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Military Aviation History - June 15, 2018

Q: More than 6,600 of these were produced at the North American Aviation plant in Kansas City, Kansas. What's the name of this military aircraft that served the Allies in every theater of World War II?

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A:  The B-25 (or the North American B-25 Mitchell)

The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American, twin-engine, medium bomber, made by North American Aviation. Named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation, it was used by Allied forces in every theater of World War II. More than 6,600 of the aircraft were built at North American Aviation's plant in Kansas City, Kansas, at Fairfax Airport.

The B-25 carried a crew of four to six. The aircraft had a range of 1,350 miles and a maximum speed of nearly 300 miles per hour. The B-25 first gained fame as the bomber used in the 1942 Doolittle Raid. Led by Lieutenant Colonel Jimmy Doolittle, 16 B-25Bs attacked mainland Japan just four months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The mission gave a much-needed morale boost to Americans and worried the Japanese, who believed their home islands were safe from enemy attack. 

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