North American B-25H Mitchell Gunships over CBI

North American Aviation's B-25 Mitchell was named in honor of Major General William Mitchell, considered the father of the United States Air Force.
Two years after his death in 1936, the Air Corps issued Circular No. 38-385, which outlined requirements for the next generation of bombers. +
These included the ability to carry 1200 pounds of bombs 1200 miles and at a speed of at least 200 miles per hour.
Among the companies that submitted designs to meet this requirement was N.A.A. Their proposal was a twin-engine medium-range bomber, initially given the design number NA-40.
This design followed N.A.A.'s somewhat successful but canceled NA-39 design of just two years earlier. The NA-40 first flew toward the end of 1939, when the war in Europe was already underway.
After numerous modifications and improvements culminating in the design of the NA-62, the type finally entered service in 1941, now designated the B-25 "Mitchell". It was a close call, however, as the NA-40 initially failed to win orders in 1939, and orders intended for France never materialised due to competition.
Although the B-25 was new to production, another significant modification was made, replacing the constant dihedral of the wings with a slight dihedral just outboard of the engines.
There is no doubt that the B-25 was a particularly robust and adaptable aircraft, although the type was originally designated as a medium-range bomber with a glazed nose and manned tail gun (B-25C).
It was capable of high and low altitude bombing, strafing raids, photo reconnaissance and anti-submarine patrols.
The Mitchell was used as a gunship in its B-25H version, complete with heavy 75mm cannon armament in the nose, up to a version called the "Strafer" which housed a fearsome total of 8 cannons in the nose and four in forward-facing nacelles on the side walls directly under the cockpit area.

Plastic model kit

• with photo-etched parts
• extremely detailed surface
• Cockpit with many details (e.g. etched belts, separate thrust levers, etc.)
• detailed gun emplacements with ammunition feed
• bomb bay with all details and six bombs
• highly detailed machine guns
• separate control surfaces
• extremely detailed Wright R2600 engines with ducts
• landing gear optionally retracted or extended
• 64.3cm wingspan
• 54.8cm long

Scale 1:32

unbuilt / unpainted

paint and glue not included