Tom Reilly’s XP-82 Twin Mustang Returns on The Market

One of the most extraordinary warbirds in the skies today, the prototype North American XP-82 Twin Mustang, meticulously restored by Tom Reilly, is now available again for purchase through Platinum Fighter Sales. This aircraft, serial number 44-83887, is one of only five surviving P-82 Twin Mustangs and the sole flying example in civilian hands. The long-awaited moment for aviation enthusiasts arrived on January 28th, 2019, when the XP-82 completed its first “official” post-restoration flight in Douglas, Georgia. Warbird pilot Ray Fowler skillfully guided the dual-seat, dual-fuselage fighter down the runway as its two Merlin engines powered counter-rotating propellers, lifting the aircraft into the sky. (Read here).

Restored to perfection by the renowned Tom Reilly, the XP-82 has accumulated 25 flight hours since the restoration was completed. Its excellence was recognized at EAA AirVenture 2019, where the aircraft won four prestigious awards, including Grand Champion Warbird – Post WWII, the Phoenix Award, and two Golden Wrenches. This ultra-rare warbird is now listed again by Platinum Fighter Sales, a leading company specializing in historic, vintage, and warbird aircraft for pilots and collectors alike. Watch the video montage below to see the XP-82 in action, compiled from iPhone clips.

Tom Reilly is a seasoned expert in warbird restoration. He previously owned the Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum in Kissimmee, Florida, until Hurricane Charlie devastated the facility in 2004. Currently, he leads The B-25 Group, a company specializing in restoring vintage warbirds to flight. Reilly is also sought after for warbird appraisals, which is how he came to acquire the Twin Mustang.

Though Tom had never been particularly interested in fighter planes, a visit to Walter A. Soplata—a passionate collector of anything with wings—in the early 1990s changed that. Reilly was assisting with the valuation of Soplata’s aircraft collection for IRS purposes when he stumbled upon a North American F-82 Twin Mustang. Instantly captivated by the plane, he expressed interest in purchasing it, but lacked the funds at the time. In 1997, after selling a B-25 and finding himself with the necessary cash, Tom reached out to Walter to inquire about the F-82, only to discover it had been sold just two days earlier. Disappointed, Reilly resigned himself to the idea that he would never own the plane of his dreams.

Despite this setback, Tom continued working with the Soplatas, and later that same year, while appraising a Republic F-84 Thunderstreak at their Ohio home, he discovered what appeared to be a Mustang fuselage buried under some corrugated metal sheeting. When he mentioned it to Walter, he was surprised to learn that it was actually a prototype for the Twin Mustang. Though Walter wasn’t ready to sell, he promised Tom the first option when the time came. With visions of restoring the Twin Mustang, Reilly began searching for parts and investors for what would inevitably be a costly restoration project. The XP-82, serial number 44-83887, was one of only two prototypes for the series, and early production models with dual controls were extremely rare. After just 20 production planes, the design was modified to have single-cockpit pilot controls, with weapons and radar control in the second cockpit due to the military’s changing needs after World War II.

Even without a deal in place or a clear idea of the costs involved, Reilly scoured the globe for parts that would fit this unique aircraft. Leveraging his extensive network within the warbird restoration community, he located a crashed F-82 in Alaska and several other parts in South Florida. Tom secured conditional agreements to hold these parts, ensuring that if he could purchase the fuselage and other P-82 parts from the Soplatas, he would have nearly a complete P-82.

In April 2008, the Soplatas finally called, and Reilly quickly traveled to Ohio to negotiate the purchase. By July, the restoration project was in full swing. One of the biggest early challenges was finding a left-hand-turning Merlin engine and propeller for the second fuselage. Remarkably, a brand-new engine was discovered in Mexico City, and Tom enlisted Vintage V-12s of Tehachapi, California, to rebuild both a right-hand and a left-hand turning engine. He also hired MT Propeller of Germany to build two composite propellers, one left and one right.

Finding the second cockpit with flight controls proved to be a significant challenge, but piece by piece, Tom has managed to locate what’s needed. Despite the difficulties, through perseverance and sheer luck, he brought the XP-82 back to flying condition. Fabricating parts from scratch when necessary, Tom and his team have transformed what was once a collection of parts and a pile of scrap into what will soon be a pristine example of a plane many believed could never be restored.

The F-82 Twin Mustang The F-82 Twin Mustang was the last propeller-driven fighter to be produced in large numbers by the U.S. Air Force. Although it looks like two P-51 Mustang fuselages joined together, the F-82 was actually a completely new design. It featured a pilot and a co-pilot/navigator to help reduce fatigue during long-range bomber escort missions. Production deliveries began in early 1946, too late for World War II service. After the war, the Air Defense Command used radar-equipped F-82Gs to replace the P-61 night fighter. During the Korean War, F-82Gs based in Japan were among the first USAF aircraft to operate over Korea. On June 27, 1950, all-weather F-82Gs shot down the first three North Korean planes destroyed by U.S. forces. Of the 273 F-82s produced, 20 were F-82Bs. One of these, known as Betty-Jo, set a record on February 27-28, 1947, by flying non-stop from Hawaii to New York—a distance of 5,051 miles—the longest flight ever made by a propeller-driven fighter. Betty-Jo was added to the museum’s collection in 1957.