"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/03/2020 at 09:38 • Filed to: Planelopnik
7
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"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn)
09/03/2020 at 09:38 • Filed to: Planelopnik | 7
| 39 |
The only airworthy P-82 Twin Mustang in existence is up for sale, a nd it can be yours for the low low price of $12 million. It took 200,000 hours to restore this XP-82 Twin Mustang to factory-fresh condition, and the new airframe and fully restored Packard V-12 engines have only 25 hours on the clock.
The aircraft was originally built in 1944, at a time when the US was looking for a super long range escort for B-29 bomber raids over Japan. The war ended before the Twin Mustang could take part one the fray, but its extreme range, and the fact that the Cold War had started, meant that the Twin would be doing the same job for potential missions into the Soviet Union. The newly named F-82 served over Korea, and claimed the first aircraft show down by the US in that conflict, and as a night fighter. With the arrival of jet fighters, the Twin Mustang was retired in 1953.
jminer
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 10:11 |
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That seems a reasonable price if I’m being honest.
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ttyymmnn
> jminer
09/03/2020 at 10:24 |
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I think so. Imagine how much the insurance would cost, let alone the operating costs.
Future next gen S2000 owner
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 10:32 |
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WWII was a wild time for aircraft advancement. I feel like this is how conversations went.
Aircraft companies - You know the amazing fighter/bomber we just sold you 4 years ago that was cutting edge?
Generals - Yeah, its great.
Aircraft companies - It is now functionally obsolete. Other countries have planes that are far superior. We have a replacement plane that is leagues better for you to buy . This new one will be good for a solid 6-7 years. Probably.
The Ghost of Oppo
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 10:36 |
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I wonder what the reasoning was to go with the P-82 over trying to increase the range of the P-38. I’d think needing only 1 pilot would be a huge advantage
Dual Showman
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 10:49 |
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What’s a racing-prepped P-51: $5 M? This isn’t bad for 1 of 1.
user314
> Future next gen S2000 owner
09/03/2020 at 10:50 |
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Oh, that conversation happened, but I think you’re 5-10 years too early.
The conversation that led to the Twin ‘Stang was more like:
Generals - We need a plane that can fly from Linganyen to Tokyo and back, shoot down Zeros , and do it in the dark. We need this on the cheap though , preferably with an existing design.
NAA - So we can take the H model P-51, lengthen the fuselage a bit, and slap two of them together, that way the pilots can spell each other, and one can act as the navigator/radar operator.
Generals -
We’ll take 500!
InFierority Complex
> The Ghost of Oppo
09/03/2020 at 10:50 |
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Two pilots was a feature, not a bug. It was meant to reduce fatigue on long range missions as they could take breaks, share in navigation and whatnot. The night fighter specific versions has one side dedicated to flying and one dedicated to radar, however.
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ttyymmnn
> The Ghost of Oppo
09/03/2020 at 10:54 |
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What Lanciere said.
Brian, The Life of
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 10:55 |
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Ya it’s not like you’re tossing sun covers over the canopies and tying this down to store it outside. This thing is taking up a good chunk of spendy hangar space.
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ttyymmnn
> Dual Showman
09/03/2020 at 10:56 |
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And it’s an extraordinary restoration, too.
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ttyymmnn
> Brian, The Life of
09/03/2020 at 10:56 |
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If you have to ask, you can’t afford it.
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InFierority Complex
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 11:06 |
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The rest of their inventory is pretty great. From the Fiat trainers, a Dragon Rapide, to a Fairey Firefly. I think I’d take the Firefly out of all of them.
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ttyymmnn
> InFierority Complex
09/03/2020 at 11:10 |
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I haven’t checked out their inventory yet. And yeah, that Firefly is awesome.
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user314
> The Ghost of Oppo
09/03/2020 at 11:13 |
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user314
> Brian, The Life of
09/03/2020 at 11:14 |
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Eh, I’d think care and feeding are going to eat up far more cash than hangar rental.
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user314
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 11:14 |
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Somebody tell Tom Cruise....
NYankee1927
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 11:29 |
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TBH $ 12MM seems low after a restoration like that and the historical significance/rarity of that plane. Although the plane crowd is substantially smaller so it doesn’t have the mass appeal
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NYankee1927
> InFierority Complex
09/03/2020 at 11:31 |
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Man screw GA aircraft. This is where its at. How frickin cool would it be to fly your Corsair to the local airport by tracks.
facw
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 11:32 |
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I was thinking their $700k P-38 seemed like a bargain by comparison, but looking at the photos, it may be a little rough:
Darkbrador
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 11:34 |
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200,000 hours to restore ? That’d be 80+ years for one person 8 hours a day, counting vacations/weekends/sick days. Even with a large team, that seems high.
TheRealBicycleBuck
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 11:34 |
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I wonder if they’ll take a check. It’ll clear, I promise!
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facw
> Dual Showman
09/03/2020 at 11:37 |
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Not exactly race prepped but they have two P-51s on their site for $
1.9M and $2.5M
Grindintosecond
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 11:41 |
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That means 75 hours left before the heads come off for inspection/overhaul. Those engines were not meant to last for a thousand hours. The average expected life of a fighter plane then in WW2 was 25 hours. So the engines were built for performance, not long life. They are cans of worms those allisons and merlins. The blocks are now built from welded cracks, and the prestone is the only certified coolant and it corrodes the welds! It is a loosing battle. Only by the early 50's was the time between overhauls a minimum 650 hours, and that was the civilian transport version.
If you have to bargain the price, you cannot afford to even run it for an hour. this will be bought by a hedge fund manager or oil guy such as Rod Lewis, who owns Glacier Girl, plus LOTS of other cool stuff. Or maybe a wealthy collector, such as Kermit Weeks.
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ttyymmnn
> user314
09/03/2020 at 11:43 |
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But don’t tell Harrison Ford.
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ttyymmnn
> facw
09/03/2020 at 11:46 |
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Looking for a project plane? At what point does something move from a restoration to a reproduction?
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ttyymmnn
> Darkbrador
09/03/2020 at 11:47 |
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There were a lot of guys working on that thing, so I’m sure it’s a total man hour figure.
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user314
> TheRealBicycleBuck
09/03/2020 at 11:51 |
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You guys take post-dated checks, right? It’ll be good in 2050....
f86sabre
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 12:45 |
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Honestly, it should go for more when you compare it to what rare cars go for. I suppose fewer folks could enjoy it, but...
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f86sabre
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 12:46 |
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If I won the Lotto I would be out there building reproduction warbirds just for the heck of it.
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Brian, The Life of
> user314
09/03/2020 at 12:46 |
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Sure, it depends on what part of the coun try you’re in but I know in San Diego it’ll cost about $2K/mo to store this thing inside - unless you were to buy a $70K hangar instead of renting one.
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ttyymmnn
> f86sabre
09/03/2020 at 13:30 |
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I am intrigued by the question of restoration vs reproduction. Is there an official percentage of originality for that?
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user314
> Brian, The Life of
09/03/2020 at 13:32 |
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Oh, I know hangar costs are going to crazy, but at an average of $ 4.56/gal for 100LL, the XP-82 will run you a skosh over $2600 in gas alone. The engines and props were $500,000., and they’re going to need service in less than 75 flight-hours.
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Grindintosecond
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 14:14 |
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...
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Grindintosecond
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 14:14 |
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At a Michigan restoration facility, they are known to build entire new fuselages. All you have to do is supply an origional data plate to put on it. One man brought in an Oil tank. Factory origional. Had a data plate on it. and said, “Here! Build the rest of the missing parts!” and they built a full Mustang.
415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 14:32 |
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How many bedrooms?
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415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 14:36 |
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Yeah I follow a shop on Tumblr that makes pieces of warbirds and they make a lot of pieces. He made like half of a Corsair one time, not sure if they damage the racers and they have to replace bits sometimes. I am not sure all original planes are even safe to fly, they should build some reproductions to fly and update some internal components for safety, like putting disks on an giant drum car.
old-busted-hotness-still-cant-comment
> ttyymmnn
09/03/2020 at 14:45 |
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It bothers me that it’s not called the P-102
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f86sabre
> Grindintosecond
09/03/2020 at 21:08 |
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This is consistent with what I have seen in the aerospace repair sector. Starting with a data plate or doing a sliver repair, where you literally just have a sliver of a part and you attach it to a new assembly.
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415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°)
> ttyymmnn
09/05/2020 at 00:40 |
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https://rnoscustommetal.tumblr.com/
This guy has skills