North American XP-82 Twin Mustang 44-83887

A twin-fuselage aircraft has two main

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French language, French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds Aircrew, crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an Aircraft engine, engine as wel ...

s. It is distinct from the

twin-boom A twin-boom aircraft has two longitudinal auxiliary spars, or “auxiliary booms” , that may contain ancillary components such as fuel tanks and/or provide a supporting structure for other items. Typically, twin tailbooms support the tail ...

configuration which has a single main fuselage with two subsidiary boom structures. Twin fuselages have been adopted for various reasons, and a few types have entered production.

Early seaplanes

A twin-float arrangement offers stability on the water without the need for wing tip stabilising floats. Mounting the float immediately below, or integrally with, the fuselage provides a strong airframe with minimal additional weight. During and after World War I a number of such twin-fuselage

floatplane A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, ...

s and twin-hulled

flying boat A flying boat is a type of seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in having a fuselage that is purpose-designed for flotation, while floatplanes rely on fuselage-mounted floats for buoyancy. Though ...

s were constructed, and a few entered production. As early as 1913, the Radley-England Waterplane racing flying boat demonstrated the concept at the hands of pilot Gordon England. The Twin Blackburn of 1915 was a long-range floatplane for anti-Zeppelin patrol. A handful of production examples were delivered but few were used operationally.

Savoia-Marchetti SIAI-Marchetti was an Italian aircraft manufacturer primarily active during the interwar period. History The original company was founded during 1915 as SIAI (''Società Idrovolanti Alta Italia'' – Seaplane Company of Upper Italy). As sugge ...

produced two twin-hulled flying boat types. The S.55 multirole flying boat first flew in 1924. It was built in large numbers, including both civil and military variants. The later S.66 airliner of 1931 sold less well.

The heavy bomber

During WWI, Caproni introduced one of the first production landplanes to feature twin fuselages, in the Ca.4 heavy bomber, manufacturing around 50 aircraft in a range of variants.

The heavy glider tug

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

the need arose for a heavy glider tug capable of towing the large

Gotha Go 242 The Gotha Go 242 was a transport glider used by the ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II. It was an upgrade over the DFS 230 in both cargo/troop capacity and flight characteristics. It saw limited combat action. There were multiple glider variant ...

and even larger Messerschmitt Me 321 Gigant. The

Heinkel He 111Z The Heinkel He 111 is a German airliner and medium bomber designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter at Heinkel Flugzeugwerke in 1934. Through development, it was described as a wolf in sheep's clothing. Due to restrictions placed on Germany afte ...

''Zwilling'' (twin) was created by joining two He 111 fuselages with a new wing centre section and adding a fifth central engine. Although liked by its pilots when it first flew in 1941, even the 111Z could not tow a fully laden Gigant, and although a small batch became operational they saw little action. A few variants were developed for roles such as long-range reconnaissance or air-launched anti-ship missile carrier, but none entered service.

Heavy fighters

During

a need arose for a heavy fighter, which could not be met by a new design proposal in a reasonable time frame. Joining two examples of an existing light fighter aircraft was one way to achieve this. The German

Messerschmitt Bf 109Z Due to the Messerschmitt Bf 109's versatility and time in service with the German and foreign air forces, numerous variants were produced in Germany to serve for over eight years with the Luftwaffe. Additional variants were produced abroad total ...

twin ''(Zwilling)'' Bf 109 prototype was destroyed in an attack by the British in 1943 before it was completed, and the project subsequently abandoned. The later Me 609 twin Me 309 project was never built. In 1944 Dornier proposed the Dornier Do 635 long-range reconnaissance variant of the Do 335 Pfeil heavy fighter, to have twin Do 335 fuselages and four engines. It was never built. The Italian Savoia-Marchetti SM.92 prototype was unusual in being an adaptation of a twin-boom design but did not enter production. The

North American F-82 Twin Mustang The North American F-82 Twin Mustang is an American long-range escort fighter aircraft, fighter. Based on the North American P-51 Mustang, the F-82 was designed as an escort for the Boeing B-29 Superfortress in World War II, but the war ended ...

arrived too late to enter service during the War but later saw service in the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

Space launchers

More recently the idea of a dedicated re-usable large

mothership A mother ship, mothership or mother-ship is a large vehicle that leads, serves, or carries other smaller vehicles. A mother ship may be a maritime ship, aircraft, or spacecraft. Examples include bomber aircraft, bombers converted to carry exp ...

, capable of carrying and launching a spacecraft, has gained interest. The twin fuselage configuration offers the advantage of a clean payload area underneath the wing centre section, without the need for exceptional ground clearance beneath the fuselages. Early concepts included the

Conroy Virtus The Conroy Virtus was a proposed American large transport aircraft intended to carry the Space Shuttle. Designed, beginning in 1974, by John M. Conroy of the Turbo-Three Corporation, it was to incorporate a pair of Boeing B-52 Stratofortress f ...

and Twin-fuselage

Lockheed C-5 Galaxy The Lockheed C-5 Galaxy is a large military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed, and now maintained and upgraded by its successor, Lockheed Martin. It provides the United States Air Force (USAF) with a heavy ...

Shuttle transport aircraft of 1974. Following the success of the

Scaled Composites White Knight The Scaled Composites Model 318 White Knight (now also called ''White Knight One'') is a jet-powered carrier aircraft that was used to launch its companion SpaceShipOne, an experimental spaceplane. The White Knight and SpaceShipOne were designed b ...

prototype the White Knight Two is under development, with the first example being used to flight-test the

SpaceShipTwo The Scaled Composites Model 339 SpaceShipTwo (SS2) was an air-launched suborbital spaceplane type designed for space tourism. It was manufactured by The Spaceship Company, a California-based company owned by Virgin Galactic. SpaceShipTwo was ...

suborbital passenger craft. The

Scaled Composites Stratolaunch The Scaled Composites Model 351 Stratolaunch or Roc is an aircraft built by Scaled Composites for Stratolaunch Systems to carry air-launch-to-orbit (ALTO) rockets, and subsequently repurposed to offer air launch hypersonic flight testing a ...

, informally known as the '' Roc'', has the longest wingspan of any aircraft ever flown, at . It is owned by

Stratolaunch Systems Stratolaunch LLC is a private American aerospace company providing high-speed flight test services. It was founded in 2011 to develop a new air-launched space transportation system, with its corporate headquarters in Seattle. The company and ...

, who are currently developing the air-launched spacecraft envisaged as its payload. NASA have flown a scaled-down demonstrator of a rocket-assisted Towed glider air-launch system, in which the laden twin-fuselage mothership is towed to altitude as a glider and released. Its rocket engine then ignites, propelling it to a speed and altitude greater than those of the tow plane. The payload spacecraft is then released.

Significant one-offs

The Fouga CM.88 Gemeaux is constructed from two Fouga CM.8 gliders. It was used as an engine testbed for many years, with either a single engine mounted centrally above the wing or twin engines above each fuselage. The Boerboon & Coller Yak-110 is an aerobatic type conceived to be eyecatchingly different. Featuring twin Yak-55 fuselages with a third, centrally-mounted jet engine, it is the only trimotor cleared for unlimited aerobatics and performs at events in the USA.

List of twin-fuselage aircraft

Dates given are of first flight or, for those which never flew, of project announcement. , - , Anadva Type V.H. , , Russia , , Propeller , , Light bomber , , 1916 , , Prototype , , 3 , , aka Анадва тип В.Х. The first two prototypes were land-based, the third was fitted with floats. , - , Belyayev DB-LK , , USSR , , Propeller , , Bomber , , 1940 , , Prototype , , 1 , , , - , Bestetti BN.1 , , Italy , , Propeller , , Private , , 1940 , , , , , , Sportplane. , - , Blackburn T.B. , , UK , , Propeller , , Patrol , , 1915 , , Production , , 9 , , Floatplane. , - , Blériot 125 , , France , , Propeller , , Transport , , 1931 , , Prototype , , 1 , , 12 seat airliner. , - , Boerboon & Coller Yak-110 , , USA , , Mixed , , Private , , 2018 , , Operational , , 1 , , Two joined Yakovlev Yak-55s. Trimotor with two tractor props and one jet engine. , - , Caproni Ca.4 , , Italy , , Propeller , , Bomber and transport , , 1915 , , Production , , 44+ , , Series of types. , - , Climate Impulse , , Switzerland , , Propeller , , Experimental, , 2025 , , Prototype , , 1 , , Hydrogen powered twin-engined monoplane, intended to make a non-stop circumnavigation. Currently under construction. , - ,

, , USA , , Propeller , , Transport , , 1974 , , Project , , 0 , , Shuttle transport , - ,

DARPA The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military. Originally known as the Adva ...

General Atomics Liberty Lifter , , USA , , Propeller , , Transport , , 2022 , , Project , , 0 , , Design proposal, lost to competitor. , - , Dornier Do 635 , , Germany , , Propeller , , Fighter , , 1944 , , Project , , 0 , , Twin Dornier Do 335 Pfeil proposal. , - , Twin Ercoupe , , USA , , Propeller , , , , 1946 , , , , 1 , , Twin ERCO Ercoupe one-off conversion. , - , Fauvel AV.28 , , France , , Propeller , , Fighter , , 1940 , , Project , , 0 , , Two-seater twin-engine fighter project. , - , Fokker K.I , , Germany , , Propeller , , , , 1915 , , Prototype , , 1 , , ''Kampfflugzeug'' (twin fuselage with nacelle) , - , Fouga CM.88 Gemeaux , , France , , Jet , , Experimental , , 1951 , , Operational , , 1 , , Twin Cyclope, jet engine testbed, 2 built , - , General Aircraft Twin Hotspur , , UK , , Glider , , Experimental , , 1942 , , , , 1 , , Twin

General Aircraft Hotspur The General Aircraft GAL.48 Hotspur was a military glider designed and built by the British company General Aircraft Limited, General Aircraft Ltd during World War II. When the British airborne forces, airborne establishment was formed in 1940 ...

, - , Goodhart ''Newbury Manflier'' , , UK , , Propeller , , Experimental , , 1979 , , Prototype , , 1 , , A two-place human-powered aircraft, by Nicholas Goodhart. 138 ft wingspan, and each pilot sitting in fuselages 70 ft apart. , - ,

, , Germany , , Propeller , , Utility , , 1941 , , Production , , 15 , , Glider tug. Variant of the He 111. , - , KZHBV ASC , , USSR , , Propeller , , Utility , , 1935 , , Prototype , , 1 , , Amphibious flying boat. , - , Labourdette-Halbronn H.T.1 , , France , , Propeller , , Torpedo bomber , , 1918 , , Prototype , , 1 , , Flying boat. One H.T.1 (1918) flown.Davilla, J.; ''French aircraft of the first World War'' (2002), Flying Machines Press, Page 287 , - , Labourdette-Halbronn H.T.2 , , France , , Propeller , , Torpedo bomber , , 1919 , , Prototype , , 2 , , Flying boat. Two H.T.2 (1919) flown. , - , Twin fuselage

, , USA , , Jet , , Transport , , 1974 , , Project , , 0 , , Shuttle transport aircraft proposal. , - ,

, , Germany , , Propeller , , Fighter , , 1943 , , Project , , 0 , , Twin Bf 109 prototype. Destroyed while under construction. , - , Messerschmitt Me 609 , , Germany , , Propeller , , Fighter , , 1941 , , Project , , 0 , , Twin Me 309 proposal.Green, W.; ''Warplanes of the Third Reich'', Macdonald and Jane's, 1970. , - ,

, , USA , , Propeller , , Fighter , , 1945 , , Production , , 272 , , Long-range. , - ,

Pipistrel Taurus G4 The Pipistrel Taurus is a Slovenian self-launched two-seat microlight Glider (sailplane), glider designed and built by Pipistrel.Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 65. ...

, , Slovenia , , Propeller , , Experimental , , 2011 , , Prototype , , 1 , , Electric aircraft. Winner of the 2011 Green Flight Challenge. , - , Radley-England Waterplane , , UK , , Propeller , , Racing Aircraft , , 1913 , , Prototype , , 1 , , Damaged, rebuilt in modified form as Waterplane 2. , - , Ricci R.1 , , Italy , , Propeller , , , , 1917 , , Prototype , , , , Flying-boat , - , Savoia-Marchetti S.55 , , Italy , , Propeller , , Multirole , , 1924 , , Production , , 243+ , , Flying boat. , - , Savoia-Marchetti S.66 , , Italy , , Propeller , , Transport , , 1931 , , Production , , 24 , , Flying boat. , - , Savoia-Marchetti SM.92 , , Italy , , Propeller , , Fighter , , 1943 , , Prototype , , 1 , , , - , Scaled Composites Model 348 White Knight Two , , USA , , Jet , , Spacecraft launcher , , 2008 , , Prototype , , 1 , , , - , Scaled Composites Model 351 Roc , , USA , , Jet , , Spacecraft launcher , , 2019 , , Prototype , , 1 , , Launcher for ''Stratolaunch'' spacecraft. , - ,

Snead LRH __NOTOC__ The Snead LRH was a proposed amphibious transport glider design for the US Navy during World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two ...

, , USA , , Glider , , Experimental , , 1942 , , Prototype , , 1 , , Military twin-hull amphibious glider. Abandoned before completion. , - , SSAKTB SL-2P , , Lithuania , , Glider , , Experimental , , 1987 , , Prototype , , 1 , , Flying laboratory, made from two LET L-13 Blaník gliders. , - , Thomas-Morse MB-4 , , USA , , Propeller , , Utility , , 1920 , , Prototype , , 2+ , , Mail plane , - , Towed glider air-launch system , , USA , , , , Spacecraft launcher , , 2013 , , Project , , 0 , , NASA Dryden , - , Tupolev ANT-22 , , USSR , , Propeller , , , , 1934 , , Prototype , , 1 , , Flying boat. , - , Voisin Type O , , France , , Propeller , , , , 1914 , , Prototype , , 1 , , Made by merging two Voisin Type M aircraft. , - , Wagner Twin Cub , , USA , , Propeller , , , , 1952 , , Prototype , , 1 , , Twin

Piper Cub The Piper J-3 Cub is an American light aircraft that was built between 1938 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. The aircraft has a simple, lightweight design which gives it good low-speed handling properties and short-field performance. The Cub is P ...

one-off conversion. , - , Wight Twin Seaplane , , UK , , Propeller , , , , 1916 , , Prototype , , 4 , , Variant of the Wight Twin Landplane of twin boom configuration. {{Reflist