B-25J Mitchell - Valparaiso, FL
N 30° 27.977 W 086° 33.706
16R E 542067 N 3370536
B-25J 44-30854, the last B-25 in the USAF inventory, is marked as B-25B, 40-2344, Gen. Jimmy Doolittle's aircraft on the Tokyo Raid.
Waymark Code: WMH0QH
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 05/03/2013
Views: 8
B-25J 44-30854 was upgraded/overhauled by the Hayes Company, Birmingham, Alabama, in the 1950s, and was never on the civilian registry as it was donated straight from Air Force stock and retained its Norden bombsight right through display in at Doolittle Memorial Park in Niceville, Florida in the 1960s and 1970s in bare-metal scheme. Assigned at March AFB, California as of March 1960, the Mitchell was flown to Eglin from Turner Air Force Base, Georgia, on 21 May 1960, the last flight by a USAF B-25, and presented by Brig. Gen. A. J. Russell, Commander of SAC's 822nd Air Division at Turner AFB, to the Air Proving Ground Center Commander, Brig. Gen. Robert H. Warren, who in turn presented the bomber to Valparaiso, Florida Mayor Randall Roberts on behalf of the Niceville-Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce. Four of the original Tokyo Raiders were present for the ceremony, Col. Davy Jones, Col. Jack Simms, Lt. Col. Joseph Manske, and retired Master Sgt. Ed Horton. The plane was donated back to the Armament Museum circa 1974 and marked as a Doolittle raider.
The B-25 can trace its lineage back to the mid-1930s development of the XB-21 (Model NA-39). Only one twin-engine XB-21 was built, but North American used experience gained for the company-financed NA-40 project. This aircraft was also a twin-engine design but had a tricycle landing gear rather than the tail-dragger configuration of the XB-21. Only one NA-40 was built, and it had several modifications done to test various features, including an engine change. The original Pratt & Whitney R-1830 engines were replaced by Wright R-2600s, which became standard on the B-25.
The B-25 was so desperately needed, no experimental or service test (XB-25 or YB-25) aircraft were built. Changes to the basic design were incorporated into aircraft on the production line and post-production or depot modification centers. One significant change involved a design of the wing. The first nine B-25s were built with constant dihedral (angle) wings; however, stability problems forced a change that kept the dihedral angle on the inboard wing but nullified it on the outboard wing (0 angle). This gave the B-25 its distinctive "gull wing." Another change replaced smaller angled vertical stabilizers with larger less angled ones.
The B-25J was the last B-25 production model manufactured by North American Aviation (NAA). Almost 4,400 B-25Js were built, far more than any other model. The B-25J was an improved B-25H but looked like a cross between a B-25C and a B-25H. The solid nose was replaced by a "greenhouse" with one fixed and one flexible .50-cal. machine gun. The bombardier was returned to the crew bringing the total to six men aboard.
NAA modified 800 J models by installing a solid nose in place of the bombardier's greenhouse. The solid nose housed eight .50-cal. machine guns bringing the total to 18 -- 14 of which were forward firing for strafing missions.
Type of Aircraft: (make/model): B-25J Mitchell
Tail Number: (S/N): 44-30854
Construction:: original aircraft
Location (park, airport, museum, etc.): USAF Armament Museum
inside / outside: outside
Access restrictions:
The plane is one of 25 located outside the USAF Armament Museum just off Eglin AFB. There is no fence around the museum so the outdoor planes are accessible every day.
Other Information:: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Photo of aircraft (required - will be interesting to see if the aircraft is ever repainted or progress if being restored)
Photo of serial number (required unless there is not one or it is a replica)
Photo(s) of any artwork on the aircraft (optional but interesting)
Tell why you are visiting this waymark along with any other interesting facts or personal experiences about the aircraft not already mentioned.