The
North American F-82 Twin Mustang was the last American piston-engine fighter ordered into production by the
United States Air Force. Based on the
P-51 Mustang, the F-82 was originally designed as a long-range escort fighter in World War II; however, the war ended well before the first production units were operational.In the postwar era, Strategic Air Command used the planes as a long-range escort fighter. Radar-equipped F-82s were used extensively by the Air Defense Command as replacements for the
Northrop P-61 Black Widow as all-weather day/night interceptors. During the
Korean War, Japan-based F-82s were among the first USAF aircraft to operate over Korea. The first three North Korean aircraft destroyed by U.S. forces were shot down by F-82s, the first being a North-Korean
Yak-11 downed over
Gimpo Airfield by the USAF
68th Fighter Squadron.