North American B-25J Mitchell (8530)

Produced from 1939 to 1945, over 11,000 were built; 9,816 of these served with U.S. forces. They saw combat in every theater except with the 8th and 9th Air Forces in the European Theater. B-25Hs, armed with a 75 mm cannon and 14 machine guns were very effective in the anti-shipping role in the Pacific. B-25Bs were used for the first bombing raid on Japan, April 18, 1942, commanded by then Lt. Colonel Jimmy Doolittle. Sixteen B-25Bs flew from the 450 foot deck of the USS Hornet and bombed four Japanese cities, including Tokyo. This plane at Castle Air Museum was flown from storage in 1980 and General Doolittle was at the museum to greet it when it landed.