Author: Alan C Carey Publisher: Pen and Sword ISBN: 1783462213 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 127
Book Description
One of the most unusual and remarkable American fighter aircraft, the F-82 Twin Mustang was the last mass production propeller-driven fighter acquired by the U.S. Air Force. Originally intended as a very long-range fighter escort for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress during World War II, it arrived too late to see combat and evolved into a night and all-weather fighter during the post-war years. Combat operations in the Korean War followed, along with a host of other dynamic episodes of deployment. This work traces the developmental, operational, and combat history of this unique American fighter and features 120 photographs and illustrations, many of which have never been published before.??Seven chapters, all extensively illustrated, cover the aircraft's development, descriptions of the variants and sub-types, details of initial entry into service, three chapters covering the F-82's service in the Korean War, and a final chapter detailing the type's removal from the Korean War Theatre in February 1952, to see out its operational days in the Alaskan Air Defence Command.??An appendix section follows, featuring tables of the different variants, an illustrated list of known nose art applied to F-82s, and an entry of losses suffered in the Korean War. All these additional details bring new points of interest to the popular Images of War format, making for a richer, more informative reading experience.??Focussing on an overlooked type, deployed in a conflict often side-lined within mainstream war histories, this publication offers a much deserved platform upon which to appreciate this dynamic and immensely interesting aircraft.
Author: Rene Francillon Publisher: Bookbaby ISBN: 9782490489022 Category : Languages : en Pages : 202
Book Description
"Sired by the English out of an American mother, the Mustang has had no parent in the Army Air Corps or at Wright field to appreciate and push its good points," as Major Thomas Hitchcock, then Assistant Military Air Attaché in London, wrote on 8 October 1942. But the British contribution to the Mustang goes beyond providing the Merlin engine that turned the P-51 into the key escort fighter for the B-17s and B-24s over Germany. As per René J Francillon usual hallmarks, this aircraft's history is placed in the context of the international relations and tensions that led to its conception, and of its first customer, the Royal Air Force, operations during World War II, from the low level reconnaissance missions over Fortress Europe to the higher performance of Mustang IIIs and IVs that challenged the Luftwaffe in its lair. This first Volume (covering E-books vol. I+II) of the two-part Mustang history contains more than 390 photographs over its 195 high-quality glossy paper pages and adresses: 1) the development of all the Mustang and Twin Mustang versions including the wartime two-seaters, the post-war revivals for counterinsurgency operations; 2) the operations during World War II of RAF and Commonwealth air forces units; 3) the listing for each country (twenty eight air forces, excluding the RAF and the USAAF/USAF), that have had the P-51 in their inventory, in various quantities; 4) a technical description of the P-51D, the performances of all versions; 5) a four-view plan of the Malcom-hooded P-51B/C are provided, along with the list of all production batches, manufacturer contracts and air force serials. A separate second Volume (covering E-books III+IV) covers the US government operations (USAAF/USAF and NACA/NASA), Korean War operations of all countries involved, as well as the civilian racers and warbirds.
Author: United States Air Force Publisher: Lulu.com ISBN: 1935327224 Category : Languages : en Pages : 79
Book Description
The F-82 ¿Twin Mustang¿ was conceived during WWII as a long-range fighter escort. Like the P-51, it was designed by North American's brilliant engineer, Edgar Schmued. The F-82 utilized two extended P-51 fuselages, mounted to a newly- designed center wing and tail. The plane incorporated new propeller assemblies and a unique, four-wheel landing gear. In short, while the plane would be cosmetically similar to the Mustang, in reality it was an entirely new beast. The F-82 wasn¿t ready before WWII ended, but the program escaped cancellation, and planes entered operational service in 1948. The F-82 became the last piston- powered fighter ordered by the USAF. It flew as an escort for SAC B-29s, and with distinction as a night fighter in Korea. It was retired in 1953. Originally printed by the USAF and North American, this pilot¿s handbook provides a glimpse inside the cockpit of this warbird. Originally classified ¿Restricted¿, the manual was de-classified and is here reprinted in book form.
Author: Stan Spooner Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 1780964277 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 84
Book Description
The North American P-51 Mustang had a humble genesis as a British request for single engine escort fighters but became, arguably, World War II's most important fighter aircraft. It had incredible endurance, fantastic maneuverability and excellent high-altitude performance, and served throughout World War II and beyond. This aircraft is one that holds a great deal of interest for many modellers around the world. This book takes the modeller from the aircraft's beginnings to the ultimate manifestation of this elegant and deadly bird, the F-82 G/H Twin Mustang. Special attention is paid to painting both both interiors and exteriors, with a wide range of different schemes used.
Author: Rene Francillon Publisher: Aerosphere Research ISBN: 9782490489039 Category : Languages : en Pages : 222
Book Description
All the US forces use of the P-51 Mustang and its stable mate, the P-82 Twin Mustang, are detailed throughout the various theater of operations with the quality coverage one can expect from Rene J Francillon. Mustang and derivatives successes and failures in US Cleveland to Reno air races, as well as a selection of warbirds, ensure that this second and last volume of the history of these remarkable aircraft absolutely comprehensive, containing over 300 photographs, more than 140 of them in color, and with unit tables and operating locations of each and every unit for wartime in World War II and Korea (including South African and Australian air force operations) as well as peacetime in the Air National Guard and US Air Force. North American Aviation created the P-51 Mustang out of a British requirement for a fighter that could hold its own against the Luftwaffe. René Francillon, after having detailed the Mustang's infancy then service with both RAF and foreign air forces, covers in this second and final volume (spanning ebooks III & IV) the P-51 and P-82 operational service with all the US service branches and administrations. Though the Mustang became one of the few World War II legendary fighters, it started its operational service more inconspicuously. Indeed Sired by the English out of an American mother, the Mustang has had no parent in the Army Air Corps or at Wright field to appreciate and push its good points, as Major Thomas Hitchcock, then Assistant Military Air Attaché in London, wrote on 8 October 1942. Willy-nilly, the United States Army Air Force used its Allison-powered Mustang at low altitude where this engine performed the best. Thus the first US variants of the Mustang, the P-51-2s and A-36s, equipped tactical reconnaissance/fighter-bomber and dive-bombing squadrons in the Mediterranean theater of operations. Having a lesser drag compared to other allied fighter, thanks to its supercritical wing and engine cooling system, the Mustang made a quantum leap in performance with the switch to the Rolls Royce Merlin engine. Medium and high altitudes were now where it excelled. The increased fuel capacity made it ideally suited to escort the heavies of the Mighty Eighth over Germany during the critical bombing campaign prior to D-Day in Normandy. From then on, the ''Little Friends'' would forever reside in our collective memory for their deeds over Europe. On the other side of the globe, the China-India-Burma theater of operations also required long-legged fighters. After relinquishing its shark-mouthed P-40s upon creation of the 14th Air Force, the Flying Tigers, and the mixed Chinese American Composite Wing, flew P-51Bs and Cs successfully against their nimble Japanese opponents. Attacking the Empire of the Sun was no mean feat for the B-29s crews of the the far flung bomber shore bases of Guam or Saipan. The Mustang rose to the challenge of astounding 14-hour long escort missions, over water most of the time, from Iwo Jima. Unfortunately, peace did not last long as war in Korea started in 1953, the Twin Mustang rising to the challenge of long range operation from Japan. Once again Mustang were called to the rescue of the UN forces and this time, being no match to the fighter jets used by both sides, they excelled in the tactical reconnaissance and ground support roles. Old soldiers never die, they only fade away and Mustangs were no exception. NACA/NASA and racers presented an opportunity for these legendary aircraft to further aviation technology. Warbirds all over the world ensure that they will not be forgotten, the magic Merlin engine sound still echoing today in multiple air shows.
Author: Warren Thompson Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 1472808681 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 212
Book Description
By the time the Korean War erupted, the F-51 Mustang was seen as obsolete, but that view quickly changed when the USAF rushed 145 of them to the theatre in late 1950. They had the endurance to attack targets in Korea from bases in Japan, where the modern F-86 fighters and other jets did not. Rather than the interceptor and escort fighter roles the Mustang had performed during World War 2, in the Korean War they were assigned to ground attack missions – striking at communist troop columns advancing south. This is the chronicle of the Mustang units that fought in the Korean War, detailing the type's involvement in a series of intense actions, its successes and its considerable losses. Drawing on meticulous research and gripping first-hand accounts from aircrew, this book explains how the faithful Mustang was able to roll back the years, fight, and prove itself in a new era of aerial warfare.
Author: Daniel Haulman Publisher: University of Georgia Press ISBN: 1588385418 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 148
Book Description
Once an obscure piece of World War II history, the Tuskegee Airmen are now among the most celebrated and documented aviators in military history. With this growth in popularity, however, have come a number of inaccurate stories and assumptions. Misconceptions about the Tuskegee Airmen refutes fifty-five of these myths, correcting the historical record while preserving the Airmen’s rightful reputation as excellent servicemen. The myths examined include: the Tuskegee Airmen never losing a bomber to an enemy aircraft; that Lee Archer was an ace; that Roscoe Brown was the first American pilot to shoot down a German jet; that Charles McGee has the highest total combat missions flown; and that Daniel “Chappie” James was the leader of the “Freeman Field Mutiny.” Historian Daniel Haulman, an expert on the Airmen with many published books on the subject, conclusively disproves these misconceptions through primary documents like monthly histories, daily narrative mission reports, honor-awarding orders, and reports on missing crews, thereby proving that the Airmen were praiseworthy, even without embellishments to their story.
Author: Ray Wagner Publisher: Smithsonian Institution ISBN: 1588344282 Category : History Languages : en Pages : 257
Book Description
Mustang Designer tells the story of American wartime fighter development, including engines and armaments, as part of a nationwide program of aircraft builders and fliers, focusing on Edgar Schmued, the designer of the Mustang. The P-51 Mustang is widely regarded as the best propeller-driven fighter that ever flew. What many might not realize is that the plane's developer was a German migrant. This book tells of how Schmued created a weapon that would ultimately prove lethal to the aspirations of those who had seized control over his native land.