North American B-25 Mitchell

Development














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...To start at the begining

The B-25 was named in honor of General Billy Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation and is the only American military aircraft named after a specific person.

The North American B-25 Mitchell (NA-62) was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.

By the end of its production, nearly 10,000 B-25s in numerous models had been built. These included a few limited variations, such as the US Navy's and US Marine Corps' PBJ-1 patrol bomber and the Army Air Forces' F-10 photo reconnaissance aircraft.

 

Variant comparisons

LENGTH

  • B-25C/D: 53 feet (16.15 meters)

  • B-25G: 50 feet 10 inches (15.49 meters)

  • B-25H: 51 feet 3.75 inches (15.64 meters)

  • B-25J: 53 feet 5.75 inches (16.30 meters)

 

HEIGHT

  • B-25C/D: 15 feet 9 inches (4.80 meters)

  • B-25H/J: 16 feet 4.2 inches (4.98 meters)

 

WING AREA: 609.73 square feet (56.65 square meters)

 

FUEL CAPACITY (NORMAL): 974 U.S. gallons (3,687 liters)

 

EMPTY WEIGHT

  • B-25C/D: 20,300 pounds (9,208 kg)

  • B-25G: 19,200 pounds (8,709 kg)

  • B-25H: 19.600 pounds (8,890 kg)

  • B-25J: 19,500 pounds (8,845 kg)

 

MAXIMUM WEIGHT

  • B-25C/D: 34,000 pounds (15,422 kg)

  • B-25G/H/J: 35,000 pounds (15,876 kg)

 

MAXIMUM SPEED

  • B-25C/D: 284 mph at 15,000 feet (457 km/h at 4,572 meters)

  • B-25G: 280 mph at 15,000 feet (451 km/h at 4,572 meters)

  • B-25H: 275 mph at 13,000 feet (443 km/h at 3,962 meters)

  • B-25J: 272 mph at 13,000 feet (438 km/h at 3,962 meters)

 

SERVICE CEILING

  • B-25C/D: 21,200 feet (6,462 meters)

  • B-25G: 24,300 feet (7,407 meters)

  • B-25H: 23,800 feet (7,254 meters)

  • B-25J: 24,200 feet (7,376 meters)

 

CREW

  • B-25C/D: Five (pilot, co-pilot, bombardier, navigator/radio operator and one gunner)

  • B-25G: Five (pilot, copilot, navigator/cannoneer and two gunners)

  • B-25H: Five (pilot, navigator/cannoneer, engineer/gunner, radio operator/gunner and tail gunner)

  • B-25J: Six (pilot, co-pilot, bombardier/gunner, engineer/gunner, waist gunner and tail gunner)

 

RANGE [with 3,000 pound (1,361 kg) bomb load]

  • B-25C/D: 1,500 miles (2,414 km)

  • B-25G: 1,560 miles (2,511 km)

  • B-25H/J: 1,350 miles (2,173 km)

 

ARMAMENT

  • B-25C: Six 50-caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns; 1 flexible and 1 fixed in the nose and two each in the dorsal and ventral turrets

  • B-25D: Seven 50-caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns; 1 flexible and 2 fixed in the nose and two each in the dorsal and ventral turrets

  • B-25G: One 75mm cannon in the nose; and six 50-caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns, two fixed in the nose and two each in the dorsal and ventral turrets.

  • B-25H: One 75 mm cannon in the nose; and fourteen 50-caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns, four fixed in the nose, two each blister guns on the right and left side of the aircraft, two each in the top and tail turrets, and one each in the left and right waist positions.

  • B-25J: Twelve 50-caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns; one fixed and one flexible in the nose, two each blister guns on the right and left side of the aircraft, two each in the top and tail turrets, and one each in the left and right waist positions.

 
B-25
The first version of the B-25 delivered. No prototypes were ordered. The first nine aircraft were built with constant dihedral 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 self-sealing fuel tanks, 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-caliber machine guns. 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. The Doolittle Raiders flew B-25Bs on their famous mission.
(Number made: 120.)
 
 
B-25C
Improved version of the B-25B: powerplants upgraded from Wright R-2600-9 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-caliber 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, the China, the Netherlands, and the Soviet Union. First mass-produced B-25 model.
(Number made: 1,625.)
 
 
ZB-25C
 
 
B-25D
Identical to the B-25C, the only difference was that the B-25D was made in Kansas City, Kansas, whereas the B-25C was made in Inglewood, California. 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-caliber machine guns and a 2.95-inch (75 mm) 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 armour 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-25H
          An improved version of the B-25G. It featured two additional
          fixed .50-caliber machine guns in the nose and four in fuselage-
         mounted pods; the heavy M4 cannon was replaced by a lighter
         2.95-inch (75 mm) 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 Royal Air Force 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. Henry H. Arnold and Dwight D. Eisenhower both used converted B-25Js as their personal transports.

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 caliber M2 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.

 
 
Total Mitchell production was as follows: 

   B-25: 24
   B-25A: 40
   B-25B: 120
   B-25C: 1,620
   B-25D: 2,290
   B-25G: 400
   B-25H: 1,000
   B-25J: 4,390

   Total: 9,884
 

 
 
 
Model comparison

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Stat

B

C/D

G

H

J

Engine

Wright R-2600-9

Wright R-2600-13

Wright R-2600-13

Wright R-2600-13

Wright R-2600-29

Max HP each

1,700

1,700

1,700

1,700

1,700

Sustained HP

1,350 at 13,000 feet

Ditto

Ditto

Ditto

Ditto

Max speed

300 mph at 15,000 feet

284 mph at 15,000 feet

281 mph at 15,000 feet

275 mph at 13,000 feet

272 mph at 13,000

Ceiling

23,500 feet

21,200 feet

24,300 feet

24,800 feet

24,500 feet

Range

1,300 miles

1,525 miles

1,525 miles

?

1,350 miles

Bomb load

3,000 lbs (standard)

3,200 lbs (standard)

Ground attack

Ground attack

3,000 lbs