Two Fighters Bolted Together - North American F-82 Twin Mustang

The famous P-51 Mustang was considered the best piston-engined fighter of World War II, but it had one flaw. It couldn’t fly over 2,000 miles - the distance needed to be covered to serve as an escort for some of the longest missions over the Pacific. To solve this issue, designers from the North American Aviation company would use the Mustang to design a brand new long-range escort fighter with a unique feature. This new aircraft would mate two P-51 fuselages with a common center wing.

The F-82, better known as Twin Mustang, was produced too late to enter combat during World War II. However, it became a star at the beginning of the Korean War, after winning the conflict’s first air-to-air victory.

The success of the F-82 success was short-lived, doomed from the beginning to operate as a short-term stop-gap aircraft. Other jet-powered fighters quickly replaced it as a bomber escort. But the Twin Mustang remains an icon thanks to an innovative design and for exceeding all expectations during the Korean War...