North American B-25 “Mitchell”
- MANUFACTURER: North American Aviation
- MODEL: B-25J Mitchell
- ARMY AIR CORPS SERIAL NUMBER: 44-29465
- PROTOTYPE FIRST FLIGHT: August 19, 1940
- CREW: Six-Pilot, Co-pilot, Navigator/Bombardier, Turret Gunner/Engineer, Radio Operator/Waist Gunner, Tail Gunner
- POWER: Two 1,700 horsepower, Wright Cyclone R-2600 14-cylinder radial piston engine
- WEIGHTS: Basic Empty Weight – 19,480 pounds, Gross Weight – 35,000 pounds
- FUEL CAPACITY: 974 gallons
- RANGE: 1,350 miles (2,200 miles with ferry tanks)
- WING SPAN: 67 feet, 7 inches
- LENGTH: 52 feet, 11 inches
- HEIGHT: 16 feet, 4 inches
- SERVICE CEILING: 24,200 feet
- TYPICAL ARMAMENT: Twelve .50 caliber machine guns
- TYPICAL BOMB LOAD: 4,000 pounds
- NUMBER BUILT: Approximately 9,985
- SPEEDS: Maximum – 275 miles per hour at 15,000 ft. Cruising – 230 miles per hour
Named after the controversial champion of U.S. Airpower, General “Billy” Mitchell, the B-25 is best known for the April 18, 1942 bombing of Tokyo. Led by Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, and flown from the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Hornet, 16 B-25s successfully completed the first strike on Japanese soil during World War II.
The Lyon Air Museum B-25 Mitchell, “Guardian of Freedom,” flew combat patrol missions in Alaska and around the Aleutian Islands during World War II before coming home to be used as a trainer for our country’s next generation of pilots and crew members. This B-25 now serves as part of a Doolittle Raiders exhibit at the Museum.