North American B-25J Mitchell Glass Nose over MTO
HKM01E24
HONG KONG MODEL
1:32
Two years after his death in 1936, the Air Corps issued Circular No. 38-385, which outlined requirements for the next generation of bombers. +
These included the ability to carry 1200 pounds of bombs 1200 miles and at a speed of at least 200 miles per hour.
Among the companies that submitted designs to meet this requirement was N.A.A. Their proposal was a twin-engine medium-range bomber, initially given the design number NA-40.
This design followed N.A.A.'s somewhat successful but canceled NA-39 design of just two years earlier. The NA-40 first flew toward the end of 1939, when the war in Europe was already underway.
After numerous modifications and improvements culminating in the design of the NA-62, the type finally entered service in 1941, now designated the B-25 "Mitchell". It was a close call, however, as the NA-40 initially failed to win orders in 1939, and orders intended for France never materialised due to competition.
Although the B-25 was new to production, another significant modification was made, replacing the constant dihedral of the wings with a slight dihedral just outboard of the engines.
There is no doubt that the B-25 was a particularly robust and adaptable aircraft, although the type was originally designated as a medium-range bomber with a glazed nose and manned tail gun (B-25C).
It was capable of high and low altitude bombing, strafing attacks, photo reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrols.
The Mitchell was used as a gunship in its B-25H version, complete with heavy 75mm cannon armament in the nose, up to a version called the "Strafer" which housed a fearsome total of 8 cannons in the nose plus four in forward-facing nacelles on the side walls just below the cockpit area.
The "J" variant was the last production type built, a total of 4318 units out of a total production of 9816 B-25s.
The B-25 saw service in all theaters of WWII, from the Asia-Pacific region to the Middle East and Mediterranean to Europe.
This type continued in service in countries such as Brazil until about 1970.
The B-25J was powered by two air-cooled 14-cylinder Wright R-2600-92-14 Twin Cyclone radial engines, each with 1700 hp, and was also equipped with nine .50cal M2 Browning machine guns on the fuselage, tail, dorsal and bow.
The B-25J crew normally consisted of six people (pilot, copilot, navigator, bombardier, turret gunner/engineer, radio operator/gunner, tail gunner).
- Plastic model kit
- with photo-etched parts
- extremely detailed surface
- cockpit with many details (e.g. etched belts, separate thrust levers, etc.)
- detailed weapon stations with ammunition feed
- bomb bay with all details and six bombs
- highly detailed machine guns
- separate control surfaces
- weapon turret, additional cockpit armor and blister guns optionally
- extremely detailed engines with cables
- landing gear optionally retracted or extended
- detailed glass nose with machine gun
- 64.3cm wingspan
- 54.8cm long
unbuilt / unpainted
paint and glue not included
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