North American NA-148 Executive Transport (a civilian Mitchell)

[Stargazer]

North American's NA-148 is variously described as a "commercial transport project" and a "civil executive PBJ-1J modification". This may have remained a project, but what puzzles me is that the serial 44-30975 (c/n 35848) and the civilian registration N5126N are associated to the project, all of which point to what was probably an actual demonstrator... Problem is, I never found a single picture of such an aircraft. Could anyone help with this?

 

[Arjen]

I am new to this forum so I cannot post any pictures yet. Just some text from Norm Avery's "North American Aircraft 1934-1988 Volume 1" ISBN 0-913322-05-09, page 87:

"In mid-1949 North American purchased a B-25J-25, 44-30975 (PBJ-1-J, BuAer 35848) from government surplus sales for conversion to a comparatively luxurious executive transport/trainer with an extended nose to accomodate two additional passengers forward of the wing. Returning to California from a nationwide sales tour on March 25, 1950, the airplane crashed in in Arizona in extreme turbulence, with the loss of seven company people."

There is a picture of 44-30975/N5126N on page 90. Will post it as soon as I am allowed to.

 

[Stargazer]

Wow. Thank you so much for this confirmation. Can't wait to see the picture in question!

 

[Arjen]

Still no posting rights, sorry about that. Joe Baugher has this to say about 44-30975:

In 1949, North American Aviation thought that might be a real market for converted Mitchell executive transports, and undertook a program to modify standard B-25s into transports. They obtained a surplus B-25J (44-30975) and modified it as a prototype executive transport. The forward fuselage was redesigned to make it wider and nearly four feet longer, making room for four more seats in the cockpit section. The bomb bay section was reworked to carry a bunk and cargo storage. Four additional seats were added in the waist section. It was assigned the civilian registration of N5126N, and flew for the first time in February of 1950. Unfortunately, during a cross-country tour, the aircraft crashed on March 1, 1950, killing all seven people aboard. This crash, and the onset of the Korean War a couple of months later, led to North American Aviation abandoning its efforts to make a commercial transport out of its B-25.

Source: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_bombers/b25_31.html

 

[Stargazer]

Still no posting rights, sorry about that. Joe Baugher has this to say about 44-30975:

In 1949, North American Aviation thought that might be a real market for converted Mitchell executive transports, and undertook a program to modify standard B-25s into transports. They obtained a surplus B-25J (44-30975) and modified it as a prototype executive transport. The forward fuselage was redesigned to make it wider and nearly four feet longer, making room for four more seats in the cockpit section. The bomb bay section was reworked to carry a bunk and cargo storage. Four additional seats were added in the waist section. It was assigned the civilian registration of N5126N, and flew for the first time in February of 1950. Unfortunately, during a cross-country tour, the aircraft crashed on March 1, 1950, killing all seven people aboard. This crash, and the onset of the Korean War a couple of months later, led to North American Aviation abandoning its efforts to make a commercial transport out of its B-25.

Source: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_bombers/b25_31.html

Thanks a lot Pica. You can only have the right to post after 10 or 15 posts, can't remember exactly. By the way, welcome to the forum!

 

[Arjen]

As promised, a bit earlier than I expected. Thanks for your kind welcome

<edit>Oops. I've been reading the do's and don'ts. Replaced the original image by a less substantial one. </edit>

 

[Stargazer]

Amazing picture of a very rare bird. Wow! Thank you so much.

 

[Steve Pace]

Amazing picture of a very rare bird. Wow! Thank you so much.

Stargazer, what's the best way to get the cross hatching (dots and stuff) out of this great picture Pica sent?

 

[mz]

I don't remeber if the free xnview image editor has descreen or despeckle filter.

Then there's always this commercial software:
http://www.focusmagic.com/exampledespeckle.htm

 

[Stargazer]

First of all, this long-dreamed of photograph has inspired me to no end! I just HAD to do a profile of the NA-148, however imperfect (it is based on the photo, not on actual dimensions and cannot therefore be trusted for reference). I hope some of you will enjoy it, it's my last work on the computer for a while since I'm undergoing hand surgery tomorrow morning...

Secondly, the picture's "dots and stuff" can be removed by using the "soften" filter on the high res pic. I've done it and here's the result.

 

[Arjen]

I recommend the book, it contains lots of interesting pictures. Sadly it's out of print. You might be able to get your mitts on a used copy.
http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&st=sl&qi=oWiPDLC36PuYlCg4oQmrZdsYHN4_4916026828_1:62:920&bq=author%3Dnorm%2520avery%26title%3Dnorth%2520american%2520aircraft%252C%25201934%2D1998
Volume 2 is by Kevin Thompson. http://www.amazon.com/North-American-Aircraft-1934-1999-2/dp/0913322067/ref=pd_sim_b_1

 

[Steve Pace]

I'm not so sure NA-148 should be called an executive transport. -SP

 

[Steve Pace]

I forgot these pages in my 1994 B-25 book. -SP

 

[ChuckAnderson]

I hope that this isn't too far off topic, but as I recall, an aircraft of this type briefly appeared in a science-fiction movie from 1953 called "THEM". As I remember, it taxied-in and stopped, turned-off its engines, and it showed the passengers disembarking through a hatch on the bottom of the fuselage.

I'm not really sure, but it might have just been a transport converted from a bomber.


Chuck

 

[Steve Pace]

It was actually a modified B-25J used by a famous Hollywood aerial photographer for the filming of air-to-air flying scenes. -SP

 

[Arjen]

From "North American B-25 Mitchell" by Jerry Scutts, Crowood 2001, page 157:

The sixth and last of these conversions was the most lavish. Based on B-25J-30 (44-30957 alias PBJ-1J BuAer 35848), this became the 'Executive Transport', a company bid to offer the aircraft to a dual military and civilian market. With a completely new nose 2ft (60 cm) longer than other Mitchells, and widened to 70in (178 cm), it had the pilots' seats moved forwards to make room for four seats ahead of the bomb-bay, with four in the aft compartment. The centre fuselage bay accommodated a bunk bed and baggage stowage, and amongst the refinements was sound-proofing, which made the interior quieter than any previous B-25.
The aircraft first flew on 15 February 1950, and on March 1 embarked on an east coast sales tour. But on 25 March it broke up in a severe storm with the loss of seven company employees. This was the death knell of a promising project that might have at least secured NAA B-25 conversion contracts from the USAF for pilot and radar fire control trainers; in the event, these went instead to Hayes Aircraft Co. and Hughes Aircraft, respectively.

Scutts and Avery cite slightly differing serial numbers, otherwise their accounts match.

The book contains a see-through artist's impression on page 159 and a 3-view drawing on page 160. Length of the conversion is given as 58ft 103/4in, (unchanged) span 67ft 7 in.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/North-American-Mitchell-Crowood-Aviation/dp/1861263945/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1291214380&sr=8-7

Go Crowood! Off-topic: Steve, I like your Crowood B-29 book, I thought your name was familiar

 

[Steve Pace]

Thank you, Pica!

 

[Stargazer]

More pics of the North American NA-148 Executive Transport from Jerry Scutts's North American B-25 Mitchell Crowood book:

 

[Maveric]

Thanks Star...