U.S.A.A.F. RESOURCE CENTER > BOMBERS > B-25 MITCHELL > PREVIOUS PAGE
Variants
Twin-engined five seat bomber to meet 1938 USAAF requirement for attack bomber. Powered by two 1,100 hp (825 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-56C3G radials. Wingspan 66 ft (20.12 m), length 48 ft 3 in (14.71 m) length. First flew on 29 January 1939 but proved to be underpowered and unstable.
NA-40B
The NA-40B (also known as the NA-40-2) was a modification of the NA-40 prototype with two 1,600 hp (1,200 kW) Wright R-2600-A71-3 radials and numerous minor changes. First flew in revised form on 1 March 1939. Crashed 11 April 1940.
B-25
Initial production version of B-25, powered by 1,350 hp (1,012 kW) R-2600-9 engines. Up to 3,600 lb (1,600 kg) bombs and defensive armament of three .30 machine guns in nose, waist and ventral positions, with one .50 machine gun in the tail. 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. 24 built.
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') in 1942. 40 built.
B-25B
Rear turret deleted; aft-location (behind wing's trailing edge) manned dorsal and remotely-operated ventral turrets added, each with a pair of .50 in (12.7 mm) 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 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.)
A North American B-25C Mitchell bomber (s/n 41-12823) in flight near Inglewood, CA.
[Source: National Archive]
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.)
B-25D-15 Mitchell/41-30474/My Buddy of the 77th BS/28th BG,
Southeast of Attu, Aleutian Islands, Sept 1943.
[Source: USAF Photo via Mark Allen Collection]
In 1944, four B-25Ds were converted for weather reconnaissance by the 53d Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. originally called the Army Hurricane Reconnaissance Unit, now called the "Hurricane Hunters". Weather recon first started in 1943 with the First Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, with flights on the North Atlantic ferry routes.
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.)
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-25G Mitchell from the AAF TAC Center, Orlando, FL, April 17, 1944.
[Source: USAF Photo]
An improved version of the B-25G. This version permanently relocated the manned dorsal turret to a more forward location on the fuselage, between the rear of the cockpit and the leading edge of the wings. It also 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-25H Mitchell/43-4167 at Eagle Farm, Australia during November 1943.
[Source: Jack Cook Collection]
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. The RAF received 316 aircraft, which were known as the Mitchell III. (Number made: 4,318.)
B-25J Mitchell/44-29122, September 25, 1944.
[Source: North American Aviation via Mark Nankivil]
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.
F-10
B-25 modified for photoreconaissance work.
F-10 Mitchell photoreconaisance variant.
[Source: North American Aviation via Mark Nankivil]
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 U.S. Navy; often fitted with airborne search radar and used in the anti-submarine role.
PBJ-1D
Similar to the B-25D for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. Differed in having a single .50 in (12.7 mm) machine gun in the tail turret and waist gun positions similar to the B-25H. Often fitted with airborne search radar and used in the anti-submarine role.
PBJ-1G
U.S. Navy/U.S. Marine Corps designation for the B-25G
PBJ-1H
U.S. Navy/U.S. Marine Corps designation for the B-25H. One PBJ-1H was modified with carrier take-off and landing equipment and successfully tested on the USS Shangri-La, but the Navy did not continue development.
PBJ-1J
U.S. 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.
Source:
Wikipedia
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