North American B-25 Mitchell

By the time a separate [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] was established in 1947, most B-25s had been consigned to long-term storage.

However, a select number continued in service through the late 1940s and 1950s in a variety of training, reconnaissance and support roles.

Its principal use during this period was for undergraduate training of multi-engine aircraft pilots slated for reciprocating engine or turboprop cargo, aerial refueling or reconnaissance aircraft.

Still others were assigned to units of the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] in training roles in support of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] operations.

TB-25J-25-NC Mitchell, 44-30854, the last B-25 in the USAF inventory, assigned at [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], California as of March 1960, was flown to [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], Florida, from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], Georgia, on 21 May 1960, the last flight by a USAF B-25, and presented by Brig. Gen. A. J. Russell, Commander of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]'s 822nd Air Division at Turner AFB, to the Air
Proving Ground Center Commander, Brig. Gen. Robert H. Warren, who in turn presented the bomber to Valparaiso,
Florida Mayor Randall Roberts on behalf of the Niceville-Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce.

Four of the original Tokyo Raiders were present for the ceremony, Col. Davy Jones, Col. Jack Simms, Lt. Col. Joseph Manske, and retired Master Sgt. Edwin W. Horton.

Donated back to the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] circa 1974 and marked as Doolittle's 40-2344.

Today, many B-25s are kept in airworthy condition by air museums and collectors.

Empire State Building incident


On Saturday, 28 July 1945, at 0940 (while flying in thick [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]), a USAAF B-25D crashed into the north side of the Empire
State Building, hitting between the 79th and 80th floor.

Fourteen people were killed — 11 in the building, along with [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and the other two occupants of the bomber.

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], an elevator attendant, survived the impact and a subsequent accident with the elevator.

It was partly because of this incident that towers 1 and 2 of the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] were designed to withstand the impact of a [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] aircraft.

Variants



B-25

The first version of the B-25 delivered. No [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] were ordered.

The first nine aircraft were built with constant [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] angle. Due to low stability, the wing was redesigned so that the dihedral was eliminated on the outboard section. (Number made: 24.)


B-25A

Version of the B-25 modified to make it combat ready; additions included [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], crew armor, and an improved tail gunner station.
No changes were made in the armament. Re-designated obsolete (RB-25A designation) in 1942.
(Number made: 40.)


B-25B

Rear turret deleted; manned dorsal and remotely-operated ventral turrets added, each with a pair of .50 in (12.7 mm) [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

The ventral turret was retractable, but the increased drag still reduced the cruise speed by 30 mph (48 km/h). 23 were delivered to the RAF as the Mitchell Mk I.

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] flew B-25Bs on their famous mission. (Number made: 120.)

B 25 A , dessin sur airwar.ru. спасибо !

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B-25C


Improved version of the B-25B : powerplants upgraded from [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]-9 radials to R-2600-13s;
de-icing and anti-icing equipment added;
the navigator received a sighting blister;
nose armament was increased to two .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns,
one fixed and one flexible.

The B-25C model was the first mass-produced B-25 version; it was also used in the United Kingdom (as the Mitchell II), in Canada, China, the Netherlands, and the Soviet Union.

First mass-produced B-25 model. (Number made: 1,625.)

B 25 C du même site russe :

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B-25D

Identical to the B-25C, the only difference was that the B-25D was made in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], whereas the B-25C
was made in [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].

First flew on 3 January 1942. (Number made: 2,290.)


ZB-25D


XB-25E

Single B-25C modified to test de-icing and anti-icing equipment that circulated exhaust from the engines in chambers in the leading and trailing edges and empennage.

The aircraft was tested for almost two years, beginning in 1942; while the system proved extremely effective, no production models were built that used it prior to the end of World War II.

Many prop aircraft today use the XB-25E system. (Number made: 1, converted.)


ZXB-25E

XB-25F-A

Modified B-25C that tested the use of insulated electrical de-icing coils mounted inside the wing and empennage leading edges as a de-icing system.
The hot air de-icing system tested on the XB-25E was more practical. (Number made: 1, converted.)


XB-25G

Modified B-25C in which the transparent nose was replaced by a solid one carrying two fixed .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns and a 75 mm (2.95 in) M4 cannon, then the largest weapon ever carried on an American bomber.
(Number made: 1, converted.)


B-25G

To satisfy the dire need for ground-attack and strafing aircraft, the B-25G was made following the success of the prototype XB-25G.
The production model featured increased armor and a greater fuel supply than the XB-25G.

One B-25G was passed to the British, who gave it the name Mitchell II that had been used for the B-25C.
(Number made: 420.)

B 25 G du site russe airwar :

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B-25H


An improved version of the B-25G.
It featured two additional fixed .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in the nose and four in fuselage-mounted pods; the heavy M4 cannon was replaced by a lighter 75 mm (2.95 in) T13E1. (Number made: 1,000; number left flying in the world: 1.)


B-25J

The last production model of the B-25, often called a cross between the B-25C and the B-25H.

It had a transparent nose, but many of the delivered aircraft were modified to have a solid nose. Most of its 14–18 machine guns were forward-facing for strafing missions. 316 were delivered to the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] as the Mitchell III. (Number made: 4,318.)


CB-25J

Utility transport version.


VB-25J

A number of B-25s were converted for use as staff and VIP transports. [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] both used converted B-25Js as their personal transports.

B 25 J du même site russe airwar.ru

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Trainer variants


Most models of the B-25 were used at some point as training aircraft.


TB-25D

Originally designated AT-24A (Advanced Trainer, Model 24, Version A). Trainer modification of B-25D. In total, 60
AT-24s were built.


TB-25G

Originally designated AT-24B. Trainer modification of B-25G.


TB-25C

Originally designated AT-24C. Trainer modification of B-25C.


TB-25J

Originally designated AT-24D. Trainer modification of B-25J. Another 600 B-25Js were modified after the war.


TB-25K

Hughes E1 fire-control radar trainer (Hughes).
(Number made: 117.)


TB-25L

Hayes pilot-trainer conversion. (Number made: 90.)


TB-25M

Hughes E5 fire-control radar trainer. (Number made: 40.)


TB-25N

Hayes navigator-trainer conversion. (Number made: 47.)

U.S. Navy / U.S. Marine Corps variants


PBJ-1C

Similar to the B-25C for the US Navy; often fitted with airborne search radar and used in the anti-submarine role.


PBJ-1D

Similar to the B-25D for the US Navy and US Marine Corps. Differed in having a single .50 in (12.7 mm) machine
gun in the tail turret and beam gun positions similar to the B-25H.
Often fitted with airborne search radar and used in the anti-submarine role.


PBJ-1G

US Navy/US Marine Corps designation for the B-25G


PBJ-1H

US Navy/US Marine Corps designation for the B-25H


PBJ-1J

US Navy designation for the B-25J-NC (Blocks -1 through -35) with improvements in radio and other equipment.

Often fitted with "package guns" and wingtip search radar for the anti-shipping/anti-submarine role.

PBJ 1 toujours sur le site russe airwar.ru :

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Il fallait du monde à Inglewood et ailleurs pour fabriquer ces appareils

Quelques images des femmes et hommes sur le montage :

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Specifications (B-25J)


Data from Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II

General characteristics

• Crew: six (two pilots, navigator/bombardier, turret gunner/engineer, radio operator/waist gunner, tail gunner
  
• Length: 52 ft 11 in (16.1 m)
  
• [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]: 67 ft 6 in (20.6 m)
  
• Height: 17 ft 7 in (4.8 m)
  
• Wing area: 610 sq ft (57 m²)
  
• Empty weight: 21,120 lb (9,580 kg)
  
• Loaded weight: 33,510 lb (15,200 kg)
  
• [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]: 41,800 lb (19,000 kg)
  
• Powerplant: 2× [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] "Cyclone" [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien], 1,850 hp (1,380 kW) each
  

Un Wright R-2600 Cyclone :


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