North American Aviation B-25 Mitchell

Twin Piston

The North American B-25 Mitchell is the most famous American medium bomber of World War II, named after aviation pioneer Billy Mitchell. First flown in 1940, it gained immortality on April 18, 1942, when sixteen B-25Bs launched from the carrier USS Hornet for the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo—the first American air strike on the Japanese home islands and a pivotal morale victory early in the Pacific War. Over 10,000 Mitchells were built between 1940 and 1945, serving in every theater and with nearly every Allied air force. The B-25 was renowned for its ruggedness, versatility, and ease of handling. Powered by two Wright R-2600 radial engines producing 1,700 horsepower each, the Mitchell could carry up to 3,000 pounds of bombs over a combat radius of 1,350 miles and cruise at 230 mph. Later variants like the B-25J featured up to eighteen forward-firing .50-caliber machine guns, making them devastating strafer-gunships in the Pacific and Mediterranean. The type's docile flight characteristics and tricycle landing gear made it an excellent trainer, and thousands of pilots earned their multi-engine ratings in Mitchells during and after the war. Today the B-25 is one of the most popular warbirds on the airshow circuit, prized for its reliability and relatively affordable operating costs compared to four-engine heavies. Several dozen remain airworthy worldwide, maintained by museums, commemorative air forces, and private collectors. The Mitchell's distinctive gull-wing profile and twin-tail silhouette remain instantly recognizable more than eighty years after its first flight. SkyMeter has tracked 39 flights across 10 airframes and 9 operators, with AMERICAN AIRPOWER HERITAGE FLYING MU the largest observed operator.