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Not on Public Display

The B-25 medium bomber was one of America’s most famous airplanes of WWII. It was the type used by General Doolittle for the “Tokyo Raid” on 18 April 1942. Subsequently, it saw duty in every combat area being flown by the Dutch, British, Chinese, Russians, and Australians, in addition to our own U.S. forces. Although the airplane was originally intended for level bombing from medium altitudes, it was used extensively in the Pacific area for bombing Japanese airfields from treetop level and for strafing and skip bombing enemy shipping. More than 9,800 B-25s were built during WWII.

Robins AFB served as a depot repair and supply support facility for B-25s in the southeast during World War II. The B-25J on display is actually a composite of several aircraft and serial number 44-86872 assigned. The real “872” was delivered to the Army Air Corps in August 1945 and served in various units and throughout the United States until 1958 when it was retired. It is currently marked as combat veteran 43-27676 “Little King” assigned to the 12th Air Force, 310th Bomb Group, and 380th Bomb Squadron serving in Europe. The Museum of Aviation acquired the aircraft through an exchange in 1987.

Specifications:
  • Span: 67 ft. 7 in.
  • Length: 52 ft. 11 in.
  • Height: 15 ft. 9 in.
  • Weight: 28,460 lbs.
  • Armament: Five .50-cal machine guns; 5,000 lbs. of bombs
  • Engines: Two Wright R-2600s of 1,700 hp. ea.
  • Cost: $96,000
  • Serial Number: 44-86872
Performance:
  • Maximum speed: 275 mph.
  • Cruising speed: 230 mph.
  • Range: 1,200 miles
  • Service ceiling: 25,000 ft.
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