North American B-25 Mitchell

North American B-25 Mitchell. . , The North American B-25 Mitchell, named after America's greatest military martyr (Gen Billy Mitchell), made its maiden flight on 19 August 1940 and was ordered in large numbers straight off the drawing board by the Army Air Corps. Internal improvements, armament innovations, and engine changes resulted in several variants, including the B-25G which was armed with a 75mm cannon in the nose - the largest gun ever carried in an aircraft up to that time. The most lethal of all versions was the B-25H which carried 3,000 pounds of bombs, 14 machine guns, eight 5-inch rockets, and a 75mm cannon. Other variants of the B-25 included the F-100 photo-recon version, the AT-24 (TB-25) advanced trainer, and the Navy/Marines PBJ-1 patrol bomber. B-25 production totaled 11,655 variants before the last B-25 was eliminated from the Air Force's inventory on 21 May 1960, after 18 years and 7 months of honorable service., Mitchells were hailed as one of the best medium bombers of World War II and served with distinction on virtually every front. B-25's (led by Gen Jimmy Doolittle) achieved eminence during the "Tokyo Raid" and later participated in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea where they sank or damaged eleven Japanese ships without the loss of a single B-25. Mitchells were also used during raids on landing strips at Dagua, Wewak, and Boram at the outset of the Allied offensive in New Guinea and in central Italy during "Operation Strangle" which culminated in the liberation of Rome on 4 July 1944. The B-25 was also widely used by the Allies during the war, particularly by Great Britain and the Soviet Union., The aircraft on display is a B-25J. It is restored in the colors of the 57th Bomb Wing and is dedicated to all the men who flew it - especially Brigadier General Robert D. Knapp, winner of the Distinguished Service Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross. General Knapp commanded the 57th during the closing years of World War II., Assignments , Feb 45 to 3014th Base Unit, Douglas Field AZ , Nov 45 to 3502nd Base Unit, Chanute Field IL , Aug 48 to 3345th Technical Training Wing (ATC) Chanute AFB IL , Apr 58 to Davis-Monthan AFB AZ for storage , Dec 59 dropped from the USAF inventory, Performance , Max Speed: 275 mph at 1,500 ft , Range: 1,275 miles , Ceiling: 25,000 ft, Specifications , Span: 67 ft 7 in , Length: 51 ft 11 in , Height: 15 ft 9 in , Weight (empty): 21,100 lbs , Armament: Thirteen .50 machine guns; up to 4,000 lbs of bombs , Engine: Two 1,850 h.p. Wright R-2600-29 Cyclone Radials , Crew: Six, The aircraft on display is actually a B-25J, serial no. 44-30649, but painted and marked to depict a B-25J, serial no. 42-53373 assigned to the 57th Bomb Wing in the European Theater of Operation during World War II, This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force