XP-82 Twin Mustang restoration

[72modeler]

Does anybody have recent news/photos of Tom Reilly's XP-82 restoration? I can't seem to find anything on the website after January, 2019- surely the required flight hours for FAA certification have been done by now.

Mike

[Work In Progress]

The Facebook page says "This extremely rare Warbird will also be making its EAA AirVenture debut appearance at the EAA AirVenture airshow (EAA - The Spirit of Aviation) in 2019. That airshow will be taking place on Monday, July 22 to Sunday, July 28, 2019 at the Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin."

[72modeler]

Thanks, WIP! I sure hope there will be photos and videos of her! Now, if the MAAM will finish their P-61B pretty soon,  I will really be a happy camper!

Mike

[Ben Brown]

Check YouTube. I saw a couple of videos a few weeks ago of its first flight.

 

Ben

[72modeler]

21 minutes ago, Ben Brown said:

Check YouTube. I saw a couple of videos a few weeks ago of its first flight.

 

Ben

Saw those, Ben, but the first flight was quite a while back, and then they had to fly 15 hours successfully for the FAA to grant the airworthiness certificate; the website stated that the flights would not be public until they had been completed- I was just wondering why there had been no released photos, text, or videos since then.

Mike 

[Work In Progress]

There's a double page advertisement in Warbirds International offering it for sale. Asking price isn't given but scuttlebutt on WIX says $16m. Which is an interesting price point. It's outside the reach of most of the usual suspects but then again, they are not exactly falling off trees, and the total labour time expended (207,000 hours according to the advert, which is  about 107 working man-years), and cost of outsourced components, has to be absolutely horrific. Having flown it at Sun 'N' Fun and won Grand Champion Warbird I imagine they will aim to repeat that at Oshkosh and hope to close a sale over the summer based on those appearances. 

Also, I suspect they have been trying to get the undercarriage operation absolutely bulletproof. At S&F it was showing slight signs of distress (not fully locking up on one side, and tailwheel retraction either inop or disconnected)

[k5054nz]

9 hours ago, 72modeler said:

I was just wondering why there had been no released photos, text, or videos since then.

She appeared at the Sun 'n' Fun airshow a month or two ago. Perhaps the team has just been more focused on getting any bugs ironed out, as there have been plenty of photos from other parties. The WIX forum has been my main source of updates besides Tom's newsletters.

[Ben Brown]

18 hours ago, 72modeler said:

Saw those, Ben, but the first flight was quite a while back, and then they had to fly 15 hours successfully for the FAA to grant the airworthiness certificate; the website stated that the flights would not be public until they had been completed- I was just wondering why there had been no released photos, text, or videos since then.

Mike 

Ah, I see. I'm a little behind the power curve with this one! 😁

 

Ben

[72modeler]

Zac and Ben,

 

Thanks to you, I found some  videos of the XP-82 at the Recent Sun 'n' Fun airshow. The 2nd link shows it being towed on the ramp. Very pretty to see and hear! Looks like they were having issues with the tail wheel retraction mechanism, as they were fixed in the down position. IIRC, many of the postwar ANG and Korean War Mustangs had the tailwheel fixed down for the same reason. I hope many of you will enjoy the videos, and if you go to the website XP-82 Restoration, you can see the history, recovery, and step by step restoration of this very rare airplane. The fabrication and workmanship were incredible! There is an Allison-powered F-82E being restored to flight in Minnesota, but it is not nearly as far along. (There was one bit of misinformation in the first video- the P-82 was designed to escort B-29's in the Pacific, not Korea, although F-82E's were used in Korea and scored the first aerial victories for the USAF in that campaign.

Mike

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58Klj4vu39I

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0phMto-wvxw

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnqyflPNTvw

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_4aIl6cpCg

 

Edited June 17, 2019 by 72modeler
added link

[72modeler]

I'm hoping our resident warbird collector and pilot Rod Lewis, or the late Paul Allen's group will end up with her....it's going to take somebody with very deep pockets to build and maintain her...I can only imagine what two prop and engine inspections/overhauls would cost! Tom had stated from the beginning of the restoration that the airplane would be put up for sale. 'Way out of reach for the Collings Foundation, I fear. It will be interesting to see where she ends up! I remember when I was six that my Dad's office at Lackland AB had a framed NAA photo of her with the yellow spinners- 1954 as I recall, and there were two Twin Mustangs displayed outdoors at Lackland; one was an F-82E and the other was the P-82B that went to the CAF (Which I saw fly two times!) and then to the AFM.

Mike