Performance numbers from Wikipedia
B-25J performance figures
* Maximum speed: 275 mph (239 knots, 442 km/h)
* Cruise speed: 230 mph (200 knots, 370 km/h)
* Combat radius: 1,350 mi (1,170 nm, 2,170 km)
* Ferry range: 2,700 mi (2,300 nm, 4,300 km)
* Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
* Rate of climb: 790 ft/min (4 m/s)
* Wing loading: 55 lb/ft² (270 kg/m²)
* Power/mass: 0.110 hp/lb (182 W/kg)
Crew: six (two pilots, navigator/bombardier, turret gunner/engineer, radio operator/waist gunner, tail gunner
Weapons
* Guns: 12× .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns
* Bombs: 6,000 lb (2,700 kg)
B-26G perormance figures
* Maximum speed: 287 mph (250 knots, 460 km/h) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m)
* Cruise speed: 216 mph (188 knots, 358 km/h)
* Landing speed: 104 mph (90 knots, 167))
* Combat radius: 999 nm (1,150 mi, 1,850 km)
* Ferry range: 2,480 nm (2,850 mi, 4,590 km)
* Service ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 ft)
* Wing loading: 46.4 lb/ft² (228 kg/m²)
* Power/mass: 0.10 hp/lb (170 W/kg)
* Lift-to-drag ratio: 12.0
Crew: seven: (2 pilots, bombardier, navigator/radio operator, 3 gunners)
Weapons
* Guns: 12× .50 in (12.7 mm) Colt-Browning machine guns
* Bombs: 4,000 lb (1,800 kg)
So it looks like the B-25 has an advantage in range and bomb load vs the B-26.
The original B-26 was, for it's day, a very hot airplane with performanc efigures far in excess of the B-25. It was the high performance that gave fledging aircrews a lot of problems initially. MacDtll AFB in Florida was the home to the B-26 training unit and crashes were numerous. Things got so bad the Gen. Arnold had Jimmy Doolittle go down and check out the training as the AAF was thinking of cancelling the Marauder program. The basic problem was that a lot of the aircrew had NO twin engiine experience. Kinda like giving a 16 year kid with a new license the keys to an AC Cobra. SAMWolf covered this in #35
The B-25 on the other hand was relatively speaking a much more sedate aircraft to fly. I also suspect the the B-25 held up to battle damage a little better than the B-26 but I don't recall where I read this.
One other tidbit regards the B-26 FWIW. In the opening days of WW-II the 22nd Bomb Group was sent to Australia to help in the fight against the Japanese. They were equipped with the original shortwinged B-26As. In raids over japanese airfields on New Guinea after completing thier bomb runs the B-26sa were able to pull away from the Jap fighters. See Martian Caidan's Ragged Rugged Warriors for the full story.
Hope this helped some
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Thanks to both of you for the info. The B-26 definitely looked sleeker. And newer. But I, personally, like the rugged looks of the B-25 better, it could both dish it out and take it, my favorite. I've read somewhere that it, like the DC-3, was very versatile, the most versatile airplane of the war, in fact.
Nice comparision of the stats on the B-25 and B-26.