The North American B-25 Mitchell was one of the best-known medium bombers of World War II, especially remembered for its use in the Doolittle raid on Japan in 1942 and its participation in every major theater of the war. Less known, however, is its continued role in the postwar world, both in military and civilian service. Thousands of war surplus B-25s sat on airfields in 1945, available to the highest bidder. Though most B-25s, as other warplanes, were scrapped and smelted, hundreds did enj oy a postwar career in the civil sector. The B-25 is now one of the most prolific surviving warbirds, and this book tells the story of the type in the years since the end of World War II. The B-25 has provided diverse and distinguished service in roles fr om fire-fighting to movie production. This books covers all of these roles and includes hundreds of photographs, detailed appendices, and individual aircraft histories of each of the civilian B-25s.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
(The author) realized that to do a "complete" book on the civil Mitchells would probably be too large to be published and too arcane for the most enthusiasts to comprehend. Instead, he set out to record as much history as possible in one place tha t would be "user friendly" to the reader. He has done an admirable job of achieving that goal. For the hard core Mitchell buff, the last 50-plus pages of the book will be their real "meat" for this is where (the author) lists the individual B-25 histories . Very reasonably priced with many excellent photographs (many coming from William T. Larkins and Milo Peltzer), this book is a must for any Warbird lover. -- Air Classics Magazine, January 1998
The story of the B-25 in civilian service. Thompson lists the individual histories of all these B-25s. It shows FAA listed owners, civilian use as fire bombers, corporate transport, test beds, movie work and their eventual fate. The book should be a valuable tool for the historian and enthusiast alike. Many, many photos both color and black and white. -- Texans and Trojans Magazine, January 1998
Those who like their warbirds on the larger side will already cherishing Scott's "Final Cut", the story of the postwar B-17s. Scott has a keen eye for detail, an academic approach to presenting source material clearly and his works read well. Here are details of executive conversions, research, and development B-25s, air tankers and, of course, of their "new" working life as warbirds. There is a tribute to Paul Mantz and his airborne cameraships, and lashings of materials on B-25s in firms, includ ing the "full monty" on that outstanding movie, "Catch-22". Lavishly illustrated, the book includes detailed appendices and individual histories of the aircraft. A superb piece of work... --Fly Past Magazine, July 1998
The story of the B-25 in civilian service. Thompson lists the individual histories of all these B-25s. It shows FAA listed owners, civilian use as fire bombers, corporate transport, test beds, movie work and their eventual fate. The book should be a valuable tool for the historian and enthusiast alike. Many, many photos both color and black and white. -- Texans and Trojans Magazine, January 1998
Those who like their warbirds on the larger side will already cherishing Scott's "Final Cut", the story of the postwar B-17s. Scott has a keen eye for detail, an academic approach to presenting source material clearly and his works read well. Here are details of executive conversions, research, and development B-25s, air tankers and, of course, of their "new" working life as warbirds. There is a tribute to Paul Mantz and his airborne cameraships, and lashings of materials on B-25s in firms, includ ing the "full monty" on that outstanding movie, "Catch-22". Lavishly illustrated, the book includes detailed appendices and individual histories of the aircraft. A superb piece of work... --Fly Past Magazine, July 1998
From the Back Cover
The complete story of the famous North American B-25 Mitchell in over fifty years of civil service is presented in this well-crafted volume. At least two hundred B-25s made the transition from military service to the civil market, many being pu t to use in Hollywood movies or water bombing forest fires. Dozens became company transports or test beds, while some just languished on forgotten airports. Today, pristine B-25s ply the airways, always drawing a crowd at the airshows and turning heads wi th the loud bark of twin Wright R-2600s. Here is the civil B-25 story in words and pictures, with pilot interviews and detailed appendices. Included also are individual aircraft histories for each of the B-25s that reached the civil market, a valuable res earch tool for historian and airshow enthusiast alike.
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