B-25 weapons thread

[MIflyer]

Interesting, lemon-yellow

I believe the ailerons were fabric covered, and therefore the paint had to be compatible with the fabric and dope process. It was common for even high speed aircraft to use fabric covered ailerons, rudders, and elevators. Meanwhile, the contemporary Ercoupe had all metal ailerons, elevator and rudder, but with fabric covered metal structure wings..

Interestingly enough, the F4U had wooden fabric covered ailerons and partially fabric covered outer wings

 

[Maty12]

I pulled this from the Preliminary Handbook of Overhaul instructions for B-25, B-25A and B-25B Bombardment Airplanes showing colors of plane.

Thank you! This will be very helpful for my upcoming B-25B build!

 

[Micdrow]

Thank you! This will be very helpful for my upcoming B-25B build!

Your welcome

 

[Micdrow]

Taken by me a couple of days ago at the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum. It's a B-25H serial number 43-4899 modified to a 8 gun strafer nose configuration in the colors of the 498th Falcons of the 345th Bomb Group.

 

[Micdrow]

So I took this couple of days ago as well, my second visit to Dayton Ohio of B-25D s/n 43-3374 which was used for Jimmy Doolittle display even though they flew B-25B's. One thing that strikes me was the bombs where painted yellow. Any one know the reason why.

Thanks in advance.

Paul

 

[Micdrow]

Also the Doolittle raiders goblets and coin.

 

[Wurger]

 

[MIflyer]

One thing that strikes me was the bombs where painted yellow. Any one know the reason why.

Because if they were painted blue that would mean they were dummies.

 

[Micdrow]

Because if they were painted blue that would mean they were dummies.

Blue was for training but I thought they would be painted more like this one, Source, General data on Navy, An-Standard, Army and British bombs. published 21 Sept, 1944

 

[Micdrow]

LOL never mind, went back to an older document and found this. Guessing old surplus or never repainted as Doolittle raid was 18 April, 1942.

 

[Wurger]

 

[CATCH 22]

LOL never mind, went back to an older document and found this. Guessing old surplus or never repainted as Doolittle raid was 18 April, 1942.

View attachment 668725

I always wondered when watching the original photos from "Hornet"(there is a documentary as well) showing Doolittle and Mitscher attaching Japanese medals to a bomb for "return delivery". In all photos the bomb appears very light in colour. It's the same colour as the cart:

It's obviously a 500-pounder, but I can't decipher what's written on it.
BTW the bombs in Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum (Hawaii) are yellow too :

 

[Wurger]

 

[special ed]

Also note that prop blades did not have tips painted yellow. Perhaps the sailor losing his arm on deck during launching may have caused the better visible yellow arc to become standard practice.

 

[Micdrow]

I always wondered when watching the original photos from "Hornet"(I believe there is a documentary as well) showing Doolittle and Mitscher attaching Japanese medals to a bomb for "return delivery". In all photos the bomb appears very light in colour. It's the same colour as the cart:
View attachment 668753
It's obviously a 500-pounder, but I can't decipher what's written on it.
BTW the bombs in Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum (Hawaii) are yellow too :

Not for the 500 lb. bomb but if you line up the lines you can decipher some of the info. You can fill in some of the blanks. Though lot codes and such unreadable. Also what info I have on the cart though I do know that when I served on a carrier most if not all the equipment was painted yellow even now.

 

[MiTasol]

RAAF report on B-25 Gunnery Equipment from Aus Archives

 

[Micdrow]

RAAF report on B-25 Gunnery Equipment from Aus Archives

Many thanks thought I think I have that document around here some where. Hopefully some one else needs it

 

[GreenKnight121]

So I took this couple of days ago as well, my second visit to Dayton Ohio of B-25D s/n 43-3374 which was used for Jimmy Doolittle display even though they flew B-25B's.

Thanks in advance.

Paul

Lack of B-25Bs.
At least they used one with the aft dorsal turret... I've seen lots of footage supposedly representing Doolittle's aircraft that used -H & later birds... with the forward dorsal turret.

 

[Maty12]

Lack of B-25Bs.
At least they used one with the aft dorsal turret... I've seen lots of footage supposedly representing Doolittle's aircraft that used -H & later birds... with the forward dorsal turret.

Yup. Special shoutout to Midway (2019), a movie that managed to again use B-25Js to portray the Doolittle Raid planes, despite them all being CG, and even at one point combined the 1942 "meatball" roundel with the 1944-45 blue stars and bars

 

[MIflyer]

Well, at least they got the bombsight correct, that protractor rather than the Norden. My HS math teacher recreated one for display; he was bomb/nav on Plane No. 10, but that one is in the Jimmy Doolittle Building in L.A.