PBJ-1J
| This page is about the American strike aircraft PBJ-1J. For similar vehicles in the airframe family, see B-25 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The PBJ-1J is a rank III American strike aircraft with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB/SB) and 3.7 (RB). It was introduced in Update 1.41.
Design of the B-25 was the result of years of work and failed bids to win contracts with the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Initially designed to meet requirements for a payload of 1,200 lb (540 kg), a range of 1,200 mi (1,900 km) and flying at speeds faster than 200 mph (320 kph), prototypes were built, tested and refined. Although the original XB-21 and NA-40 never materialized into a production aircraft, requirements from the USAAC came out in March of 1939 for a medium bomber carrying a payload of 2,400 lb (1,100 kg) over 1,200 mi (1,900 km) at speeds around 300 mph (480 kph), North American modified their design of NA-40 and developed the NA-62 which went into prototype testing as the YB-25 and then ordered into production as the B-25.
The B-25 turned out to be the archetype of the medium bomber, carrying upwards of 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) of bombs and could fly at speeds up to 340 mph (547 kph). This twin-engine bomber was fast, it could carry a large payload for its size and had several defensive turrets and gunner stations at which it could defend itself from almost any angle. To increase its versatility, several models had forward-facing fixed machine guns fitted into the nose and the cheeks of the aircraft. Later models opted to removed the glazed nose and bombardier/nose-gunner station and outfit more machine guns and even a 75 mm autocannon for strafing ground targets and especially ships. This medium bomber at times acted more like a heavy attacker opting for low-level flights which would skim treetops and the ocean to sneak up on unwary targets. It was not uncommon for B-25s to fly just above the mast/smokestack height of enemy ships when attacking.
As later models moved from the dedicated bomber position and morphed into more of an attacker role, bomb payloads were reduced to allow for more armour around the cockpit and more offensive weapons and ammunition to fill the attacker mode it took on, especially under the command of U.S. Marine Corps squadrons. With more than 10,000 B-25 aircraft variants built, they saw action in all theatres of war and were even subject to part of the lend-lease program which China and the USSR benefitted from. So versatile was this aircraft that a flight of them were specifically outfitted and their crews trained to take off from an aircraft carrier and bomb mainland Japan in a daring raid. Impressive for an aircraft not meant to take off from an aircraft carrier.
The B-25 is a fantastic bomber, attacker or both and will suit many different pilots and their different approaches to the battlefields found in War Thunder. The tail gunner has been known to set many fighters alight with their dual .50 calibre machine guns and help to prolong the life of this bomber to allow the pilot to make it to their target whether it is to bomb it or strafe it.
General info
Flight performance
| Characteristics | Max Speed (km/h at 4,390 m) |
Max altitude (metres) |
Turn time (seconds) |
Rate of climb (metres/second) |
Take-off run (metres) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB | RB | AB | RB | AB | RB | |||
| Stock | 435 | 422 | 5800 | 37.3 | 38.5 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 850 |
| Upgraded | 480 | 457 | 34.8 | 36.0 | 10.6 | 7.7 | ||
Details
| Features | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Combat flaps | Take-off flaps | Landing flaps | Air brakes | Arrestor gear |
| ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | X |
| Limits | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings (km/h) | Gear (km/h) | Flaps (km/h) | Max Static G | |||
| Combat | Take-off | Landing | + | - | ||
| 0 | 294 | 382 | 320 | 293 | ~5 | ~2 |
| Optimal velocities (km/h) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Ailerons | Rudder | Elevators | Radiator |
| < 270 | < 320 | < 350 | > 320 |
| Compressor (RB/SB) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Setting 1 | ||
| Optimal altitude | 100% Engine power | WEP Engine power |
| 524 m | 3,000 hp | 3,339 hp |
| Setting 2 | ||
| Optimal altitude | 100% Engine power | WEP Engine power |
| 3,700 m | 2,700 hp | 3,005 hp |
Survivability and armour
- 8 mm Steel - Lower nose armour plate
- 8 mm Steel - Pilot and Co-pilot's seats
- 9.5 mm Steel - Fore cockpit armour plate
- 9.5 mm Steel - Side armour cockpit plates
- 9.5 mm Steel - Cockpit rear plate
- 9.5 mm Steel - Dorsal gunner aft plate
- 6.35 mm Steel - Side gunners armour plate x 2
- 9.5 mm Steel - Tail gunner protective armour plate
- 12 mm Bulletproof glass - Dorsal gunner turret
- 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Tail gunner canopy
Rugged, sturdy, though, the PBJ-1J is all of those things. Featuring crew armour protection that outclasses the B-17 Flying Fortress in a handier, smaller design, the PBJ-1 is a though nut to crack and even harder to devoid of crew. Calibres above 20 mm are a must for a quick kill, otherwise the PBJ-1J will repay in kind. For going all defence is good, but all offence, too? It is called overkill, of the pursuit fighter.
The two Wright R-2600 air-cooled radial engines are themself hard to destroy and with dropped payload the PBJ will just keep flying on a single damaged one. Denying underarmed fighters the ability to lethally cripple it. Yet this aurcraft has got one downside: Fuel tanks. While present in all planes, the armour, crew and bomb bay take up all the fuselage. Leaving only space in the wings. A common cause of crash is hence a fire and thus a structural failure of the wingspar.
Modifications and economy
| Flight performance | Survivability | Weaponry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
Offensive armament
The PBJ-1J is armed with:
- 8 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (400 rpg = 3,200 total)
- 4 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, cheek-mounted (400 rpg = 1,600 total)
Suspended armament
The PBJ-1J can be outfitted with the following ordnance:
- Without load
- 12 x 100 lb AN-M30A1 bombs (1,200 lb total)
- 8 x 250 lb AN-M57 bombs (2,000 lb total)
- 4 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bombs (2,000 lb total)
Defensive armament
The PBJ-1J is defended by:
- 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, dorsal turret (400 rpg = 800 total)
- 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, ventral turret (600 rpg = 1,200 total)
- 1 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun, 2 x beam turret (250 rpg)
Usage in battles
The PBJ-1J is the U.S. Navy version of the B-25J-1 Mitchell, however, these aircraft were assigned to U.S. Marine Corps marine bomber squadrons (VMB) as land-based bombers or ground attackers. This aircraft is virtually identical to its cousin, the PBJ-1H Mitchell, which is also just ground attack variant of the U.S. Army Air Corps/U.S. Air Force B-25 Mitchell bomber. The only notable difference between the 1H and 1J model aircraft is that the 1J removes the 75 mm cannon and replaces it with an additional 4 x 12.7mm Browning machine guns in the nose. Otherwise the same strategy and tactic for the 1H apply to the 1J. Fly almost at treetop levels in order to demotivate high altitude fighters from diving on you, and attack enemy ground targets. Ensure to use ground targets belts in order to maximize the effectiveness against light and medium tanks. Keep in mind that medium tanks will require precise aiming at the rear armour or roof from optimal angles in order to be effective. Reserve bombs for targets the 1J's machine guns under any circumstance cannot deal with (like heavy tanks and pillboxes, this is especially critical in Realistic and simulator battles as it is necessary to land on an airfield in order to retrieve new bombs).
While the PBJ can be effective at engaging other bombers, only engage enemy fighters if a good opportunity appears where an enemy is already engaged with another plane or is in low energy state (like stalling, taking off or landing). In these situations, the twelve 12.7mm machine guns will make short work of virtually all single-engined fighter aircraft even at long range with ground target belts. That said, under no circumstances should the plane be used to actively pursue enemy fighters since any remotely competent pilot will be able to outmanoeuvre you once they become aware of your presence. Ideally, a PBJ-1J should operate in close proximity to friendly fighters who can support it if it is engaged.
Manual Engine Control
| MEC elements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixer | Pitch | Radiator | Supercharger | Turbocharger | ||
| Oil | Water | Type | ||||
| Controllable | Controllable Not auto controlled |
Not controllable Not auto controlled |
Controllable Auto control available |
Separate | Controllable 2 gears |
Not controllable |
Pros and cons
Pros:
- AP ammo is able to destroy medium and light tanks, as well as light pillboxes
- Excellent defensive firepower, utilizing most of the B-25 Mitchell's gun positions
- Durable airframe which can withstand numerous hits before going down
- Tricycle landing gear makes takeoff and landing easier
- Large ammo capacity
- A staggering 12 x 12.7mm Browning machine guns all fuselage mounted, providing excellent firepower at any range against soft targets
Cons:
- Bombload is limited compared to B-25 Mitchell
- Poor energy retention
- Poor turn and climb rate
- Slow top speed and acceleration both in level flight and in dives
- Twin tails create blindspot for gunners, a trait carried by the B-25 family
- The added four 12.7 mm machine guns hardly make up for the lack of a 75 mm cannon like on the 1H variant
- Stock model M2 which lacks advanced ammo belt options, making it inadequate at virtually everything
History
The name breakdown: PBJ-1J = Patrol Bomber J (J is the designation for the builder North American), -1 (1st variant), J model.
In-game description
"North American PBJ-1J Mitchell twin-engine torpedo bomber/anti-submarine warfare patrol aircraft
In addition to the USAAF's army aviation, В-25s of various versions were also used by American naval aviation, both in the USN's aviation forces and in the US Marine Corps, under the designation PBJ-1.
The version code usually coincided with the USAAF's code. For example, the В-25J bomber was re-designated the PBJ-1J. There were two exceptions to this rule: the В-25В was named just the PBJ-1, and the PBJ-1G was a torpedo bomber based on the В-25С or the B-25D (since the B-25G version was never in service with naval aviation forces).
So, the PBJ-1J generally corresponded to the B-25J bomber; only its radio equipment differed from that of the army machine.
The aircraft used for anti-submarine patrolling were often equipped with an AN/APS-2 radar scanner (AN/APS-3 later), whose antenna was located under the fuselage in the extendable housing, in the area of the lower turret. The antenna would extend into the air and be withdrawn before landing. There were also machines with AN/APS-3 radar housing protruding out of the upper section of the bombardier/navigator's cockpit or located on the right wing tip.
Some PBJ-1J bombers were produced with the AN/APS-3 radar mounted in a container in the right wing panel. But the mounting of a radar antenna in the aircraft's forward fuselage was considered better by the USMC's aviation units, and so the Marines often shifted it to the nose section on their own.
The combat load of Navy Mitchells included torpedoes and depth bombs. Ten PBJ-1J aircraft from Squadron VMB-12 could carry two 292 mm Tiny Tim unguided air-to-ground rockets under their fuselage.
All naval PBJ-1s operated only from land-based airfields.
Navy PBJ-1s entered service with the USN's aviation fighting units in March 1943. The planes were used for the first time in combat in December 1943, on the island of Espiritu Santo, as anti-submarine warfare patrol aircraft.
The USMC began to use PBJ-1s in March 1944. Marine Corps PBJ-1s participated in the Battles of the Philippines, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. 15 USMC squadrons armed with PBJ-1 aircraft took part in military operations.
A total of 706 PBJ-1 aircraft were built for naval aviation forces, including 255 PBJ-1Js (J-11, J-17, J-22, J-27, J-32, and J-37 production series)."
Media
Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.
See also
- Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
- de Havilland Mosquito
- Douglas DB-7 and its many derivatives (such as A-20G)
- Douglas A-26 Invader
- Tupolev Tu-2
- Other B-25 variants in-game
- B-25J-1 - In-game early version of B-25J, one less nose-mounted machine gun compared to J-20.
- B-25J-20 - Very little difference between the J-1 and J-20, an additional nose-mounted machine gun, slight armour difference.
- B-25J-30 (Chinese lend-lease) - Virtually same as J-20 variant.
- B-25J-30 (Soviet lend-lease) - Same as Chinese lend-lease version with the exception it utilises Soviet bombs.
- PBJ-1H - U.S. Marine variant - 75 mm autocannon and eight nose-mounted machine guns, lower service ceiling, reduced bomb load compared to J-1, J-20 and J-30 variants, increased armour around the cockpit.
External links
| North American Aviation | |
|---|---|
| Fighters | |
| P-51A | P-51 · P-51A |
| P-51C | P-51C-10 |
| P-51D | P-51D-5 · P-51D-10 · P-51D-20-NA · P-51D-30 |
| P-51H | P-51H-5-NA |
| Twin-engine fighters | F-82E |
| Jet fighters | F-86A-5 · F-86F-2 · F-86F-25 · F-86F-35 · F-100D |
| Strike aircraft | A-36 · PBJ-1H · PBJ-1J |
| FJ-4B · FJ-4B VMF-232 | |
| Bombers | B-25J-1 · B-25J-20 |
| Export/Licence | ▂B-25J-30 · ␗B-25J-30 |
| ▄Mustang Mk IA · F-6C-10-NA · ␗P-51C-11-NT · ␗P-51D-20 · J26 David · J26 · P-51D-20-NA · ␗P-51K | |
| F-86F-30 ▅ · ␗F-86F-30 · F-86F-40 ▅ · F-86F-40 JASDF▅ · ␗F-86F-40 | |
| ◄F-86K · ▄F-86K (Italy) · ▄F-86K (France) | |
| ␗F-100A · ▄F-100D · ␗F-100F | |
| Captured | ▅P-51C-11-NT |
| Canadair Limited license-built the F-86 as the CL-13 for use in Canada and export to Europe. | |
| Fiat license-built the F-86K for the Italian Air Force though another 120 NAA built F-86Ks were also sold to the Italians. | |
| See Also | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries · Canadair Limited · Fiat Aviation |
| USA strike aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Douglas | A-20G-25 · A-26B-10 · A-26B-50 · A2D-1 · AD-2 · AD-4 · A-1H |
| North American | A-36 · PBJ-1H · PBJ-1J |
| Other | AM-1 · AU-1 · XA-38 |
