B-25J-NC

History

Just as the B-25J contract was signed, the production of B-25's at the Fairfax plant was moved into the "High Bay". As space became available in the original areas of the plant, production there increased. More sub assembly was done at the plant to eliminate shortages by suppliers. During this phase of transition, the plant did not shut down. In fact, assembly and manufacturing work actually were accelerated. The first B-25J-1-NC bombers to roll off the assembly line did so in December of 1943.

What would become the most heavily armed B-25 yet, the B-25J-NC was really a combination of the best aspects of a B-25H-NA and a B-25D-NC. The United States Army described the B-25J-NC to be "preferred due to increased firepower, improved bomb run stability and superior to all other similar aircraft for armament, speed, performance at altitude, stability of bombing platform, visibility and night flying and short field characteristics". There were two basic versions of the B-25J built. The only real difference between the two versions was the nose that was fitted. There was an eight gun "strafer" version and the more familiar "greenhouse" version. With twin .50 caliber blister packs on either side and a turret up top, the eight gun "strafer" could point 14 .50 caliber guns straight forward.

The B-25J is the most recognizable of all B-25 models. This is mainly due to the amazing efficiency of the Fairfax bomber plant. At the peak of production, 10 B-25J-NC bombers were being produced every day! Even after the Inglewood, California plant ceased production, the Fairfax plant was able to keep up with demand for B-25s. As a matter of fact, toward the end of the war, production actually exceeded demand. It was this efficiency that earned the plant the Army-Navy "E" for excellence award on October 6, 1944.

The North American Kansas plant continued to make B-25J-NC bombers until August 15, 1945 when they received official notification to cease production from Captain William M. Howell, contracting officer. At that time, there were many B-25J-35s still on the production line. Based on conversations with many former Fairfax bomber builders, I have been able to piece together the story of the final 72 "incomplete but flyable" B-25s.

On August 15, 1945, an unknown high-ranking Colonel was seen on the final assembly line. He basically drew a line in the sand. Any aircraft that had engines already mounted would be completed. Everything behind that line would be scrapped. At that moment, there were 38 B-25J-35-NCs in final assembly from the engine mounting station forward. There were 12 in the armament hangar, and an additional 22 completed aircraft that were waiting to be fitted with their guns outside the armament hanger. This is the final 72.

All but 2,337 of the workers were laid-off on August 20, 1945. The remaining employees would start the scrapping process as well as complete the last 38. Incomplete for the other 34 just meant they didn't have their guns yet. As the war was over, they were flown to storage without their guns. The remaining B-25s were completed over the next 60 days by the small group that remained. The last B-25J-35-NC SN 45-8899 was photographed the day she was completed on October 15, 1945 at the Fairfax plant. The remaining B-25J-35-NC bombers were flown to storage on October 30-31, 1945. Jack Fichtner, security guard, turned off the lights to the Fairfax B-25 bomber plant for the last time. On November 5, 1945, General Motors took over the plant and started the process of converting from airplane manufacturing to automobile manufacturing.

• Model: B-25J-NC
• Total Produced: 4390
• Manufacturing Plant: Fairfax - Kansas City, Kansas
• First Test Flight: Unknown
• First Flight Crew: Joe Barton
• Engines: Wright R-2600-13
• Carburetors: Holley 1685HA
• Fuel Capacity:
  • 2 forward wing cells, total 368 gallons
  • 2 rear wing cells, total 302 gallons
  • 2 wing auxiliary cells, total 304 gallons
  • 2 side waist ferry tanks, total 125 gallons
  • Droppable bomb bay tank 335 gallons
  • 1 fixed ferry tank 585 gallons
• Armament:
  • .50 caliber fixed gun in nose with 300 rounds
  • .50 caliber flexible gun in nose with 300 rounds
  • 4 .50 caliber blister guns with 1600 rounds
  • 2 .50 caliber guns in top turret with 800 rounds
  • 2 .50 caliber guns at waist station with 500 rounds
  • 2 .50 caliber guns in tail turret with 1200 rounds
• Armor Protection:
  • 3/8 inch behind pilots
  • Forward of instrument panel
  • External flak plate on both sides
  • Plate below windshield
  • Bulkhead aft of turret
  • Plate at rear of waist gunner
  • 3/8 inch plate aft of tail gunner
• Weights:
  • Empty: 19,500 lbs.
  • Max: 35,000 lbs.
• Speed (Max): 272 mph at 13,000 feet
• Service Ceiling: 24,200 ft
• Range: 1,350 miles with 3,000 lbs. bombs
• Crew:
  • Pilot, co-pilot, engineer/gunner, bombardier/gunner, waist gunner, tail gunner
• Production by year:
  • 1943: 2
  • 1944: 2856
  • 1945: 1532
• First Airplane Accepted: December 23, 1943
• Last Airplane Accepted: August 1945

• NAA Contract:
  • NA-108 signed April 14, 1943
• Major Visual Production Block Changes:
  • None
• Notable Aircraft:

• NAA Contract:
  • NA-108 signed April 14, 1943
• Major Visual Production Block Changes:
  • Installed gun blast arrestors on top turret and side blister guns
• Notable Aircraft:
  • 43-27868 still flying

• NAA Contract:
  • NA-108 signed April 14, 1943
• Major Visual Production Block Changes:
  • Installed mounting lugs and controls for wing bombs from 43-35995
• Notable Aircraft:
  • 43-28204 still flying
  • 43-35972 still flying

• NAA Contract:
  • NA-108 signed April 14, 1943
• Major Visual Production Block Changes:
  • Added provisions for ring and bead sights for nose guns
• Notable Aircraft:
  • 44-28866 still flying
  • 44-28932 still flying
  • 44-28938 still flying

• NAA Contract:
  • NA-108 signed April 14, 1943
• Major Visual Production Block Changes:
  • Added second fixed .50 caliber gun in nose
  • Added armor protection in floor for bombardier
  • Changed to Holley 1685 RB carburetor from 44-29340
  • Reinforced top turret canopy
  • Relocated flexible nose gun 4 inches higher
• Notable Aircraft:
  • 44-29199 still flying
  • 44-29465 still flying
  • 44-29507 still flying
  • 44-29544 the 30,000th airplane built by North American Aviation during World War II
  • 44-29869 still flying

• NAA Contract:
  • NA-108 signed April 14, 1943
• Major Visual Production Block Changes:
  • new armored seats for both pilots
  • Added armor plate deflectors for top turret guns from 44-30111
  • Increased strength of leading edge wing structure
  • Outer wing panel attach bolts increased from 5/8 to 3/8
• Notable Aircraft:
  • 44-29939 still flying
  • 44-30129 still flying
  • 44-30203 one of the most historic B-25s under restoration
  • 44-30254 still flying
  • 44-30423 still flying
  • 44-30456 still flying
  • 44-30733 "Sandbar Mitchell" currently under restoration
  • 44-30734 still flying
  • 44-30748 still flying
  • 44-30801 still flying
  • 44-30823 still flying
  • 44-30832 still flying

• NAA Contract:
  • NA-108 signed April 14, 1943
• Major Visual Production Block Changes:
  • "S" type exhaust stacks on cylinders 1, 7, and 9 replaced with enameled 1020 steel.
  • Provisions for wing bomb rack and C-6 electric bomb hoist from 44-3111
  • Provisions for T-64 zero length rocket launchers from 44-31338
  • Installed K-10 computing gun sight and M-8A gun mount on tail turrett from 44-31491
  • Provision for glide bombing from 44-86692
• Notable Aircraft:
  • 44-30988 The only known PB-J now under restoration
  • 44-31173 A great looking restoration in Argentina
  • 44-31385 still flying
  • 44-86697 still flying
  • 44-86698 still flying
  • 44-86725 still flying
  • 44-86734 still flying
  • 44-86758 still flying
  • 44-86777 still flying
  • 44-86785 still flying
  • 44-86791 still flying

• NAA Contract:
  • NA-108 signed April 14, 1943
• Major Visual Production Block Changes:
  • Provisions for aerial mines
• Notable Aircraft:
  • 44-86893 still flying

• NAA Contract:
  • NA-108 signed April 14, 1943
• Major Visual Production Block Changes:
  • None, "Incomplete but flyable" final 72
• Notable Aircraft:
  • 45-8835 still flying
  • 45-8883 still flying
  • 45-8884 still flying
  • 45-8898 still flying
  • 45-8899 the last B-25 built