Platz 1/144 F-82F/G Twin Mustang

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 Kimpo Airfield by the USAF 68th Fighter Squadron.

Several airframes are extant in the US. None are the night fighter version. The aircraft portrayed as such at the USAF museum is actually an F-82B.

In conjunction with F-Toys, Platz has released a very nice kit of the Twin Mustang for 1/144 modelers. You would expect the kit to be relatively simple and it is. There is a cockpit for each side with a pilot blob in each seat. The wing is in one piece with a slot already formed for the radar pod. To build the E model, that slot will need to be filled.

Two fuselage halves are provided for each side and the prop is a single piece along with the spinner. A cap is provided to allow the prop to spin when trapped in the fuselage halves. Though there is no stand, closed gear is an option. THe lower intakes are separate bits that slot into the lower wing once it is attached. Single mold main gear/door pieces are given and you get tail wheel wells complete with doors into which the tail gear is installed. Each cockpit canopy is a single piece.

Instructions are quite simple, consisting of six steps. Three markings options are provided. One is 'Night Takeoff' an F-82G with the 319 FS in Korea while the other G model is with the 5th FS. This has the blue tail with yellow stars. The blue will need to be painted here and on the wing tips. The lone F-82E is with the 449 FS and is unpainted metal with large 'Arctic' red areas on the wings and tail section. The gaps in the red where the markings are to be applied are provided on the decal sheet, though perhaps masking would work better. The decals are very nicely done and it does appear that there are enough insignia to do any two planes.  

This is a very nice addition to the growing lineup of 1/144 kits from Platz and other manufacturers. If you have not built one of these kits, I think you will be properly surprised at how nice they really are.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_F-82_Twin_Mustang

February 2016

Copyright ModelingMadness.com

Thanks to me for picking this one up.

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and fairly quickly, please contact the editor or see other details in the Note toContributors.

Back to the Main Page

Back to the Previews Index Page