F-82F/F-82G/F-82H Twin Mustang
These were variants of the F-82E, with a number of upgrades. A nacelle beneath the center wing housed radar equipment (F-82F's AN/APG-28 and F-82G's SCR-720C, the SCR-720 radar was not new, having been used by the Northrop P-61 Black Widow in WWII), automatic pilot was installed, and a radar operator replaced the second pilot. When winterization was added to the F or G, it became an F-82H. In late 1946, modification of two P-82Bs to C and D night interceptors had confirmed that all P-82s were much the same. All it took to convert the long-range escort into a single-place interceptor was to remove the controls and canopy from the right-hand cockpit. Adding interceptor components virtually completed the transformation.
The LC of February 1946 covered 250 P-82Es, bu the October contract gave the AAF the option to adjust requirements after completion of 100 planes. Moreover, the P-82 in November 1945 was already linked to an all-weather role, "assuming that yet-to-be held tests would show it to be adequate for that purpose." Testing soon showed that the P-82 was hard to manuver, decelerated slowly, and had poor pilot visibility. Still, the night fighter survived in early 1947, because there was little choice. If the year-old Air Defense Command (ADC) did not get the P-82, it would have nothing better than the P-61 while awaiting the P-87 and the P-89.
Slippage of F-82F and G deliveries was slight, since interceptor products was not due to start until the 100 F-82Es were completed. When the engine impasse was broken in early 1948, F-82s of all types started flowing in. All 250 F-82s were shop-completed by 30 April 1948, exactly 1 year after F-82s (minus engines) started piling up in storage.
By the end of the month, ADC had 29 F-82s. Five squadrons of the 52d and 325th All-Weather Wings flew F-82s in late 1949, but the combat capability of ADC (under the newly formed Continental Air Command (CONAC) since December 1948) was not much improved. In mid-December 1949, the Air Force began classifying its airplanes into first and second-line categories. The stipulated first-line life was 3 years from the time of delivery. Hence, the F-82E (available since the spring of 1948) would reach second-line status in 1951. This criterion was not applied to other F-82s. Based on Air Proving Ground's suitability tests, all F-82 interceptors were immediately relegated to second-line category.
Production ended in April 1948.
A total of 150 F-82s were accepted-91 F-82Fs, 45 F-82Gs, and 14 F-82Hs. These were in addition to the 100 F-82 escorts.
One F-82G was accepted in fiscal year 1948 (February 1948), all other F-82s (F, G, and H models) in fiscal year 1949. The last F-82G and 6 winterized F-82Hs were received in March 1949.
The flyaway cost per production model was the same as the F-8S2E- $215,154.
The first G was put into duty in early 1948, and production ended in 1949.
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