North American B-25 Mitchell

North American B-25N Mitchell PH-XXV/232511/N5-149 Royal Netherlands Air ForceNorth American B-25N Mitchell PH-XXV/232511/N5-149 Royal Netherlands Air Force

The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.

  • Role: Medium bomber
  • National origin: United States of America
  • Manufacturer: North American Aviation
  • First flight: 19 August 1940
  • Introduction: 1941
  • Status: Retired
  • Produced:
  • Number built: 9,816

Military operators B-25 Mitchell

  • Royal Australian Air Force 50
  • Biafran Air Force 2
  • Fuerza Aérea Boliviana 13
  • Brazilian Air Force 75
  • Royal Canadian Air Force 164
  • Republic of China Air Force 180
  • People’s Liberation Army Air Force
  • Fuerza Aérea de Chile 12
  • Fuerza Aérea Colombiana 3
  • Fuerza Aérea del Ejército de Cuba 6
  • Dominican Air Force 5
  • Armée de l’Air 11
  • Free French Air Force 18
  • Indonesian Air Force
  • Mexican Air Force 3
  • Royal Netherlands Air Force 62
  • Dutch Naval Aviation Service 107
  • Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force 149
  • Cuerpo Aeronáutico del Perú 8
  • Ejército del Aire 1
  • Soviet Air Force (Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily or VVS) 886
  • Royal Air Force 900+
  • United States Army Air Forces
  • United States Marine Corps
  • United States Navy 706
  • Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya 15
  • Fuerza Aérea Venezolana 24

Specifications (B-25H)

General characteristics

  • Crew: 6 (one pilot, one co-pilot, navigator/bombardier, turret gunner/engineer, radio operator/waist gunner, tail gunner)
  • Length: 52 ft 11 in (16.13 m)
  • Wingspan: 67 ft 7 in (20.60 m)
  • Height: 16 ft 4 in (4.98 m)
  • Wing area: 610 sq ft (56.7 m²)
  • Empty weight: 19,480 lb (8,855 kg)
  • Max. takeoff weight: 35,000 lb (15,910 kg)
  • Powerplant: 2 × Wright R-2600-92 Twin Cyclone 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 1,700 hp (1,267 kW) each

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 272 mph (237 kn, 438 km/h) at 13,000 ft (3,960 m)
  • Cruise speed: 230 mph (200 knots, 370 km/h)
  • Range: 1,350 mi (1,174 nmi, 2,174 km)
  • Service ceiling: 24,200 ft (7,378 m)

Armament

  • Guns: 12–18 × .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns and 75 mm (2.95 in) T13E1 cannon
  • Hardpoints: 2,000 lb (900 kg) ventral shackles to hold one external Mark 13 torpedo
  • Rockets: racks for eight 5 in (127 mm) high velocity aircraft rockets (HVAR)
  • Bombs: 3,000 lb (1,360 kg) bombs