It's been 75 years since the iconic B-25 Mitchell Warbird made its debut

On August 19th, 1940, the North American B-25 "Mitchell" performed its first flight. It would become the most versatile, widely used, and overallbest medium-range bomber of World War II.The B-25 took 8,500 design drawings and 195,000 man-hours to develop from itsdesignto engineering phase.The effort paid off:around 10,000 of the planes would be produced and sent to allied powers all around the world.Eventually the B-25 would become the most heavily armed plane in the world.Its eight forward-facing 50-caliber machine guns took part in legendary strafing runs which would pave the way for modern close air support.Here are some of the highlights of the impressive B-25 "Mitchell"'s storied career.The B-25 came into service as a lower altitude, shorter-range alternative to the B-17.The B-25's "Mitchell" nickname came from US General Billy Mitchell, who was an outspoken advocate of military airpower since as early as 1906, just three years after the Wright Brother's historic first flight.The smaller B-25 was adopted by all branches of the US armed forces. Its short takeoff distance made it ideal for taking off from aircraft carriers.See the rest of the story at Business Insider NOW WATCH: Check out the hoverbikes that one company is building for the Defense Department
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