 the Twin Mustang began a 10 year restoration and flew again in December 31, 2018.

Although named a 'Mustang' the F-82 has only a superficial stretched resemblance to a P-51 Mustang as it was, in fact, a totally new design and the last prop fighter to be ordered in numbers by the USAF. This F-82 on display at the National Museum of the USAF was built as a B-model but has been modified to a G- and painted as the aircraft flown by Lts. Charles Moran, pilot, and Fred Larkins, radar observer, 68th F(AW)S, when they shot down a North Korean La-7 on 27th June 1950 over Kimpo AB.

The F-82 was the last American piston-engine fighter ordered into production by the USAF but had a rather short operational life being phased our in favour of the F-84 Thunderjet. Intended for long-range escort it arrived too late for WWII but did see action in the Korean War. In Feb. 1947 ' Betty Joe' flew nonstop from Hawaii to New York without refueling, this remains as the longest nonstop flight ever made by a propeller-driven fighter. She arrived at the National Museum of the USAF in 1957.

A North American F-82F night fighter at Hamilton Field.

Exhibited wearing the night fighter markings of the 68th All Weather Squadron, 5th Air Force, Korea, circa 1950.

Twin Mustang preserved in the markings of 68 AWS, 5 AF, Korea in the early 1950s.

The extraordinary Twin Mustang was designed as a very long range escort fighter but was too late for WWII service and was rendered obsolete by the advent of the F-84 Thunderjet, although it did play a part in the initial stages of the Korean War. Early versions could be flown from either side but late models from the left only, with radar operator in the right. One of only five known survivors of the 270 built, preserved at the USAF History and Traditions Museum at Lackland AFB