{"id":53,"date":"2026-03-16T03:54:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T03:54:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christophermreed.net\/2\/?page_id=53"},"modified":"2026-09-05T04:41:58","modified_gmt":"2026-09-05T04:41:58","slug":"b-25-mitchell","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/christophermreed.net\/aviation\/b-25-mitchell\/","title":{"rendered":"B-25 Mitchell walk around and references"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Black\u2011and\u2011white<\/p>\n

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B-25 Mitchell in the NMUSAF’s WWII Gallery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

North American’s first bomber design (indeed, it’s first multi-engine aircraft) was the NA-21, built as the XB-21 to compete against the improved B-18A Bolo. First flown in December 1936, the XB-21, with its two Twin Wasp engines, was an advanced design with powered nose and tail turrets. These proved troublesome and were removed, but once reengined with R-2180 Twin Hornets, the XB-21 showed good performance, with a top speed of 220 mph, a range of just under 2,000 miles, and a 10,000lb warload. However, the North American design was almost twice as expensive as the Bolo, and plans for the purchase of a handful of YB-21 service test aircraft were cancelled.<\/p>\n

The company’s next try at a bomber design, the NA-40, had the same basic Twin Wasps as the original NA-21, but was otherwise quite different, with a high-mounted wing, slender fuselage with tandem seating, tricycle gear, and twin vertical tails. The NA-40 first flew in January 1939, but performance with the Twin Wasps was\u00a0 disappointing, and the prototype was quickly rebuilt as the NA-40B with R-2600 Twin Cyclones, flying with the new powerplants on 1 March 1939. Performance was improved, but there was little chance to show off the NA-40B before it was lost in an April 1940 crash.<\/p>\n

North American was, on the surface, having little success with bombers, but the XB-21 and NA-40 experiences were to prove valuable, as the USAAC had issued a requirement for a new medium bomber even before the NA-40B’s loss. This called for an aircraft that could reach 300 mph, carry a ton and a half of bombs, and had a range of 2,000 miles. North American’s NA-62 contender for this requirement was clearly an NA-40B outgrowth, with a widened fuselage and lowered wing. This won a contract in September 1939 for 184 aircraft, and in September of the following year the prototype B-25 flew.<\/p>\n

B-25J walk around<\/h2>\n
\"B-25J
Port-side forward fuselage detail of a North American B-25 Mitchell bomber, showing the dual cheek-mounted .50-caliber M2 Browning machine gun blisters, 310th Bombardment Group insignia, nose art, and wing root junction.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Front
Front-quarter detail view of the port (No. 1) Wright R-2600 Cyclone engine nacelle on a North American B-25J Mitchell, featuring its blue cowl ring, Hamilton Standard three-blade propeller, and open main landing gear door.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"B-25J
Low-angle close-up view of the transparent nose greenhouse assembly on a North American B-25J Mitchell, highlighting the flexible nose-mounted .50-caliber M2 Browning machine gun, internal ammunition feed chute, bombsight window framing, and partial “MAIDEN” nose art lettering.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"B-25
Port-side forward fuselage detail of North American B-25J Mitchell Maid in the Shade (s\/n 44-30925), featuring its distinctive pin-up nose art, Corsican map background marking, “MAID in the SHADE” lettering, mission tally bombs, 310th Bombardment Group crest, and nose greenhouse glazing.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"B-25
Under-wing view of the main landing gear assembly and open gear door on a North American B-25 Mitchell bomber, showing the oleo strut, tire, and wheel well details on a sunlit tarmac.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"B=25
Rear-quarter detail view of the port (No. 1) engine nacelle tail cone on a North American B-25 Mitchell bomber, showing the aft fairing geometry, exhaust ports, wing-to-nacelle fairing joints, and main gear strut on an open tarmac.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"B-25J
Low-angle detail photograph of the nose landing gear assembly on North American B-25J Mitchell Maid in the Shade, showing the oleo strut, torque links, wheel hub, and forward fuselage underside.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"B=25 \"B-25J \"North<\/p>\n

B-25 Bibliography<\/h2>\n