B-25 Bombardier Floor Window

[Ken]

Some B-25's with traditional greenhouse noses also have a small floor window in the lower front right corner. I don't remember ever seeing this in wartime photos. Is this something added to a certain serial batch or in the TB-25N conversion? What is its purpose?

Ken

[GARY HILTON]

I have also noticed the narrow glass on the floor behind the nose glas s....I have been curious about this as well...I have noticed that some of the glass-nosed B-25's have them and some don't....I kinda find myself being a little obsessive, as when I walk up to the nose of a B-25, that this is the first thing I look for....didn't realize it until you posted this thread....Guess I'd better go talk to the shrink!...............Gary

[Ken]

C'mon, WIXers. With all the horsepower on this forum, certainly someone knows all about this mystery window ...

[Elroy13]

Thinking back to TOM...I want to say "Briefing Time" has the small window underneath the right side. So does Pacific Princess & Apache Princess & possibly Panchito...just to name a few. Now you guys got me thinking!! The quest is on!

[rwdfresno]

If you look this window was on B,C,D model aircraft and I think that it was eliminated around -20 J model production block with the introduction of the second forward firing .50 cal nose mounted machine gun and addition amour plating in the nose to protect the bombardier. I don't have any hard information to back that up so don't quote me in the history books but that has always been my understanding. I would certainly love to hear from someone with hard information regarding this to prove me right or wrong.

Ryan

[Crew29]

Hey Elroy, you're right... Briefing Time (B-25J) does have the window. We also have the 2 .50s in the nose, and the armor plate... I'm not sure in what production block...

Another thing about that window... Briefing time has has a three inch hole 75% in the plexiglass, 25% in the sheet metal on the aft edge of that window. At TOM, we noticed that the other aircraft with the window, had a repair patch covering the sheet metal portion of the hole and a solid plexi-panel for window. I can't remember which aircraft we noticed this on, but there were a few...

It's odd the way the hole was designed into the sheet metal window frame. You'd think the hole would be entirely in the plexi window. If I had a picture, I'd post it cause I'm sure my description has confused people. The hole, we believe, was to vent the nose compartment of the fumes from the two 50's... anybody heard of other reasons for this hole??
I'll try to get a picture of the window tomorrow at work....
T.J.

[Jack Cook]

We also have the 2 .50s in the nose

I've never seen any 12th AF B-25s with the dual .50s and few with
the package guns has they weren't really needed. did the original
BF had 1,2 or no fixed .50s in the nose???
Please don't tell me she's is the original BF:idea:

[Crew29]

Well, I can't tell you what it was then. But I can say what it is now... best I can do ya...

[Jack Cook]

I've never seen pictures of the original's nose but have seen it in NMF with no package guns.

[rwdfresno]

Many of the currently restored airframes may not have the original nose as many of them were modified into K, L or Ns and would many had modified noses with radomes, also many had the glazed nose replaced with 8 gun solid noses with faired over gun ports. I remember in the early Aero Trader days my father having several glazed noses sitting our garage. Now days they are a hot commodity as that is by far the most desirable B-25J nose for current owners since the view out the nose is spectacular.

Ryan

[Swiss Mustangs]

two production shots





and a nice nose-art



is this the window you are referring to, Ken ?

Martin

[Ken]

Yes, that looks like it. The photos bring up another interesting difference - those must be C or D models, right -- I'm not used to seeing the navigator's side windows convex vs. flush (as in the Doolittle airplanes). Remind me again how you can tell a C from a D visually. And to further confuse matters, don't some late C's and D's sport Clayton exhausts instead of rings (as these do).

Ken

[Swiss Mustangs]

2nd photo - the a/c in the background (tail visible) with serial 42-53332 is a North American B-25C-5

[RyanShort1]

Yes, that looks like it. The photos bring up another interesting difference - those must be C or D models, right -- I'm not used to seeing the navigator's side windows convex vs. flush (as in the Doolittle airplanes). Remind me again how you can tell a C from a D visually. And to further confuse matters, don't some late C's and D's sport Clayton exhausts instead of rings (as these do).

Ken

Don't know about you but I think the Doolittle aircraft have convex side windows as well... just like any other B-25B.



Ryan

[gary1954]

also, check out how slick the tire is on the -25 Closest to camera.