NORTH AMERICAN B-25 MITCHELL
B-25 SERVICE
| Manufacturer: | North American Aviation Inc., Inglewood, California, USA |
| Models: | NA-40, NA-62, NA-82, NA-87,
NA-90, NA-93, NA-94, NA-96, NA-98, NA-100, NA-108, NA-113, NA-114, NA-115, NA-148 |
| Designations: | B-25; AT-24, F-10, PBJ |
| Names: | Mitchell; "Bank" (Russia, US codename) |
| First official flight: | (NA-40) 29/01/1939 |
| Factory production period: | 1939 - 1945 |
| Primary service period: | 1939 - 1945 |
| Last official flight: | (VB-25J) 21/05/1960 |
B-25 VARIANTS
| 1939 | NA-40-1 | NA-40 Prototype | 1 | Total: 0001 |
| 1940 | NA-62 | B-25 | 24 | |
| 1941 | NA-62A | B-25A | 40 | |
| 1941 | NA-62B | B-25B | 120 | Total: 0184 |
| 1941 | NA-82/-90/-93/-94/-96 | B-25C | 1620 | |
| 1941 | NA-87/-100 | B-25D | 2290 | Total: 3910 |
| 1942 | NA-96 | B-25G | 405 | |
| 1943 | NA-98 | B-25H | 1000 | Total: 1405 |
| 1943 | NA-108 | B-25J | 4390 | Total: 4390 |
|
Grand Total: 9890 |
B-25 PRODUCTION
NA-40
Prototype twin engined medium bomber.
Produced 1939
North American Inglewood, California (NA)
| (Co. owned - no s/n) | ? |
Total: 0001 |
B-25
Major redesign of fuselage, nacelles, engine upgrade,
tail gun installed, no top turret, first 9 airframes had
straight wings.
Produced
North American Inglewood, California (NA)
| 40-2165 / 40-2188 | 62-2834 / 2857 |
Total: 0024 |
B-25A
As B-25, crew armour, ADF pod, minor changes.
Produced
North American Inglewood, California (NA)
| 40-2189 / 40-2228 | 62-2858 / 2897 |
Total: 0040 |
B-25B
As B-25A, mid upper turret, retractable ventral gun,
redesigned smaller tail cone section.
Produced
North American Inglewood, California (NA)
| 40-2229 / 40-2348 | 62-2898 / 3017 |
Total: 0120 |
|
1 (40-2243), crashed before delivery. 16 aircraft became the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders on 18/04/1942, s/n: 40-2242, 2247, 2249, 2250, 2261, 2267, 2268, 2270, 2278, 2282, 2283, 2292, 2297, 2298, 2303. s/n: 40-2344 was Lt. Col. Doolittle's aircraft. 7 to Brazil. |
||
B-25C
As B-25B, engine upgrade, external bomb racks.
58 later converted to B-25G-NA.
Produced
North American Inglewood, California (NA)
| 41-12434 / 41-13296 | 82-5069 / 5931 | |
| 42-32233 / 42-32382 | 94-12641 / 12790 | |
|
42-32383 / 42-32532 - 295 as B-25C-NA. - 5 (42-32384 / 42-32388) modified as B-25G-1-NA. |
93-12491 / 12640 | |
| 42-53332 / 42-53493 | 90-11819 / 11980 | |
| 42-64502 / 42-64801 | 96-16381 / 16680 |
Total: 1620 |
| 1 to Brazil. Many to NEIAF and China. |
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B-25D
NC built version of B-25C.
Produced
North American Kansas City, Kansas (NC)
| 41-29648 / 41-30847 | 87-7813 / 9012 | |
| 42-87113 / 42-87312 | 100-20606 / 20805 | |
| 42-87313 / 42-87612 | 100-23306 / 23605 | |
| 43-3280 / 43-3869 | 100-23606 / 24195 |
Total: 2290 |
| 30 to RAAF as
A47-1 / A47-25, A47-33 / A47-37. Many to NEIAF and China. |
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B-25D-5-NC, s/n: 41-30222, named "Hawg-mouth",
served with the USAAF in
Australia during World War II where it crashed landed in the outback in
January, 1945. Recovered some years later in 1974, it is now preserved
at the Australian Aviation Heritage Center in Darwin.
Darwin, Australia, 2000.
B-25G
As B-25C/D, redesigned stubby solid nose with 75mm
cannon or gun packs, ventral turret often deleted.
58 also converted from B-25C-NA.
Produced
North American Inglewood, California (NA)
| 5 (42-32384 / 42-32388) modified from NA-93 B-25C-NA. | ||
| 42-64802 / 42-64901 | 96-16681 / 16780 | |
| 42-64902 / 42-65201 | 96-20806 / 21105 |
Total: 0405 |
B-25H
As B-25G, fuselage side guns, relocated upper turret,
redesigned waist gun windows and tail gun, ventral
gun deleted. NA-113 batch order cancelled.
Produced
North American Inglewood, California (NA)
| 43-4105 / 43-5104 | 98-21106 / 22105 |
Total: 1000 |
B-25I - Not used.
B-25J
As B-25H, glass nose, engine upgrade, many converted with
extended armed solid nose, 3450 NA-114 & NA-115
orders to NA-108.
Produced 1943 - 1945
North American Kansas City, Kansas (NC)
| 43-3870 / 43-4104 | 108-24196 / 24430 | |
| 43-27473 / 43-28222 | 108-34486 / 35235 | |
| 43-35946 / 43-36245 | 108-35236 / 35535 | |
| 44-28711 / 44-30910 | 108-31986 / 34185 | |
| 44-30911 / 44-31110 | 108-34186 / 34385 | |
| 44-31111 / 44-31510 | 108-37186 / 37585 | |
| 44-86692 / 44-86897 | 108-47446 / 47651 | |
|
45-8801 / 45-8899 - 27 delivered to USAAF. - 72 completed and delivered post WW2. |
108-47652 / 47750 |
Total: 4390 |
| 20 to RAAF as
A47-26 / A47-32, A47-38 / A47-50. 21 to Brazil, 131 to China. Many to NEIAF. 345 additional airframes cancelled. |
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|
Grand Total: 9890 |
B-25 CONVERSIONS
WW2
USAAF
| NA-40-2 | 1 | NA-40, 1939, civil prototype with upgraded
engines. Other designation was NA-40B. |
| RB-25 | 1+ | B-25, 1942, "restricted" from combat designation. |
| RB-25A | 1+ | B-25A, 1942, "restricted" from combat designation. |
| RB-25B | 1+ | B-25B, 1943, "restricted" from combat designation. |
| XB-25E | 1 | B-25C(42-32281), 1944, prototype with hot air deicing of wings. |
| (ZXB-25E) | 1 | XB-25E, 1948, redesignation as "obsolete". |
| XB-25F | 1 | B-25C, prototype with electric deicing of wings. |
| XB-25G | 1 | B-25C(41-13296), 1942, prototype with 75mm field gun in nose. |
| CB-25J | 1+ | B-25J, conversions as utility transports. |
| AT-24A | 1+ | B-25D, 1943, part of 60 conversions to advanced trainers. |
| (TB-25D) | 1+ | 1948, redesignation of AT-24A. |
| AT-24B | 1+ | B-25G, 1943, part of 60 conversions to advanced trainers. |
| (TB-25G) | 1+ | 1948, redesignation of AT-24B. |
| AT-24C | 1+ | B-25C, 1943, part of 60 conversions to advanced trainers. |
| (TB-25C) | 1+ | 1948, redesignation of AT-24C. |
| AT-24D | 1+ | B-25J, 1943, part of 60 conversions to advanced trainers. |
| (TB-25J) | 600+ | 1948, redesignation of AT-24D. |
| F-10 | 45 | B-25D, 1943, factory converted aircraft for photo reconnaissance. |
| (RB-25D) | 45 | 1948, redesignation of F-10. |
| NA-98X | 1 | B-25H(43-4406), 1944, high-performance prototype, later cancelled. |
US Navy
| PBJ-1C | 50 | B-25C, 1943, aircraft serving with the US
Marine Corps. Assigned BuNo. 34998 / 35047. |
| PBJ-1D | 152 | B-25D, aircraft serving with the
US Marine Corps. Assigned BuNo. 35048 / 35096, 35098 / 35193, 35196 / 35202. |
| PBJ-1G | 1 | B-25G, aircraft serving with the
US Marine Corps. Assigned BuNo. 35097. |
| PBJ-1H | 248 | B-25H, aircraft serving with the
US Marine Corps. Asigned BuNo. 35250 / 35297, 88872 / 89071. |
| PBJ-1J | 255 | B-25J, aircraft serving with the
US Marine Corps. Assigned BuNo. 35194, 35195, 35203 / 35249, 35798 / 35920, 38980 / 39012, 64943 / 64992. |
British RAF
| Mitchell Mk. I | 23 | B-25B, 1941-1945, aircraft
in service with the RAF, training only. Assigned RAF s/n: FK161 / FK183. 1 to RCAF. |
| Mitchell Mk. II | 569 | 255 B-25C / 314 B-25D,
1942-1945, aircraft in service with the RAF. Assigned RAF s/n: FL164 / FL218, FL671 / FL709, FL851 / FL874, FR141 / FR207, FR362 / FR384, FR393 / FR397, FV900 / FV999, FW100 / FW280, HD302 / HD345, KL133 / KL161, MA956, MA957. 23 retained by USAAF. 42 to RCAF. |
| Mitchell Mk. II Srs. II | 2 | B-25G, 1942, to RAF but with
no operational service. Assigned RAF s/n: FR208, FR209. |
| Mitchell Mk. III | 316 | B-25J, 1944-1945, aircraft
in service with the RAF. Assigned RAF s/n: HD346 / HD400, KJ561 / KJ800, KP308 / KP328. 41 returned to USAAF. 19 to RCAF. |
Post WW2
USAF
| ZB-25C | 1+ | B-25C, 1948, redesignation as "obsolete". |
| ZB-25D | 1+ | B-25D, 1948, redesignation as "obsolete". |
| ETB-25J | 1+ | B-25J, conversions for test duties. |
| JTB-25J | 1+ | B-25J, conversions for test duties. |
| VB-25J | 6 | B-25J, VIP / staff transports. |
| TB-25K | 117 | B-25J, 1950-1959, E-1 radar fire control
trainers. Conversions by Hughes Tool Co., California. |
| (NB-25K) | 1 | TB-25K, permanent conversion for flight testing. |
| TB-25L | 75 | B-25J, 1952-1959, advanced pilot
trainers. Conversions by Hayes Aircraft Co., Alabama. |
| TB-25M | 25 | B-25J, 1952-1959, E-5 radar fire control
trainers. Conversions by Hughes Tool Co., California. |
| TB-25N | 380 | B-25J, 1953-1959, similar to TB-25L, engine
upgrade. Conversions by Hayes Aircraft Co., Alabama. |
| (VB-25N) | 1+ | TB-25N, conversions to VIP transports. |
B-25J Upgrade
1952 - 1954, 979 B-25J's receive equipment upgrades and repairs for
an extended service period. Conversions by Hayes Aircraft Co., Alabama.
FOREIGN MILITARY / CIVILIAN SERVICE
- B-25's in service during and post WW2 with Australia, Brazil, Canada,
China, Free French, Indonesia, The Netherlands, Poland, Russia
and many South American countries.
- Many B-25's converted for fire-bombing, air-spraying, cargo and passenger
carriers, aerial photography and film platforms etc.
- Model NA-148, single civil executive prototype, further conversions cancelled.