Nederlandse Modelbouw en Luchtvaartsite

Dutch Modelling and Aviation

In Memoriam

Klaas Willem Jonker
(Wilko)
† April 30, 2018

On Monday 30 April 2018, Wilko Jonker died after a long illness at the age of 58. He leaves behind a wife and two children. The Dutch military aviation and plastic modeling were his hobby and on this website he shared all the knowledge he has collected over the years. His hobby has been able to distract him from the persistent disease in his body until the last week of his life. The contacts with other hobbyists were a major support for him.

This website will be maintained by different people for as long as possible, so that other enthusiasts can continue to benefit from extensive content.

North American B-25C/D and B-25J/K Mitchell: NEIAF

The aircraft delivered in March 1942 in India and Australia, had the orange triangle as national insigna applied. No photos of these aircraft in India are known. Only a series made at factory of North American. Soon the triangles were painted over with the Dutch flag.

The serials were applied according NEIAF (ML-KNIL) instructions, number on front of the wings and on the fuselage. No US number on the tail. In August 1942 these instruction were changed. The first six B-25’s in Australia carried serials like these instructions.

August 1942 and later the serials were carried near the flag on the fuselage. The US fiscal Year number was applied in yellow on the tail. (USAF standard).

May 1943 the instructions were change and new delivered B-25's had the serial in small whtie letters near the cockpit and sometimes in the sam fomat on the tail. (See photo page 177 in Camouflage en Kentekens). The serials near the flag were omitted. Older, remaining aircraft had these revised serialling applied after maintenance.

May 1944 serials were in large white letters on the nose and tail in US style type of lettering. Stripped (bare metal) aircraft had the serials applied in black.

From September 1945 a white frame was appied around the flags on camouflaged aircraft.

August 25, 1947 the serials on the tail was changed, in type I à 250 mm heigh for N5, and in type II à 19460 mm heigh, for the aircraft number.

At the end of 1947-early 1948 the flag was replaced with the roundel in six positions plus a small fin flash on the tail.

In January the serialling system was revised and change in M-serials. On existing aircraft the N5-codeletter was replaced with M and the number raised with 200.

Colours.

All B-25's had the standard USAAF colour scheme of Dark Olive Drab, Shade 41 plus Neutral Grey Shade 43 applied. This scheme was referred to as shadow shading. The Dark Olive Drab faded quite quickly to several other colours like brownish yellow or grey, depending on the weather.
Propellers were overall black (Shade 44) with yellow (Identification Yellow Shade 48) tips à 10 cm.

End of September 1943 the code of the colour system was changed. Dark Olive Drab. Shade 43 became Dark Olive Drab, ANA 613 and Neutral Gray Shade 41 in Sea Gray, ANA 603. The colours itself didn't change.
The border between both colours was depending on where the aircraft was manufactured.

B25-C N5-145, is said to be painted all black, nick named "The Flying Dutchman" . [Personally I doubt this very much; The recently released Dutch Profile about the B-25 Mitchel states that none of the NEIAF Mitchells ever received an overall black scheme]

Early 1945 PEP started stripping the B-25's. Initally all TB-25's were stripped. Of other aircraft several parts were bare metal because of repairs, modification and maintenance.

From 1947 and on all aircraft had their camouflage paint removed during overhaul. In 1950 some Mitchells still had a partial camouflage.

 

SchemeColour nameFS numberHumbrolXtraColorVallejo ModelColorVallejo ModelAir
Standard #1 (standard USAF)Upper surfaces US Olive Drab 41 ~4088 66 X111/X112/X113 70.889  
Undersides US Neutral Grey 43 ~6173 176 X133/X207 70.992 71.057
 
Standard # 2 (after complete overhaul)Overall Bare metal          

Check www.paint4models.com for an extensive conversion table with lots of colour and paint systems.

 

North American B-25C Mitchell-1-SMALL
Delivery scheme North American B-25C Mitchell, with orange triangles; serials also applied on leading edge of the wings.
The aircraft shown, still has its original (first) serial.
The armament of the first B-25C Mitchells consisted of two .50 inch machine-guns in both turrets plus one moveable and one fixed .303 inch machine-gun in the nose.
North American B-25C Mitchell-2-SMALL
North American B-25C Mitchell; the orange triangles have been replaced with the Dutch flag as national insignia; serials on front of the wing.
This aircraft has the new serial already applied.
NorthAmerican B25c-d_vroeg-block10-SMALL
North American B-25C/D Mitchell, armed with .50 inch macine-guns.
NorthAmerican B25c-d_vroeg-block10-SMALL
North American B-25C Mitchell Strafer.
NorthAmerican B25c-d_Strafer-SMALL
North American B-25C Mitchell.
NorthAmerican B25-Schemaas-SMALL
North American B-25D Mitchell, modified with extra machine-guns in tail and in gunpacks beneath the cockpit.
NorthAmerican B25c-d_Strafer-SMALL
North American B-25C/D Mitchell, modified for use as photorecce
NorthAmerican B25-Schemaas-SMALL
North American B-25C/D Mitchell, modified for use as photorecce.
NorthAmerican B25c-d_Strafer-SMALL
North American B-25D Mitchell N5-185, used for two pamphlet-flights.
NorthAmerican B25-Schemaas-SMALL
North American TB-25C Mitchell, modified (all armament removed and partial stripped from paint) for use as transporter.
NorthAmerican B25c-d_Strafer-SMALL
North American TB-25C Mitchell, modified (all armament removed and partial stripped from paint) for use as transporter.
NorthAmerican B25-Schemaas-SMALL
North American B-25J Mitchell.
North American B-25J Mitchell-1B
North American B-25J Mitchell.
NorthAmerican B25-Schemaas-SMALL
North American B-25J Mitchell, partially stripped from paint (this could vary very much).
NorthAmerican B25c-d_Strafer-SMALL
North American B-25J Mitchell, completely stripped and dorsal turret removed.
NorthAmerican B25-Schemaas-SMALL
North American B-25K Mitchell.