Where do I get the building plans?

Plans are purchased separately from Nick Ziroli at ziroligiantscaleplans.com (copyrighted). Kit Cutters supplies the laser-cut wood; Ziroli supplies the plans and most model-specific accessories.

What scale is the 101" B-25 Mitchell?

1/8 scale (1.5" = 1 ft). The plan set consists of four large sheets and shows installation of flaps and retracts. Wingspan is 101", length 78", wing area 1,700 sq in, and finished weight 30–36 lb.

Does the kit come with cowls and a canopy?

No. The short kit is wood parts only. The fiberglass cowls (sold as a pair) and the canopy set are sold separately by Ziroli and are listed with links in the accessory section above.

Kit Cutters Completion Guide

Nick Ziroli Giant-Scale Short Kit

101" B-25 Mitchell

Q: What is the B-25 Mitchell's landing gear configuration?

Tricycle — two main gear legs retract into the engine nacelles, and a nose gear retracts from the forward fuselage. Ziroli sells a Geartech replacement set specifically for this model.

The bomber that shook Tokyo — Doolittle's Raider in giant scale, with a complete, honest list of everything else you'll need to finish it.

Buy the Kit — $408.00 See Everything You Need

Wingspan

101 in

Length

78 in

Scale

1/8

Wing Area

1,700 sq in

Weight (AUW)

30–36 lb

Power

2× 23cc gas

Skill

Advanced

A Legend, Faithfully Cut

The North American B-25 Mitchell earned its place in history as the aircraft Gen. Jimmy Doolittle flew off the deck of USS Hornet to bomb Tokyo in 1942 — a raid that changed the course of the war. Produced in eleven variants across every theater, it was the most versatile medium bomber of WWII. Nick Ziroli's giant-scale design captures that twin-engine silhouette with full structural integrity.

Kit Cutters supplies the precision laser-cut wood. This guide covers the rest: the honest, model-specific list of what you'll buy to complete it, with real sources for every part.

101-inch Ziroli B-25 Mitchell twin-engine RC bomber in flight

What's in the Box?

Included in the Short Kit

Precision laser-cut wood parts only — ribs, formers, shaped parts
Three-piece wing rib set
Twin engine nacelle structures
Fuselage formers and shaped parts

⬇ Download Pack List (PDF)

Required Separately

Plans / building instructions (buy from Ziroli — copyright)
Spars, sheeting, and stick balsa
2× engines or motors (one per nacelle)
Cowls, canopy set, tricycle landing gear, covering, electronics
Spinners, fuel tanks, props, servos, hardware

Everything Else You Need to Complete This Kit

Model-specific, with real sources. Where Ziroli sells a part directly, that's noted; where there's a choice (like gas vs. electric power), both paths are laid out.

Power System

The B-25 requires TWO matched engines — one per nacelle. Ziroli specifies 23cc gas (1.08 cu in glow equivalent) per side. Both must be identical for symmetric thrust. Electric is a well-documented modern alternative.

GAS — designer spec

Engines (×2)	2× matched 23cc gas, one per nacelle (1.08 cu in glow equivalent). Must be identical.	Desert Aircraft
Fuel tanks (×2)	B&B Specialties or Dubro tank, one per nacelle, sized to engine	Ziroli
Spinners (×2)	Matched pair; size per cowl and chosen engine prop shaft	Tru-Turn
Props (×2)	Matched pair; size per engine and nacelle clearance	Specialty RC retailer

ELECTRIC — researched alternative

Motors (×2)	2× matched outrunners, ~30–40cc class equivalent, one per nacelle. Must be identical.	Specialty RC retailer
ESCs (×2)	2× matched ESCs, one per motor. Program identically; drive from a single throttle channel via Y-harness or mixer.	Specialty RC retailer
Battery	6S–8S LiPo; balance battery position carefully for CG in the fuselage	Specialty RC retailer
Props (×2)	Matched pair; size to motor and nacelle clearance	Specialty RC retailer

Heads up — Both engines or ESCs must be programmed and tuned identically. Asymmetric thrust on a twin-engine model at low speed is a serious handling problem. Test both motors on the bench together before the first flight and confirm they spool identically on a single throttle input.

Cowls

Designer sells

B-25 Mitchell 101" Cowl

Multi-layer fiberglass (one per nacelle)

Ziroli

Canopy

Designer sells

B-25 Mitchell 101" canopy set

Vac-formed .040" PET-G clear plastic with frames molded in; includes side gun mount fairings (.050" styrene)

Ziroli

Landing Gear

Tricycle retracts

Main retracts	B-25 101" Ziroli Geartech replacement for Robart — main gear retracts into the engine nacelles	Ziroli
Air kit	Robart 157VRX w/ tank & quick disconnects	Ziroli
Retract control valve	Ultra Precision UP-8 retract control valve	Ziroli

The B-25's main gear retracts inward into the engine nacelles — same signature feature as the full-scale aircraft. Confirm nacelle clearance from your plan before purchasing the retract mechanism.

Servos

7+ channels

Flaps	2× 120+ oz-in, metal gear, ball bearing	Builder preference
Ailerons	2× 90+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Elevators	2× 90+ oz-in, ball bearing	Builder preference
Rudders	2× 90+ oz-in, ball bearing (one per vertical tail)	Builder preference
Throttles	2× 50 oz-in BB (one per engine, or Y-harness to a single channel)	Builder preference
Gear	1× 50 oz-in	Builder preference

Covering & Finishing

Airframe	1 oz fiberglass cloth + ZAP Z-poxy finishing resin (Ziroli's recommendation)	Chief Aircraft / specialty
Elevator & rudders	Iron-on cloth (Solartex)	Specialty RC retailer
Vinyl graphics	3 USAAF schemes: "Briefing Time", "Executive Suite" (green fuse), "Executive Suite" (aluminum fuse)	Ziroli

Scale Accessories

All from Ziroli

Dummy radial engines	Vacuum-formed dummy engines (scale radial look inside cowls)	Ziroli
Browning .50 cal MG	Scale Browning AN/M2 gun barrels and full assemblies — various options including right/left feed set	Ziroli
Pilot figure	WWII American USAAF	Ziroli

Hardware

Wing tube set	Aluminum wing tube and sleeve set (three-piece wing)	Ziroli
Control horns & linkages	Sized per plan; twin rudder setup requires careful routing	Specialty RC retailer
Hinges	Flat hinges or Robart hinge points	Robart / specialty

Detailed Specifications

Wingspan	101 in
Fuselage length	78 in
Scale	1/8 (1.5" = 1 ft)
Wing area	1,700 sq in
Weight (AUW)	30–36 lb
Power	2× 23cc gas / 1.08 cu in glow (one per nacelle)
Wing	Three-piece, with flaps and retracts
Gear	Tricycle — nose wheel + main gear retracts into nacelles
Tail	Twin vertical tails — twin rudders
Min. radio channels	7+ (throttle split recommended)

Specs from Ziroli's published B-25 Mitchell 101" plan set. Plan consists of four large sheets illustrating all structure, flap installation, and retracts.

Nick Ziroli

Pioneer of giant-scale RC aviation, known for meticulous scale accuracy and structural integrity. Ziroli sells nearly every model-specific accessory for this kit directly, including cowls, canopy set, scale gun details, and vinyl graphics.

(631) 467-4765 · Plans must be purchased separately from Ziroli (copyright).

Get Ziroli Plans

The Build Journey

Build time for a giant-scale twin-engine bomber varies with experience, scale detail added, and shop time. The B-25's twin nacelles, three-piece wing, twin tail, and tricycle gear make it a substantial project. Treat these ranges as a rough sense of scope, not a fixed estimate.

Where a short kit saves you time

Ziroli's plans include full-size templates so you can cut every wood part by hand before construction begins. The B-25's twin nacelle structures, three-piece wing panels, and complex fuselage formers represent a significant cutting job from raw sheet stock. A Kit Cutters short kit removes that entire stage — your parts arrive precision laser-cut and labeled, so you start at assembly.

Plans only (hand-cut)

You trace and cut every rib, former, nacelle part, and wing panel from raw stock using the plan templates, then build.

more time, lower part cost

Short kit (laser-cut)

All nacelle structures, wing panels, and fuselage parts arrive laser-cut and labeled. Skip straight to assembly with a cleaner, more accurate fit.

less time, cleaner fit

The four stages of assembly

Stage 1: Fuselage Assembly

Building the main body — the B-25's distinctive greenhouse nose and waist gun positions.

Align and pin main fuselage formers
Build the nose section and cockpit area
Install nose gear retract bay
Fit tail boom and twin tail structure

Stage 2: Wing & Nacelle Assembly

Three-piece wing with twin engine nacelles and main gear bays.

Build the center wing section
Build port and starboard outer panels
Build both engine nacelles
Install main gear retract bays in nacelles

Stage 3: Tail Assembly

The B-25's distinctive twin vertical tails.

Build the horizontal stabilizer
Build elevator surfaces
Build port and starboard vertical fins
Build twin rudders and install

Stage 4: Systems & Final Assembly

Twin-engine installation, gear plumbing, and flight prep.

Install both engines / motors
Plumb tricycle gear system
Radio gear installation
Verify CG / match throttle response on both engines

Frequently Asked Questions

The short kit is laser-cut wood parts only. To complete it you'll also need the Ziroli plans, spars and sheeting, two matched engines or motors, cowls, canopy set, tricycle landing gear, servos, covering, and finishing supplies. The "Everything Else You Need" section above lists each item with a source.

Two — one per nacelle. Ziroli specifies 23cc gas (1.08 cu in glow equivalent) per side. Both engines must be identical for symmetric thrust. Electric conversions using two matched brushless motors are popular and widely documented.

Yes. Two matched outrunners in the ~30–40cc class on 6S–8S LiPo are a well-documented setup for this size twin. Use matched ESCs programmed identically and drive both from a single throttle channel via Y-harness or mixer.

Plans are purchased separately from Nick Ziroli at ziroligiantscaleplans.com (they're copyrighted, so Kit Cutters can't include them). Kit Cutters supplies the laser-cut wood; Ziroli supplies the plans and most model-specific accessories including cowls, canopy set, and scale gun details.

Tricycle — two main gear legs retract inward into the engine nacelles, and a nose gear retracts from the forward fuselage. Ziroli sells a Geartech replacement retract set specifically for this model. Confirm nacelle clearance from your plan before purchasing.

1/8 scale (1.5" = 1 ft). The plan set consists of four large sheets illustrating all structure, flap installation, and retracts. Note that Ziroli also offers a larger 118" B-25 at 1/7 scale — make sure you're ordering the correct kit and accessories for the 101" version.

No. The short kit is wood parts only. The fiberglass cowl set and the canopy set are sold separately by Ziroli and are listed with links in the accessory section above. Order the 101" versions — Ziroli also sells 118" versions which are not compatible.

101" wingspan, 78" length, 1,700 sq in of wing area at 1/8 scale. Typical all-up weight is 30–36 lb. These figures come from Ziroli's published B-25 Mitchell 101" specification.

Ready to Build Your B-25 Mitchell?

Buy the 101" B-25 Mitchell Kit — $408.00

Prices and availability are subject to change — verify on each vendor's site before ordering. Kit Cutters supplies laser-cut wood parts only; plans and accessories are sold by their respective vendors.

Premium laser-cut short kits for large-scale and giant-scale radio-controlled aircraft builders. USA-based quality craftsmanship for serious hobbyists.