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Can someone identify this airplane?

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by nathandarby67, Oct 22, 2013.

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  1. nathandarby67

    nathandarby67 F1 Veteran
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    #1 nathandarby67, Oct 22, 2013
    Saw this photo the other day. It is hanging on the wall at the local gas station/bait shop/restaurant/convenience store. (It's one heck of a fine establishment btw....best breakfast and chicken-n-dumplings in three counties) :)

    I am actually quite ashamed to post this question, as I normally consider myself as really knowing my WWII aircraft pretty well, but I just can't tell what it is. Sorry for the glare and crappy pic. I will try to get a better shot next time I'm in there.

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  2. Ney

    Ney F1 Veteran
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    #2 Ney, Oct 22, 2013
  3. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #3 Bob Parks, Oct 23, 2013
    Easy, a B-25 " Gun Nose" with a 75 mm cannon installed but i think that the print is reversed. My late brother-in-law flew one and he hated the cannon installation. Preferred the 50's in the nose with the 4 gun pack of 50's on each side. Great strafing weapon.
     
  4. nathandarby67

    nathandarby67 F1 Veteran
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    #4 nathandarby67, Oct 23, 2013
    Yep, you nailed it! The nose with the large cannon and four .50's threw me off. I was not aware they built a B-25 variant like that. Did a quick google and wiki search of the B-25. It said this about the B-25H:

    "An improved version of the B-25G. This version permanently relocated the manned dorsal turret to a more forward location on the fuselage, between the rear of the cockpit and the leading edge of the wings. It also featured two additional fixed .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in the nose and four in fuselage-mounted pods; the heavy M4 cannon was replaced by a lighter 75 mm."

    Wow!! A total of 8 .50's AND a 75mm cannon!?! That sucker could throw down some lead! Would have hated to be on the receiving end of that bad boy.

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  5. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #5 tazandjan, Oct 23, 2013
    Bob- That 75 mm cannon gave the B-25H stand-off range against most warships. There are instances of B-25Hs standing off, out of range of AAA, and holing the side of and killing destroyers and transports. No doubt the .50s were better for strafing, but the 75 mm gave you the ability to stay alive engaging ships.
     
  6. nathandarby67

    nathandarby67 F1 Veteran
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    #6 nathandarby67, Oct 23, 2013
    Bob, as always you have the most amazing stories and information. I'm curious, what did he not like about the cannon? Too slow? Not accurate? Too much recoil?

    Also, when the pilot pulled the trigger, did all 8 guns and the cannon fire simultaneously, or could you select just the cannon or only, say, the nose guns?
     
  7. RacerX_GTO

    RacerX_GTO F1 World Champ
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    #7 RacerX_GTO, Oct 23, 2013
    The Cannon in action.

    Start at the 12:00 minute mark - weapon loading, weapons check
    Combat toward the end.
    Everyone made it back alive, one bird landing gear damaged by flak.

    [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGjGJHrQxy8]North American B-25s: "Winged Artillery" Restored Color 1945 - YouTube[/ame]
     
  8. tbakowsky

    tbakowsky F1 World Champ
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    #8 tbakowsky, Oct 23, 2013
    I have the pleasure of seeing a B-25 fly over the house almost every weekend along with the Lancaster from the War Plane museum in Hamilton Ontario. I usualy hear them before I seem them. I just bought myself a really nice pair of Binoculars just so I can watch them fly over the house.
     
  9. Bob Parks

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    #9 Bob Parks, Oct 23, 2013
    I never really asked him why he didn't like the cannon version. He did a lot strafing attacks as well as bombing air fields in the Pacific Theater. He also flew the Martin B-26 which he liked because it could take a lot of punishment in action but thought that the B-25 was nicer to fly. I don't know if you could fire selective units but I would guess that you could.
     
  10. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    #10 Gatorrari, Oct 23, 2013
    I think the problem was that the noise from the cannon was so deafening, and the recoil so severe, that it made the crew uneasy. Supposedly, every time the cannon was fired, the aircraft slowed down slightly! I'll say one thing - the guy who came up with this idea, "Pappy" Gunn, was aptly named!

    I wonder how the 57mm cannon in certain Mosquitos, also a modified tank cannon, affected the airplane and its crew?
     
  11. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #11 Bob Parks, Oct 23, 2013
    I don't know if it is proper or a no-no but I just wanted to say that my so-called book is in the second editing and I'm in the process of selecting photos and art to fit the configuration. Lots of work, more than I ever thought.
     
  12. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

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    #12 Tcar, Oct 23, 2013

    The precursor to the A-10 Thunderbolt II... it slows down also when it's gun is fired. It's a different scale, though.

    Literally a plane built around a gun.

    Sorry about being a bit off-topic.
     
  13. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
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    #13 Bob Parks, Oct 23, 2013
    Not off topic at all. I heard that the 75 wasn't very kind to the B-25 airframe and it was cumbersome to load and very heavy. Taz is correct stating that it was a good ship killer.
     
  14. Juan-Manuel Fantango

    Juan-Manuel Fantango F1 World Champ
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    #14 Juan-Manuel Fantango, Oct 24, 2013
    Very cool, watched the whole thing. That generation, our fathers, were heroes that saved the world.
     

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