B-25H

[lyric1]

Anything above 15k has walked away from me even when I'm using WEP. I've tried a number of times hehehe

Chased a set of B17s or B24s (can't recall which) for 3 sectors once and never even got close. Gave up and landed.

I think that was me.

[RTHolmes]

great for factories - 4 trips and its flattened    nailed a Lanc in the fuselage between the wings from about 800yd once, it just disintegrated in front of me

[DarkglamJG52]

Off topic:

http://www.pbjmitchell.com/ (click Learn More). Nice info. IMHO.

[comet61]

It's no good for bomber killing unless you get a 1 in a Trillion chance and just happen to appear behind them. It's actually slower than the major heavy bombers at alt, and it can't dive very well because even the slightest input rips both wings off at the fuselage.

I guess I should have made myself a little more clearer. When the Lancs are at about 3K-6K at low-level bombing, the B25H can ruin their day. Though not lately, I have shot down several Lancs and B26's too, using MG's and 75mm. At altitude....then no, the B25 is too slow. The B25H is great for the low and slower Lancs...even better when they try JABO. It can be done. I've done it and not a trillion to 1 shot either. I've seen others do it as well. It is one of those "being at the right place at the right time".

[Yossarian]

I guess I should have made myself a little more clearer. When the Lancs are at about 3K-6K at low-level bombing, the B25H can ruin their day. Though not lately, I have shot down several Lancs and B26's too, using MG's and 75mm. At altitude....then no, the B25 is too slow. The B25H is great for the low and slower Lancs...even better when they try JABO. It can be done. I've done it and not a trillion to 1 shot either. I've seen others do it as well. It is one of those "being at the right place at the right time".

Agreed, my favourite shot was where the 75mm passed into the back of the Lanc, curved downwards and hit the nose again as it came out.  Double ownage 

[Larry]

My uber aimbit shot on the N1K2 at 1.5K.

[Helm]

I can't hit nothing "glide bombing" the B25's.  I have practiced and practiced and have never hit anything.

  So I have been forced to learn how to dive bomb with it.  The problem is the B25 accelerates very fast in a dive and hits "parts damage" speed very quickly ...so you must keep this in mind when you dive bomb. 

Until you get good at it ...pick big targets to drop on ...like maybe drop on a town ...or a factory for practice ...as you get better you can go for smaller targets


Here is my routine:

1) I come to the target about 10k above ground level

2) once almost over the target  I close my throttle ....open bomb bay doors

3) I begin to deploy flaps till i get to full flaps out

4) I then go external view and watch till the target is right under me...usually by this point the stall buzzer is starting to go off

5)  The B25 WILL NOT nose straight down ...if you try to do this it takes so long to get pointed straight down you will be too fast by the time you get the nose down and you will be in the speed range of losing a wing or the tail.....I use a trick to get around this:   Right as the target is below you  pull up and bank about 45 degrees ...then kick inside rudder .....this will swing the nose down much faster ....as the nose points down  roll the plane to help it get vertical and to finish the line up.

6)  Once you get the nose pointed down things start happening real fast ...you only have seconds to line up the drop.  I continue to "stand" on the rudder and use it to control my speed ...once i think I am lined up ...I let off the rudder and drop as soon as the plane straightens out....I usually count 1 then drop  (to make sure the bird has stopped skidding)

...NOTE: once you get the nose pointed  down the flaps  begin retracting .....you better be lined up about the time the last notch comes back off deploy .......if the drop does not look good.... pull out ...go vertical ....repeat steps 1-6 till you get a good drop.

7)  Pulling out ....B25 is very fragile if compressed ...the wings and the tail come off very very easy....The secret to pulling out is:  Do not just count on the stick to pull you out....as soon as i want to pull out... I roll in 100% nose trim up ...while at the same time "GENTLY" pulling back on the stick ....let the nose trim do 60% of the work .....she will grunt and groan but it will pull out provided you pulled out soon enuff, and if you did a good job keeping the speed down ......If I have more bombs to drop or I just need to line up the drop again ...I continue pulling the nose up until I am vertical ...go back to 100% throttle and zoom back up for another drop   

NOTE: as the nose comes up and my speed comes down I reset my trim by hitting combat trim ....usually this is at about a 45 degree vertical angle ...i continue going vertical to set up the next drop...also if it is my intention to zoom and attack again I will go 100% throttle at about this same point that i turn combat trim back on


8 )  Coming out my first drop I continue going vertical  till the b25 beging to stall ....near stall speed I deploy flaps till full deploy ....then i chop throttle ...kick inside rudder which swings the nose down and use the roll to help finish making me point the nose straight down again ..... ..basically step #6 ...then step #7 for the pull out.


TIPS:  Try carry as little fuel as possible  ....also don't be afraid if things don't look good for your drop (lined up) ...just back off ...zoom and try again ....don't press things ....you will only get too fast and you will just end up losing parts

also I seem to lose the tail parts more the I lose the wings ...but in figuring this out I have lost both ...or either

Keep In mind these methods can be applied to any plane ....it is even useful w/ fighters that build up too much speed in a dive.

I love the b25 ...so I HAD to learn how to use it as a dive bomber ...I am helpless glide bombing it

I hope these tips help you.  If you have and questions or need some help please ask me here ...or in person ...i will do my best to help you.



Helm ...out
XO ^"^Nazgul^"^

[moot]

Step #8 becomes so easy as to not require flaps, if you hammerhead the B25 with separate engine throttling, to the right hand side.  It will remove a lot of the vertical (relative to the pilot seat) velocity as you're coming out of the reverse, which means less time spent waiting for the plane's motion to settle and match the gunsight, i.e. easier bombing.  This also applies to 75mm shots.. This method makes killshots on tigers a lot easier.

[Nilsen]

For a short time B-25 was the premier tank hunter until the Wirbel  and the updated Il-2 appeared.
It's 75mm is still able to give a one-hit-death to every tank on AH2, even without AP.
Another, quite dweeby thing, the 25H is good at: Killing strat targets. 3K of bombs and lotta gun ammo.

Brings back memories of 2 days ago.

I flew my g14 out to one of our strat targets that was by now behind enemy lines making sure i didn not reveal my mosition. Parked on the shoreline next to the ammo factory and waited. Took me about 30 mins of having coffe and a snack, but finally the first customer showed up. He must have been very suprised when a g14 lifted from the ammo factory and ruined his dreams of a nice safe milkrun. It was a b25 

[RTHolmes]

nowhere near as agile as an A20 but you can get the odd A2A kill with em too, from yesterday:

http://www.lumbergh.aquiss.com/ah/ah_films/b25h_corsair_kill_0303.ahf

[bongaroo]

I'd like to pick up one of the gunsights ranging the 75mm out.  I've been very happy blowing up guns and sometimes sinking ships when a cv group comes in close.  You need to start landing your shots from a good distance out though, the 5" guns make short work of you.

HOing any silly zero's that fly straight at you on the way is just icing on the cake.   

[B4Buster]

You can dive bomb with it, just takes a little practice. You do need to make sure you aren't going too fast so you don't snap the wings off, and make sure you leave yourself enough room to pull out

[Larry]

All you need is 2-3K of alt to bomb or use the big gun. Cut throttle when in the dive and WEP when coming out.

[Saxman]

HOing any silly zero's that fly straight at you on the way is just icing on the cake.   

HOing Zekes with ANYTHING is a particularly tasty slice of that cake. I've made more than a few Zeros flinch in the Mains and FSO by accepting the HO.

[Ghosth]

As to bombing, 250 feet AGL, 250 mph, level or a very slight glide, bottom of the sight glass is your aim point.

Come to the TA and try it someday. You can get very good accuracy with low level high speed runs.

And yes that cannon will hit things out to 4k if you have a good sight and your good at estimating range.