088B - Inside the North American B-25

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CLASS: Medium Bomber

NICKNAME: Mitchell

YEAR OF DESIGN: 1940

CREW: 6

LENGTH:  52 feet11 inches

WINGSPAN: 67 feet 7 inches

MAX AIRSPEED: 272  MPH

CEILING: 24,400 feet

TYPICAL ARMAMENT

12-18 .50 call (12.7 mm) Machine Guns.

Maximum of 3,000 Pounds Bomb Payload

(Designed in Multiple Arrangements)

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Approximately twenty feet shorter than the B-17 and forty feet narrower, the B-25 was ultimately designed for its pinnacle moment of the war: an Aircraft Carrier-based take-off, and in emergencies, a landing, too.

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However, it was a somewhat limited bomber in early 1942,, due to its lower speeds and severely limited service ceiling of under 25,000 feet. However, with a stout squadron of fighter escorts, the Mitchell was a worthy piece in the Pacific Campaign.

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Additionally, Army General Douglas MacArthur employed the Mitchell extensively in the later part of the War. Because of the bomber’s quick take-off and landing ability, the B-25 was fairly mobile, moving from one island Air Base to another,

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As War dragged on, the Army ordered a great number of variants from North American Manufacturing. The B-25A was built to fulfill the Army Air Corp’s original contract, requiring a bomber that could carry 2,000 pounds of bombs, travel 1,200 miles, and have self-sealing fuel tanks and better armor for pilot and crew. The B-25B was modified to have a lighter fuselage for Carrier-based take-off. The B-25C and B-25D further improved on the design, adding de-icing equipment and better engines.

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The B-25E and B-25F’s main goal was improved de-icing equipment. Although none were ordered, the USAAF did order many of the B-25Gs, a finalized version of the cold weather/high altitude bomber, complete with pressurized cabins for high-altitude flight.

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The B-25H and B-25J were the most produced of the entire Mitchell fleet. They featured larger engines and a full array of 18 high-powered machine guns and cannons.

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By the end of World War II, North American Aviation had produced 9,816  B-25 Mitchells, the equivalent of ten per day every day from the Doolittle Raid in April 1942 until the Atomic Bombs were dropped on Japan in August 1945.

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