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...during the War, daddy?

Being way too young to have been in WWII (contrary to rumors of my age), I have nonetheless read about it (excessively) and talked to any veteran I could corner. One thing I always wanted to do was to joy ride in a warbird. I'm finally getting that chance- cross one off the bucket list. Next Saturday I shall take off into the wild blue yonder as a waist gunner in a B-25. I made the reservation this morning. Not cheap (cost of an average 99EG) but what the hell, the EG I would probably tire of and sell but this memory will never leave.

After takeoff we're free to move about the plane. Taking donations to help feed the .50 machine gun- we get to shoot at passing Cessnas. (Kidding!!)

Just once I wanted to experience the thunder of twin 1700hp Wright engines from inside the airplane.

That's cool.

I want to drive a tank

That sounds exhilarating!
I had to look it up. (boeing.com)

The North American B-25 Mitchell, a twin-engine bomber that became standard equipment for the Allied air forces in World War II, was perhaps the most versatile aircraft of the war. It became the most heavily armed airplane in the world, was used for high- and low-level bombing, strafing, photoreconnaissance, submarine patrol, and even as a fighter and was distinguished as the aircraft that completed the historic raid over Tokyo in 1942.

It required 8,500 original drawings and 195,000 engineering man-hours to produce the first one, but nearly 10,000 were produced from late 1939, when the contract was awarded to North American Aviation, through 1945.

Named for famed airpower pioneer Brigadier General William “Billy” Mitchell, it was a twin-tail, mid-wing land monoplane powered by two 1,700-horsepower Wright Cyclone engines.

Normal bomb capacity was 5,000 pounds (2268 kilograms). Some versions carried 75 mm cannon, machine guns and added firepower of 13 .50-caliber guns in the conventional bombardier's compartment. One version carried eight .50-caliber guns in the nose in an arrangement that provided 14 forward-firing guns.

Technical Specifications

B-25 Mitchell Bomber
First flight Aug. 19, 1940
Span 67 feet 6.7 inches
Wing area 610 square feet
Length 53 feet
Weight Empty, 20,305 pounds; normal gross weight, 27,051 pounds; useful load, 6,746 pounds
Power plant Two 1,700-hp Wright Cyclone supercharged 14-cylinder radial engines, driving 12-foot-7-inch full-feathering, constant-speed Hamilton Standard three-bladed props
Speed In excess of 300 miles per hour
Crew Pilot, co-pilot, bombardier, radio operator, gunner
Range In excess of 3,000 miles, using droppable tanks
Landing gear Hydraulically operated tricycle

That sounds like a thrill. My dad learned his trade working on Flying Fortress' and Liberators in the Mighty Eighth. Not to downplay anyone's contribution to putting down the criminal pigs that most unfortunately rose to become the Nazi party, but I don't think its well known that the 8th suffered more fatalities in its heavy bombing campaign over Europe than did the Marine Corp in their heroic efforts retaking the Pacific. I walked through a B-17 a few years before my dad passed away and I'm glad we did. That was the only time I've been in a Flying Fort and it it is a treasured memory. Be sure to take pictures of your flight and to post your experience to the forum.

PS - take a look at the B-25H for one of the most impressive variants made of the Mitchell.

This one is a B-25J, the last of the series. It flew 14 combat missions over Japan.

After takeoff I'm free to move about the plane. They told me you have to be a squirrel to crawl up into the bombardier's position so that probably won't happen. I'm like a kid the week before Christmas.

I rode in an M4 Sherman, briefly. It was parked on display at a family day picnic where my dad worked, in the mid-60's. While he and I were in the turret playing Army (well, at least I was), a drunk who had driven them in the War crawled into the driver's seat and fired it up and we lurched away amid screams from the National Guard guys who were responsible for the tank. Fools shouldn't have left the keys in it, and they shouldn't have served alcohol. It was fun while it lasted!

Remind me to tell you about a certain National Guard M4 Sherman left setting after an exercise in the fields 1/2 mile from our house, and the bizarre incident involving my 12 year old self and my best friend and a certain piece of ordnance left laying inside the unlocked turret...

(Not for public consumption even though the statute of limitations has surely expired. )

Congratulations Roy, That's a once in a lifetime experience. My Father was a B-17 tail gunner flying out of England from June 1943 to February 1944. I got to visit a B-17 on the ground once but the crew wouldn't let me go back to the tail gunner area. Several family members flew in B-17's later in the war. One of my Mother's Brothers had been a radioman and got to fly in a B-17 a few years ago shortly before he died.
I wrote up my Father's experiences and it was published in the April 2016 issue of "Military" magazine. The September 2017 issue of "Military" has a writeup of my experiences during the evacuation of Saigon if you have any interest in that sordid affair. This is the current issue. I got a copy a few days ago so availability should be good for that issue. I don't know if April 2016 issues are still available.
David

So did you guys end up shelling a neighbor's yard? That would be cool, especially if your neighbor had one of those dogs that always left "presents" in your yard!

S99Vg Payback can be a mother. Big bombs in retaliation for little ones.

Nothing quite that drastic, but there was a very loud bang nonetheless...

Very cool! I'd rather do a tank than bomber, but don't blame you a bit.

Both grandfathers owned farms, so neither one joined. Had one uncle that served as a MP to guard POW's in Texas, and had a great uncle that served in the Pacific until he got wounded and came home. Nobody in the family ever talked about it, except for things like the rationing. I ate up everything about WW2 that I could as a kid.

My dad was a radioman in WWII. He said the snipers always went for the guy standing next to the radioman, figuring he was in charge. Interesting times compared to our daily existence.

Gary that will be a great experience, green here. There were a few WW II warbirds at a Monmouth, NJ airport a year or two ago and a few of us went to see. A B-17, B-25 and a B-24 were there as well as a P-51. The sound of those big radials on the bombers is something to remember. They all took off and landed a few times.

That is awesome Gary.

My bucket list airplane ride is to sit behind the Rolls Royce Merlin of a P-51 Mustang.

Can't even imagine the power of that machine and the adrenaline rush that would give me. Probably would piss my pants.

We expect a full debriefing immediately upon your safe arrival on the ground.

Good for You Gary, very cool!

I'll take an online flying class. Maybe then they'll let me fly it too.

On to the watchlist you go..

Gary- My Dad was a couple years too young for WWII but has always been interested in the warbirds. I went with him to, nearby Dubuque, Ia. last year to tour a B29. He was tempted to take a ride and I sort of nudged him into spending the kids inheritance : ) and it was a thrill of a lifetime for him. He rode behind the pilot- expensive but not a bad as the bombadier nose seat! Have a great time Saturday.

Gary. Airshow at Andrews is in a couple weeks. They put on a hellava event. From the old to the new. Those p-51's are a thing of beauty. The thunderbirds are there this year doing their thing. I'm sure Annapolis will be seeing some of their activity.
Steve

One of my friends has a father who was a flight engineer and gunner on a Marine Mitchell which was, I think, called a PBJ. Did a number of "skip bombing" attacks on Japanese transports and escorts in early 1943. Talk about a sphincter tightener! They also shot up a number of Japanese airfields from O feet altitude, using parafrag bombs to avoid shooting themselves down; another relative used these from an Army A-20 in Europe. I have seen the marks left on several Sicilian and Corsican control towers by their attacks, and the pockmarks left on a Gestapo barracks (former, and now again, a girls high school) in Arles France by one of their near-misses. In Europe you can find a lot of history still, just by looking for bomb fragment "pocks" and bullet holes.... Try doing the "where was the window with a sniper in it?" tour of the buildings around the University of Paris on the Left Bank sometime. You'll SEE what I mean!