B-25D Gunship Mods

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:06 pm

Someone made mention in another thread that they like the B-25 gunships.

KoenL · **Joined:** Tue Oct 02, 2007 3:13 pm **Posts:** 20

Wasn't me who mentioned it in the other topic but I'm a big fan of B-25 gunships as well so thanks for sharing!

The Inspector · **Posted:** Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:16 pm

Probably was me-I can't get enough B-25 stuff. Amongst the most versatile and adaptable aircraft of WW2, pretty good medium bomber, wonderful low level strafer and guaranteed to raise your pucker factor to about + 12 as it's heading at you 15 feet off the deck with 14 .50's all intent on just making a mess out of your day.........................................

Matt Gunsch · **Posted:** Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:45 pm

I wish someone would make a movie about Pappy Gunn, think of all the B-25 mods he came up with.

Ken · **Posted:** Fri Jun 13, 2008 4:51 pm

The first pic is a great example of the "sometimes you see it, sometimes you don't" floor window in the nose. Also an early attempt at extra skin in front of the blister packs for blast protection, not to mention the early-style blisters themselves.

The whole Pappy Gunn, Jack Fox story is a little-known part of our history we can all be proud of ... innovators who had the ability to get to the heart of the matter AND get the War Dept and North American on board as well. I suspect that, without them, the B-25G, H, and both noses of J would not exist as we know them.

Ken

gary1954 · **Posted:** Fri Jun 13, 2008 5:37 pm

Concur with ken, and the rest of you. I for another, would love to see a movie about pappy Gunn and Mr. Fox. With the number of Flyable B-25s, enough to make a squadron, it would be the biggest gathering of Warbirds for a movie since our Catch 22. Awesome

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Fri Jun 13, 2008 6:19 pm

What's interesting is that this is a 390th BS 42nd BG B-25D and was modified at Oua Tom, New Calidonia at the 13th AF Repair and Overhaul Depot. The 13th AF had the their own B-25D upgrade program which included waist and tail guns.

Hemiman · **Posted:** Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:34 pm

Some of Pappys creations... 13th and 90th Strafers.. Pics courtesy of Reaper family members..

IMG]http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii195/Hemiman/RUNTSROOSTA.jpg[/IMG]

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:49 pm

pappy gunn was 1 colorful, innovative guy who was a field modification genius!!! he had the respect of the north american field technitions, military ordinance guys at the pentagon, etc. i recall reading he lost most of his teeth testing the 75mm gun when he wasn't prepared for the recoil in flight. i believe he operated a civvie air service before the war in the pacific or far east, & his family or wife was interned by the japanese after hostilities started, & he gained a major vendetta against the japanese for that reason. i could be wrong....... but i think he also pioneered the basic procedures for skip bombing techniques too. a movie about him would be awesome!! :idea:

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Fri Jun 13, 2008 9:00 pm

The 2nd to the last photo is Jock Henebry of the 3rd Attack with
coorespondent Lee VanAtta who flew with on a couple of the big
missions against Rabaul.

shilo53 · **Posted:** Fri Jun 13, 2008 9:15 pm

Fantastic pics, I love the strafer mods although my fave has to be the A-20's, don't know why but they look awesome with the gun packs.

Ken · **Posted:** Sat Jun 14, 2008 7:51 am

The first B-25 "Not in Stock" - why does the carb air intake look different on the right cowl? Almost like the locals hammered one out to replace a damaged one. Can't see the astrodome window in the pic, but could this be a B-model ... maybe C? No Clayton stacks on the cowl ...

Ken

Jack Cook · **Posted:** Sat Jun 14, 2008 8:51 am

You've got good eyes. I can't really tell unfortunately that photo's
pretty well hammered.

retroaviation · **Posted:** Sat Jun 14, 2008 10:25 am

Ken wrote:

The first B-25 "Not in Stock" - why does the carb air intake look different on the right cowl?

Ken

I think those are the scoops for the old Holley carburetors.

Gary

gary1954 · **Posted:** Sat Jun 14, 2008 11:05 am

I read a book decades ago about Pappy Gunn, and he was indeed "colorful"

With regard to his teeth however, the story I read is that he was suffering from a dental problem, but insufficient to warrant pulling the tooth, and then it got worse, so Pappy Gunn, using a pair of plies, pulled out all of his teeth. dunn-no if that is true er not, I read this book back on 75-76, and I cannot remember the name. It was written by someone close to him, and I wanna say Fox wrote it. could be wrong.

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B-25D Gunship Mods

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