Need help identifying this aircraft

[BobW]

I ran across some 16mm movies taken in the 40's and one of them contains some shots taken at an aircraft assembly plant. I made some screen shots and attached them. Unfortunately, none of the pictures have a view of the complete aircraft but rather portions of the fuselage and wings. I would appreciate any information on what aircraft this is and, pushing my luck, where these pictures were taken.

Thanks, Bob W

 

[Wurger]

That's the B-25 Mitchell.

 

[Snautzer01]

Yes it is. Pictures are taken in the same time from a series of pictures commisioned just after war usa broke out.

Kodak crome.

 

[special ed]

Note the two different insignia - about 2 1/2 years apart.

 

[Wurger]

However the wing in the pic below doesn't seem to be of the B-25.

 

[BobW]

Thank you all so much for the info. I also didn't think the wing section going in the rail car went on the same aircraft as the other photos show. Any guess as to whether these were taken at the Inglewood, CA or the Kansas North American plant.

 

[SaparotRob]

Well, that's a New York Central box car.
B BobW , we have a whole thread on identifying aircraft from just a small bit of a plane shown. Welcome to the Forum.

 

[Frank Stewart]

I ran across some 16mm movies taken in the 40's and one of them contains some shots taken at an aircraft assembly plant. I made some screen shots and attached them. Unfortunately, none of the pictures have a view of the complete aircraft but rather portions of the fuselage and wings. I would appreciate any information on what aircraft this is and, pushing my luck, where these pictures were taken.

Thanks, Bob W

Looks like a B-25 to me, or maybe a Douglas B-19?

 

[GrumpyOldCrewChief]

The crated bare-metal wing, with the "meatball" star, looks to be an early, short-winged B-26 outer main-plane panel.

 

[Wurger]

The longer I look at the wing the more I lean towards the North American O-47A.

 

[BobW]

Thanks, Grump. Given that the boxed wing is coming from the same plant as the B-25, any guess as to which NAA plant location this might be.
Thanks,
Bob W

 

[mjfur]

B-25 Aileron/Flap is one continuous line, B-26 Aileron/Flap offset. B-25 wing includes vents.

 

[Maty12]

While the shape is similar, I don't think that silver wing is a B-26. The insignia is supposed to be much further inboard (about 48" from the wing tip joint), and supposed to be 46" in diameter for all short wing models. That would make the worker next to it over 7' tall. The distance between the leading edge and aileron cutout is also supposed to be around 47-48". Hard to judge the chord at the root since the only worker near it is sitting. For a B-26 it needs to be roughly 12.9'. I'm also not seeing any fairings or cutouts for the nacelle, nor do I see the landing light cutout.

My bet would be on a single-engine type with split flaps.

Edit: also worth pointing out, B-26 wings are shipped with the rear nacelle (the part from forward of the firewall to a bit past the trailing edge) attached.

Edit 2: from a rough measurement, the diameter on the insignia seems to be about 21% of the panel's span. For a B-26 it would need to be approximately 12.6%.

 

[GreenKnight121]

Thank you all so much for the info. I also didn't think the wing section going in the rail car went on the same aircraft as the other photos show. Any guess as to whether these were taken at the Inglewood, CA or the Kansas North American plant.

The Inglewood plant (B-25C, G, H) assembled the aircraft (including wings) on-site - the Kansas City plant (B-25D, J) got complete outer wing assemblies, fuselage side panels,control surfaces, and transparent enclosures shipped in from the Fisher Body Division of General Motors (which also built the FM-1 & FM-2 Wildcats).

The racks of wings might indicate KC.

Here is a photo of the B-25D hall at KC in October 1942 - note the painted control surfaces but primed main airframe; it looks like the outer wings on the airframes in the background are in primer only, however:

 

[BobW]

The Inglewood plant (B-25C, G, H) assembled the aircraft (including wings) on-site - the Kansas City plant (B-25D, J) got complete outer wing assemblies, fuselage side panels,control surfaces, and transparent enclosures shipped in from the Fisher Body Division of General Motors (which also built the FM-1 & FM-2 Wildcats).

The racks of wings might indicate KC.

Here is a photo of the B-25D hall at KC in October 1942 - note the painted control surfaces but primed main airframe; it looks like the outer wings on the airframes in the background are in primer only, however:


View attachment 782925

Thank you so much for the information. I have learned a great deal since joining this group. Your knowledge of WWII aircraft has been a great help.

Bob W