Noord-Amerikaanse B25C 3d model

The excellent B25 was created by a company with no previous experience of multi engined high performance aircraft. The B25 was developed by North American as a private venture with the prototype NA-40 flying in January 1939. Although the prototype was destroyed in an accident it had already demonstrated it's potential and the design was modified to upgrade the NA-40 from an attack bomber to a medium bomber and an initial order for 184 B25 Mitchells was placed for the USAAC in September 1939. The first production B25A's entered service on May 1941. The first versions to be mass-produced were the B25C and D from early 1942 and were also supplied to the RAF and RAAF as the Mitchell II. The B25 Mitchell began it's operational career against Japanese targets in New Guinea and the Phillipines and the B25 went on to serve in most WW2 theatres of war. During April 1942, 16 B25 B's were used in one of the most famous air raids of the war when an attack was mounted from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet to attack Tokyo. The raid caused little material damage but the propaganda value was immense. The subject of this model is a B25C modified for low level strike operations. The bombardier nose was removed and replaced with one containing eight .50-caliber fixed machine guns, fired by the pilot. A pilot bomb release was also installed. The aircraft "Dirty Dora" was flown by Captain Victor Tatleman of the 499th "Bats Outa Hell" Bomb Squadron of the 345th "Air Apaches" Group, Fifth Air Force.