Lewis Air Legends North American B-25J Mitchell “Russian Ta Get Ya”

History:
The B-25 became synonymous with the crushing power of aerial bombing after Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle led a squadron of 16 of the medium bombers in one of the most courageous raids of the war, over mainland Japan. They flew 800 miles from the deck of an aircraft carrier and successfully bombed Tokyo and five other cities without a loss of airmen or aircraft, until 15 planes were forced to ditch short of the recovery bases, out of fuel or lost in the low visibility. The pounding given to the Japanese Imperial City just four months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor provided a much-needed morale boost for American troops and sailors. Named for General Billy Mitchell, the father of the U.S. Air Force, the B-25 entered service on the first day of the war and served until well after. Around 10,000 were built in several configurations. Early on, their strafing power and low-level bombing capabilities had the Mitchells virtually encrusted with as many as 18 machine guns. The B-25J, the last production model of the bomber, was conventionally equipped with a transparent nose. Rod Lewis’ B-25J became a member of the Lewis Air Legends Collection in 2008.

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Specifications

Registration Number	Date of Manufacture
N747AF	1944
Aircraft Role	Nickname
Bomber	“Russian Ta Get Ya”
Aircraft Type:	Wingspan:
North American B-25J “Mitchell”	67 feet 7 inches
Overall length:	Empty weight:
52 feet 11 inches	19,480 pounds
Gross weight:	Fuel capacity:
35,000 pounds	990 Gal.
Oil capacity	Engine type:
	Two 1700 hp Wright R2600-92 Cyclone radial piston engines
Propeller type:	Max Speed
Hamilton Standard	272 mph
Rate of Climb	Cruise Speed

Service Ceiling	Number of Crew
24,200 feet	8 Crew Members
Armament	Bomb Load
Twelve 18 x .50 cal. machine guns	6000 lbs bombs
Number Built	Number Surviving
4318

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Photos

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Restoration
When Rod Lewis purchased the B-25J Mitchell back in 2008, known then as the ‘Silver Lady,’ she was already airworthy and in good condition. However, Lewis had a different idea for the bomber’s look before debuting the aircraft as part of the Lewis Air Legends Collection. Aero Trader, located in Chino, California, completed the original restoration of the Lewis Air Legends B-25. The restoration took a total of 18 months and included a complete interior overhaul with new instruments and interior refurbishment, along with the new paint scheme, bringing the plane to excellent condition. The final touch and icing on the cake was the one-of-a-kind Greg Hildebrant, Soviet inspired nose art. ‘Russian Ta Get Ya,’ is not only beautiful but historically accurate as well. Nearly 900 B-25s were sent to the Russians in WWII under the Lend/Lease program, as were many others to allies in Europe, Asia and South America.

Restoration Images