| Developed in the late 1930's as a medium bomber,
the B-25 became a popular bomber in World War II. The Mitchell
was a versatile aircraft, being used for submarine patrol, low-level
bombing, and strafing. The B-25 was the first American bomber
to be employed in a strike against Japan during World War II,
when the Doolitle Raiders attacked the home islands in April
1942. The B-25J was the final and most numerous production
version of the Mitchell, with 4,318 manufactured. The
first flight of a J-model took place in October 1943.
Several B-25s were used at Chanute Field over the years as
flight trainers. A few were reconfigured as ground trainers
for the Chanute Technical Training Center.
This particular aircraft, S/N 44-30635, was originally built
by North American in Kansas City as a B-25J-25-NA. Between
November 1953 and December 1954, the Hayes Aircraft Company
of Birmingham, Alabama, converted this aircraft (and 379 other
J-models) to TB-25N configuration for advanced pilot training.
Each aircraft was rebuilt from the ground up, removing all
armament and armor. They were then fitted with Wright R-2600-29A
engines and several other modifications were made. This aircraft
was then assigned to Chanute Field for use in advanced bomber
pilot training courses.
This aircraft is on loan to Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum
from the National Museum of the United States Airforce. |
