This Military Service Page was created/owned by
SSgt John Beier (Guns)
to remember
Beier, Alvin, TSgt.
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My father was drafted in 1942, he spent only one week in basic training and was shipped out to Brisbane then Eagle Farms in Australia as an aircraft. sheet metal worker. He had prior experience in private industry. Prior to WWII he worked for Douglas Aircraft and had worked on the XB-19 bomber. During WWII he was at Eagle Farms and modified the 1st B-25 to carry a 75mm cannon. He also flew 4 missions with Col. Pappy Gunn. From Australia he went to Port Morsby, then to the Phillipines. He ended the war at Nichols Air Field outside of Manila.During WWII my father was assigned to the 81st Depot Repair Squadron, part of the 81st Air Depot Group
After WWII he went to work for Trans Ocean airlines in Oakland California, then for Lockheed Missle and Space in Sunnyvale California. While at Lockheed he built the capsules that were used on the Mercury and Gemani space programs. His last project at Lockheed before his retirement was to build the prototype boom that is being used on the space shuttle.
He is burried at the San Joaquin Valley National Cemetery.
1945-2003, B-25 Mitchell
From Year 1945
To Year 2003
Personal Memories
Not Specified
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B-25 Mitchell Details
Aircraft/Missile Information
Model North American B-25C Mitchell Length 52.92 ft | 16.13 m Width 67.55 ft | 20.59 m Height 15.75 ft | 4.80 m Engine(s) 2 x Wright Cyclone R-2600-19 air-cooled piston engines delivering 1,700hp each. Empty Weight 20,300 lbs | 9,208 kg MTOW 34,000 lbs | 15,422 kg Max Speed 272 mph | 438 km/h | 237 kts Max Range 1,350 miles | 2,173 km Ceiling 24,196 ft | 7,375 m | 4.6 miles Climb Rate 1,666 ft/min (507.796 m/min) Hardpoints Up to 8 (model dependent) Armament Model-specific armament included:
8 x 12.7mm machine gun array OR 1 x 75mm cannon in forward-fixed nose assembly.
2 x 12.7mm machine guns in forward-fixed lower-left side fuselage position (beneath and behind cockpit position). 2 x 12.7mm machine gun in forward-fixed lower-right side fuselage position (beneath and behind cockpit position). 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in ventral turret (powered turrets in some models). 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in dorsal turret (powered turrets in some models). 1 x 12.7mm machine gun in left waist port position. 1 x 12.7mm machine gun in right waist port position. 2 x 12.7mm machine guns in tail gun position (some models removed). 1 x Torpedo in under-fuselage arrangement (model-specific fitting). 8 x 250lb bombs on 8 external hardpoints (model-specific fitting).
Maximum internal bombload of 3,000lbs (1,361 kg). Accommodations 5 Operators the United States of America
