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1999-2003 B-25 News

November 2003

• Patrick Carry passed along the information that B-25J 44-31504, currently displayed at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, is going to be placed in the new Military Aviation Museum of the Pacific on Ford Island. No date for the transfer is known but the museum is slated to open in 2006. Check out the new museum's website here. The B-25J will evidently undergo an external clean-up and maybe new paint(??) before moving to the new facility.

• B-25J 45-8898 (N898BW), which has been for sale for quite a few months, will apparently remain with its current owner and won't be sold. This airplane is based at Springfield, Illinois, and operates as Axis Nightmare.

• TB-25N 44-86797 (N3438G), flying as Old Grey Mare, remains for sale through Sherman Aircraft Sales, and remains listed at $375,000.

• A source with the Collings Foundation indicates that when its annual B-17/B-24 national tour begins in January 2004, B-25J 44-28932 (N3476G), flying as Tondelayo, will join the tour in place of B-17G 44-83575 (N93012). The B-17G is scheduled to undergo some heavy maintenance and repainting. By April 2004, the B-17G should be ready to rejoin the tour. Will all three airplanes then tour together? Will rides be sold on the B-25? Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks to Pat Carry for the update.

• Surfacing recently was a bit of information about a B-25 nose section displayed at the Tennessee Air Museum at Sevierville. The only information available states that the nose section was used for movie work and it is now owned by Neal Melton. Check out the museum's website here. From the photo the nose section is camouflaged but unmarked. Any details out there?

  

August 2003

• Ryan Short passed along a link to his page with some photos of the TB-25N, 44-30823 (N1042B) that appears to still be for sale after many months.

• Great news from the Yankee Air Force: their rare B-25D, 43-3634 (N3774) is flying again. The airplane was down for several years for some maintenance and restorative work. Now the airplane sports a greenhouse nose and a turret. Thanks to Pat Carry for the update. Here is a photo of the airplane in July shortly after being rolled out of the hangar:

  

June 2003

• TB-25N 44-28938 (N7946C) did show up on the west coast in mid-May, now being based at Stockton, California, after a recent sale. This airplane, carrying the name of Old Glory, is now owned by John Ward and will be flown by Taigh Ramey from his Vintage Aircraft base at Stockton. Taigh is best known for his Beech 18 restorations and has long been involved with old airplanes. A well-attended open house was held at Stockton on Saturday, June 7, to welcome the B-25 to California. Plans are to fly the airplane as much as possible, hopefully making it to a number of the west coast airshows and maybe more? One significant item about this airplane is that it was assigned to the 12th Air Force in Italy during World War II, a rarity among B-25s that served in the post-war USAF (as this one did). There are only a few B-25s around with verified combat history. Details of this airplane's history with the 12th AF have yet to be confirmed with any certainty.

  

• Steve Penning, he of TB-25N 44-86698 (N325N) Sunday Punch based at Santa Rosa, California, passed along the word that they recently purchased a B-25C/D nose section for possible installation on their B-25 someday. The nese section was purportedly of a war veteran B-25, the last owners of the nose section owning it for about thirty years. The nose carries the faded name Dutchess, the three numbers "534" and four bomb symbols. Does anyone know of a B-25 carrying that name that might tie to the numbers? Please let me know if anyone has any information about this airplane. Below is a photo provided by Steve:

  

• Steve Penning also reports that the Sunday Punch web page is up and running at http://www.aerocrafters.com/pages/n325n.html with lots of photos of the airplane through its history, including its use as a Canadian air tanker. A link has been added to the Aero Vintage B-25 Links page.

• I've enjoyed some correspondence with Michel Lozares Sanchez regarding the B-25J displayed at the Museo del Aire at Madrid, Spain. There were a number of questions about the B-25 displayed there. The displayed airplane is actually TB-25N 44-29121, once carrying the civil registration of N86427. The B-25 ended up with John Hawke's Visionaire Intl. Co. in 1978 for use in the filming of the dubious-at-best Hanover Street as Brenda's Boys. It was later used in Yanks and Cuba. During that filming, it apparently was making a low pass at Malaga, Spain, hit an obstruction, and made an emergency landing. It was subsequently abandoned, obtained by the museum for display. It was restored for static display and marked as B-25D 41-30338, though this does not seem to be the case based on current photos of the airplane. Below is a photo of the B-25 on display, the paint scheme reportedly based upon the B-25D scrapped by the Spanish. Michel notes "the aircraft is painted in olive, brown and gray with the call sign 74-17, like other B-25 that served in the Spanish Airforce and landed in Nador (North Africa) on August 4th 1944. It was military license nš 41-30338. It was interned in the Morocco Air Armory; some years later,in 1948 it was decided to put into flying condition and between 1950-1953 served in the airforce. Unfortunately without spare parts, it was scrapped in 1956."

  

• Coert Munk reports the selling price for B-25J 44-8811 (F-AZID) has been reduced from $375,000 to $300,000. The selling price noted on the link to their site.

• John Davis and Tony Beales have come up with some Chilean registrations for two B-25s operated there in the early 1960s. 44-30483 operated in the U.S. as N3504G, then became CC-CLK with Gaston Neito, t/a Pacific Air Cargo, Santiago. Registration was cancelled on February 16, 1963, reason unknown. 44-31487 had operated as N3506G and N175LT on the U.S. register, then became CC-CLG with Pacific Air Cargo in in Chile on September 4, 1961. Sold in 1963, becoming CC-CAK on June 16, 1963. The B-25J crashed on January 3, 1963 in Paraguay. This information supplements the registration information contained in B-25 Mitchell in Civil Service available on this website.

• The flying portion of the Doolittle Reunion held at Nut Tree Airport near Vacaville, California, on April 18-20 drew three B-25s for the display, all of which flew during the weekend. On hand were Executive SweetSunday Punch, and Martha Jean. Thanks to Ryan Short for the update.

• The May/June 2003 issue of Air Enthusiast contains Part One of an article entitled Latin Mitchells: North American B-25s in South America by Dan Hagedorn. The four page article has many color photos and primairly looks at Mitchell service in Mexico.

• Finally, Rick Turner passed along some color photos of TB-25K 44-86873 (N87Z) taken at the Hayward, California, airport in 1960. His dad, Glenn E. "Red" Turner and partner Ken Staley purchased the B-25 as surplus equipment from the USAF in 1958. The airplane was outfitted to carry tropical fish from South America to the U.S. and it made several trips doing so. It was also used for aerial survey and test work. The airplane was sold in 1968, went through a succession of owners, finally crashing in August 1982 in the Bahamas.

  

April 2003

• B-25J 44-28938 (N7946C), sold in February to a new owner in California, should be coming to Stockton, its new base, in mid-May. Plan to see this airplane at a few west coast airshows this summer.

• Not much else happening. Keep those cards and letters coming!

February 2003

• It appears that one of the B-25s noted for sale in December has now been sold. B-25J 44-28938 (N7946C), currently flying as Old Glory, and based at Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been sold to a Californian and will reportedly be coming to Stockton, California, as its operational base. This is a bit of a coincidence because N7946C spent many a year in storage at Stockton in the 1980s and early 1990s when, as Dream Lover, it was based at the Aero Nostalgia facility. It was sold in late 1993 and ended up in Tulsa where it has been based since 1995. The B-25 has a full career, joining the Army inventory in August 1944, then going overseas for assignment to the 12th Air Force (see below), returning in July 1945. Postwar, it was used as a trainer and eventually was modified to become a TB-25N. After being sold surplus (for $2,018) in 1958, it was used as an air tanker in Alaska for a number of years, then came to California in 1975. It was slowly restored back to a military configuration before ending up in Stockton with Aero Nostalgia.

  Intriguing for B-25 historians is its possible combat history. There are only a few B-25s (despite some dubious claims) that have verified combat history. What is known with absolute certainty is that 44-28938 was assigned to the 12th Air Force in Italy between September 1944 and July 1945. What is not known, at least with credible evidence, is what it did in those ten months. A number of airplanes in the same serial block, including 44-28935 now flying as How 'Boot That, have surfaced in combat records of having flown missions with the 57th Bomb Wing. Unfortunately, no such confirming evidence has emerged for 44-28938, despite some diligent searching by a number of diligent individuals. However, it is also hard to conceive that a new B-25J would be sent to Italy and not assigned to a bomb group in September 1944, the war still raging and far from decided. It appears at this point that the first and only known assigment of this airplane with the 12th Air Force was to the III Air Service Area Command, the command structure that operated the maintenance depot groups. Whether it spent its time as a transportation hack or went on to a bomb group assignment has yet to be established with certainty. There remain current claims that this airplane was assigned to the 310th Bomb Group, though it is unknown at this point what evidence is being used to support the claim. In any event, if there is anyone out there who might be able to shed some first-hand light on the 1944-1945 history of this airplane, please let me know and I'll pass the information along to the right guys.

December 2002

• B-25s For Sale?....'tis the season, I guess. Now there are at least five B-25s actively on the market, as follows:

  TB-25N 44-8898 (N898BW), marked as Axis Nightmare, remains for sale through Courtesy Aircraft Sales, for $450,000.

  TB-25N 44-86797 (N3438G), flying as Old Grey Mare, remains for sale through Sherman Aircraft Sales, and remains listed at $375,000.

  TB-25N 44-30823 (N1042B), flying as Top Secret, is newly on the market and listed mainly through Barnstormer. This airplane is currently at Rio Honda, Texas, and the ad shows the current offer at $390,000. This is the old Tallmantz camera ship and is being sold with about $100,000 worth of spares including, presumably, the original Tallmantz Cinerama nose section. This airplane came to the market in early November.

  B-25J 45-8811 (F-AZID), last operated by Flying Legends and based in France, has been for sale for awhile but details can be seen here. The asking price for this B-25 is also $375,000.

  TB-25N 44-28938 (N7946C), flying as Old Glory, and based at Tulsa, Oklahoma, is new to the market. Check out the website with information about the airplane, but you'll have to go back to Barnstormer's for the sale advertisement. This airplane is rare in that it has a documented combat history, a claim only a few surviving B-25s can make. It served with the Twelfth Air Force in Italy during the last year of World War II. Unusual is that this airplane remained in the USAF inventory in spite of its combat useage; most combat vets were scrapped as there were hundreds of factory-new B-25s around for the Air Force to choose from for its postwar fleet. No price tag has been attached to this Mitchell.

  For those only wanting only part of a B-25, Barnstormer's also offers an ad from Warbird Relics for restored greenhouse nose section from a B-25 for sale at a cool $40,000, complete with all the little parts and a Norden bombsight. Perfect for that empty corner of the living room and a lively discussion topic for your friends. Who else is going to have one?

• Some information was recently emailed from Doug Birkey of the Collings Foundation regarding their B-25J, 44-28932 (N3476G) with an update:

  By August 2nd, 2002, the appearance of the Collings Foundation's B-25J had changed considerably as it emerged from AvSource West's Midland, Texas, paint facility in its crisp new paint scheme. Named Tondelayo, after a 345th Bomb Group, 500th Bomb Squadron Mitchell, the namesake of the Foundation's Mitchell achieved fame during a October 18th mission to Rabaul in 1943. Tondelayo succeeded in helping to sink a 6000-ton freighter on the mission and then shot down nine fighters over a period of seventy-five minutes when over fifty Japanese fighters attacked the Mitchell and its two wingmen. With both wingmen shot down, Tondelayo returned to its base and was immediately grounded, so war-ravaged that it took six months, one whole new wing, two new engines, and countless replacement parts to return the veteran airplane to combat status once again. The Collings Foundation believed that this incredible achievement should be honored. As the Foundation's first vintage aircraft acquisition, N3476G previously graced the skies in its desert-tan paint scheme as Hoosier Honey. However, after seventeen years of operation, periodic outdoor storage, and the ravages of time, Collings Foundation West Director Tommy Garcia and Foundation Founder Bob Collings decided that it was time to ensure the Mitchell's future safe operation by restoring the plane to pristine operating condition. Garcia contacted Aero Trader, the recognized expert firm in B-25 restoration, and made arrangements for the B-25's rebuild. Over the next seven months, the Aero Trader team removed the Mitchell's outer wing panels and fabricated new wing attach-angle brackets, installed new hydraulic hoses, performed a top-overhaul on the number two engine, installed new control cables, overhauled the oil coolers, installed new exhaust collectors and stacks, overhauled the brakes, installed new tires, replaced a number of nut plates, overhauled the carburetors, made bomb bay door adjustments, overhauled the nose gear strut, sought out and treated corrosion, and replaced the outside air temperature and cylinder head temperature terminals, along with many other items. With this work complete, our B-25 departed California for repainting and recovering of the control surfaces in Texas. With all work complete, we were proud to display the Mitchell for its first post-rebuild appearance at the Yankee Air Force's annual air show. Tondelayo made subsequent appearances at the Commemorative Air Force's Frederick, Maryland, event, the Toledo, Ohio, Chamber of Commerce's airshow, the Commemorative Air Force's Pinehurst, North Carolina, show, and was scheduled to appear at Keesler Air Force Base. However, the latter event was cancelled due to Hurricane Lilly. While all shows have their unique aspects, the Frederick event saw the application of the Tondelayo nose art and mission markings by noted aviation artist Gary Velasco. If you are interested in visiting the B-25, the plane is based at Southwest Services at Ellington Field in-between show seasons and will be undergoing winter maintenance and reinstallation of military equipment to further the process of returning the bomber to stock condition. The current flight crew includes Tim Jackson, Kristen Farry, Gary Applebaum, Larry Mullaly, and Mike Abijan. In addition, we certainly appreciated the on-the road maintenance provided by Scott Wood, Glenn Goldman, and Gary Hines. The Foundation expended considerable financial resources on the Mitchell's rebuild, so any and all donations to help cover the costs of the program are deeply appreciated. In addition, please let us know if you have any parts or memorabilia that could potentially help us return the B-25 to stock condition. Tondelayo is available for the 2003 air show season. If you are interested in having our B-25 at your event, please call Doug Birkey at 978-562-9182. Further information can be found at the Collings website.

October 2002

• Bob Haney reports that B-25D 43-3308, once displayed at the Marine Corps Museum at Quantico, Virginia, has been moved to be displayed with the B-25 Preservation Group at Pampa, Texas. Meanwhile, B-25J 44-30243 that had been displayed at Pampa was moved to the new Pendelton Air Museum at the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport at Pendelton, Oregon. Why the two airplanes were moved is not known. Both aircraft are owned by the USMC and remain on loan to the museums.

• Christopher Brame passed along some information about some B-25 parts that may be held by a Florida man. According to the report and an internet search, a gentleman named Alan Davis of Altamonte Springs, Florida, has been the center of attention for the massive piles of junk he maintains in his yard. Christopher noted that he saw video on the local TV news of a B-25 mockup in his yard that contained, besides a steel tube framework, a genuine B-25 nose section, a cut-up wing center section, and two engine cowls. Any Florida folks out there who might gander past this gentleman's house? You may not want to get too close, though, if the news reports of his other activities and general disposition are accurate.

• The Collings Foundation B-25J, 44-28932 (N3476G), as noted in the August 2002 update, is no longer for sale. It was posted at the Courtesy website for over a year for sale. It appears that the airplane will be going on national tours.

• Two B-25s remain for sale on the internet: 45-8898 (N898BW) ($450,000) at Courtesy Aircraft Sales and 44-86797 (N3438G) ($375,000) at Sherman Aircraft Sales.

August 2002

• B-25J for sale: Courtesy Aircraft is carrying the notice of sale of B-25N s/n 45-8898 (N898BW) operated as Axis Nightmare for $450,000. This airplane is owned by Don George of Springfield, Illinois, who recently put the airplane on the market after some personal changes. This B-25, the youngest B-25 around, was in an unusual group of B-25s. It was deemed unneeded by the AAF in August 1945 and never accepted for service. It was, instead, shuttled of to Altus, Oklahoma, for storage and disposal. Then, in late 1946, the AAF had a change of heart and trucked on down to Altus to claim 45-8898, and several other dozen new B-25s, as its own and put them all into the AAF inventory. 45-8898 served faithfully until 1959 when it was sold as surplus. It was eventually recovered as a derelict airframe at Rockdale, Texas, by Aero Trader of Chino, California. The airplane was rebuilt and has been flying again since the mid-1980s.

  There are now three B-25s for sale on the open market. Check out the Courtesy web page for two of them.

• The Australian B-25J VH-XXV (44-86791) parked at the Yank's Air Museum compound at Chino since early 1999 has been rejoined the U.S. civil register. The airplane became N6116X and registered to Charles Nichols on May 22, 2002. This airplane has been reassembled and checked over by Aero Trader. It enjoyed a test flight in June by Carl Scholl and Tony Ritzman so it is back in the air again. This airplane, then registered as N8196H was operated as an air tanker from Fairbanks, Alaska, during the 1960s. In the late 1970s it was sold to an Australian operator and flown to Melbourne in December 1983. In 1996 it was sold to owners in New Zealand but then returned to the U.S. in 1999. There was a bit of controversy in its return to the U.S. (see March 1999 below).

• News comes from George Bauer that the B-25 operated by the Collings Foundation, 44-28932 (N3476G) has been repainted and remarked, emerging as Tondelayo at its Houston, Texas, base. Rumor has it this airplane may be touring, along with the Collings B-17 and B-24, by next year.

• Michael Laney sends along a website for B-25J 44-86893 (N6123C) operated as Red Bull in Austria. It's all in German (Austrian??) but the photos look good. The airplane is highly polished and looks to be in excellent condition.

• Information has come to light, courtesy of Coert Munk, Dennis Bergrstom, Greg Rees, and Brian Rempel, of an ex-RCAF B-25J stored at the Edmonton Aviation Museum in Alberta, Canada. Turns out this B-25, now identified by Greg Rees as ex-RCAF 5273 (s/n 44-30791), was purchased by Northwestern Air Lease at the St. Albert airport, presumably to support B-25 air tankers. The B-25 was slowly stripped of parts and ended up stored on the farm of one of the Nortwestern owners. It was on the farm until April 2002 when moved to the museum. Here is a photo taken in the summer of 2001, courtesy of Greg Rees, and a current photo of the airframe, courtesy of Brian Rempel.

June 2002

• John Gates passed along word of a mini-gathering of B-25s during July 12-14 put on by the 1941 Historic Aircraft Group at Geneseo, New York. Three B-25s will be featured. Additional details can be found here.

• Speaking of B-25 gatherings, here is a tally of the eleven B-25s that showed up at the Doolittle Reunion at Columbia, South Carolina, in April 2002 (courtesy of Dennis Bergstrom). Participating B-25s were:

  Name	USAAF Serial	Civil Registration
  Apache Princess	43-28059	N1943J
  Barbie III	43-4106	N5548N
  Betty's Dream	44-8835	N5672V
  Lady Luck	45-8884	N5833B
  Martha Jean	44-86777	N9167Z
  Miss Mitchell	44-29869	N27493
  Old Grey Mare	44-86797	N3438G
  Pacific Princess	43-28074	N9856C
  Panchito	43-36074	N9079Z
  Yellow Rose	43-27868	N25YR
  (no-name)	44-30324	N3161G

• Coert Munk sends word of a new book: Red Stars: Lend Lease Aircraft in Russia by Carl-Frederik Geust and Gennadiy Petrov. The book has details of the B-25s that went to Russia during World War II and reportedly has numerous photos. The website for ordering is here. The book is 224 pages and hardbound.

• Two other new books worth mentioning and, though I haven't seen them, I've heard some good things about them: B-25 Units of the MTO by Steve Pace and illustrated by Tom Tullis. This book is one of the Osprey series and can be found for $13.27 here at Amazon.com. The other book is part of the Crowood Aviation series and is entitled North American B-25 Mitchell by Jerry Scutts. It can be found for $27.97 here, also at Amazon.com. I'd be more than happy to review any of these books if author or publisher wants to send me copies (hint hint...)

April 2002

• The upcoming Doolittle Reunion/B-25 Gathering scheduled for April 17-21 at Columbia, South Carolina, has been scaled back a bit. The official website states that twenty-three B-25s are expected to attend. However, according to information relayed by Coert Munk, no fuel sponsor was found for the B-25 gathering so most of the west coast B-25s won't make the event. As of now, it appears that a maximum of eleven B-25s are slated to attend, with a more realistic number being between six and eight. Thanks also to Dennis Bergstrom for updated information.

• Another potential B-25 gathering is in the works, this time sponsored by the Yankee Air Force of Ypsilanti, Michigan, as part of the Salute to Freedom fly-in and airshow scheduled for August 3-4. The event may draw up to seven B-25s and may conduct a dinner/symposium on the Doolittle Raid. Check this out for more information. Thanks to Jim Church for this information.

• In the January 2002 posting we queried about a B-25 nose section displayed at the McChord Heritage Museum at McChord AFB in Washington. Word from Brad Pilgrim is that the nose section is actually a fiberglass mockup, a nice mockup, but nonetheless a mockup. Thanks, Brad, for the update.

• Thanks to William Villani for sending in a nice photo of B-25J 44-28875 on display at Goodfellow AFB, Texas. This is one of the few B-25s displayed on a pylon.

• Speaking of Goodfellow AFB, an interesting story was contributed by Gordon Turner. Turner was a USAF flight mechanic on B-25J 44-29939, the Mitchell that currently flies as the (bogus) Briefing Time with the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum at Reading, Pennsylvania. Turner was responsible for 44-29939 while it was based at Goodfellow AFB, Texas, between March 1953 and February 1957 and operating as a TB-25N for the USAF Training Command. He relates an interesting story about his airplane and a sister TB-25N, 44-30805 that occurred in December 1956:

  We had reminisced how his (Turner's friend, the flight mechanic for 44-30805) aircraft had crashed into Mt. San Gorgonio in December of 1956. 29939 had gone on a weekend cross-country and was R.O.N. at Mather AFB in California with an engine problem. They told Goodfellow they needed a new carburetor, so 44-30805 had been dispatched to take a carburetor to them. They were to refuel at Norton or March AFB, I can't remember which one. Upon arriving in California, the weather had turned so bad that they had to go to an alternate or whatever. This is according to the investigation we later had to attend. They had determined that they were heading back to the desert to either land or bail out because they were so low on fuel. They struck San Gorgonio at the 10,500 level in a nose up, climbing attitude, according to the report. The pilot, copilot, and mechanic were thrown clear of the aircraft and had landed a hundred or so feet in front of it. This all happened during the Christmas holidays, so neither of us were involved. Another interesting note is that s/n 44-30805 was a close sister ship to s/n 44-30801 (now flying as "Executive Sweet"). Because of this accident, the Banning fan marker was moved so it would not be so near the high mountains.

February 2002

• Another big B-25 reunion is in the works, this time at Columbia, South Carolina, during April 17-21, 2002. The official website appears to be here although there is not much information posted yet. This is being billed as another "last" reunion for the actual Raiders, similar to the "last" one held in May 2001 at Fresno, California. How many flyable B-25s will be present is unclear, though there are rumblings through the warbird community that a substantial number are gearing up to attend.

• Along the same line, the Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum at Kissimmee, Florida, has announced that "dozens" of B-25s will attend the Columbia event, and that many will be dropping by at Kissimmee during the weekend of April 4-6. Tom Reilly, the man behind the museum, was instrumental in the restoration of a large number of the flying B-25s, and he expects to have a number of the airplanes back on his ramp during that weekend. The museum expects a massed formation of B-25s to fly from Kissimmee to Lakeland, Florida, for the annual EAA Sun N' Fun fly-in to be held beginning on April 7. If you like the sounds of R-2600s, it will be a good time to go to Florida. Check it out using this link.

• Christian Lehman sends word of a rare B-25D that has been located in the Mili Lagoon on the Marshall Islands. In a story in the Marshall Island Journal dated January 11, it is reported that the B-25D, a veteran of the 396th BS, 41st BG (Seventh Air Force) was located about a mile from shore in the lagoon. The airplane was shot down in combat on January 19, 1944, during an air raid on the Japanese-held Marshalls. The fuselage and wings are intact, but the tail and engines are missing. Witnesses of the crash reported the B-25 was the victim of a large anti-aircraft shell that exploded directly in the path of the bomber, and that it cleared the island and dropped into the lagoon. Two crewmembers died in the crash, while the three were badly burned. Reportedly, five crewmember made it out of the airplane (a seven man crew seems excessive for a B-25) and that they were immediately captured by the Japanese. They were interrogated for a number of days and then reportedly executed. Their remains have never been located. The B-25, still underwater, is now protected by the local government and diving on the remains is currently prohibited. The serial number of this airplane is probably known, based on the information known, but it was not reported. Thew article notes that Matt Holly, working on an underwater survey, located the remains of the airplane and performed the research that brought all this information to light. Thanks to Christian for this information.

• Noted last month was a bit about two derelict B-25s located in Mexico City. These airplanes remain unidentified but Geoff Goodall, he of the noted publication Warbirds Directory, thinks they are probably 44-30692 (N9623C) and 44-29145 (N9877C). This is no doubt correct, though not confirmed. Both airplanes went to the ICAO Civil Aviation Training Center in Mexico City in 1965 and one was an ex-B-25 tanker. A photo of one of the B-25s clearly shows a retardant tank installed. Geoff also sends word of the impending publication of an updated Warbirds Directory with a new publisher (after the unfortunate demise of the late, great Warbirds Worldwide) that will also include a CD with plenty of information. Look for it as it should provide a wealth of information.

• Thanks to William Villani for sending in a nice photo of B-25J 44-86722 (ex-N9333Z) on display at the Hill AFB, Utah, museum. This B-25J was recovered from Argentina by Don Whittington in 1990.

• More photos: a nice December 2001 photo of B-25J 44-28866 (N225AJ), nearing the completion of restoration work at Asheboro, North Carolina. The B-25J is named Carolina Girl with nose art, and is finished in a dark gloss green scheme with gray undersurfaces and yellow trim. The B-25 will be operated by the Peddycord Foundation for Aircraft Conservation. Thanks to Robert Lindley for the photo and the continuing updates.

• Coert Munk is trying to run down the identity of a B-25 that made a very hard landing at Chino Airport in Southern California on March 19, 1982. The FAA incident report notes the civil registration of N25V, one that does not correspond to any known B-25 registration, either in part or complete. The report notes that the pilot "failed to clear engine on descent. Low on final, engine failed to respond. Landed hard, short of runway." Sounds unpleasant. Any clues as to the real identity? Maybe post something on the Aero Vintage message board.

• Speaking of unpleasant hard landings, a B-25 operated by the Confederate...er, excuse me, Commemorative Air Force (CAF) enjoyed a "firm" arrival also at Lancaster, Texas, on November 20, 2001. The B-25J, 44-86758 (N9643C) Devil Dog was being flown on a training flight and, during a landing, dropped in very hard and reportedly bounced about twenty feet back into the air before hitting hard again. The right main gear folded forward and the right propeller was destroyed and the right engine damaged. After the incident, parts were being dispatched to get the airplane together enough to ferry it back to, presumably, Meacham Field (Ft. Worth), where the airplane is normally based. Thanks to Dennis Bergrstrom for the information.

• Check out a nice site containing the story of a B-25 flight put together by Skip Begin.

January 2002

• Coert Munk asks about the identity of the B-25 nose section on display at the museum located at McChord AFB near Tacoma, Washington. Anyone know?

• B-25J 44-30801 (N30801), operated by the American Aeronautical Foundation (read Challenge Publications) as Executive Sweet and a long-time resident at the Camarillo, California, airport, is undergoing taxi tests and should be back in operational condition soon. The airplane has been grounded for several years for a variety of problems, including engine problems and wing corrosion. It has been repainted, somewhat crudely, in olive drab and gray. Expect to see this airplane flying again soon.

• Active restoration work continues on the Yankee Air Force B-25D, 43-3634 (N3774), at Ypsilanti, Michigan. The airplane is being restored back to a wartime configuration.

• Posted on the Planes of Fame website on October 20, 2001, was this bit:

  "A new group in Grand Junction, Colorado called the Colorado Aviation Museum maintenance organization or CAMMO a 501(c)(3) pending group is purchasing a B-25 for their new museum we are looking for donors and sponsors to help put her back in the air and keeping her strong. Any help is appreciated and good advice is welcome. We hope to have her on the airshow circuit next summer.Thanks a lot for any one that wants to help!!!!"

  Later word was that this group is (was?) trying to buy Wiley Sanders' B-25J 44-86797 (N3483G), that carries the name of Old Grey Mare. Apparently, negotiations were not concluded and the group may have jumped the gun a bit on the announcement.

• Coert Munk sent in the following item:

  "The NAA Newsletter, published in Australia, reported in October 1997 a Mitchell destined for Melbourne-Essendon Airport. During the ferry, the bomber had to divert to Guam with engine problems. A second Mitchell was planned for Australia as well for the check-out of crews, returning to the USA afterwards. Can anyone give more details of this story?"

• A message posted on the Flyingzone.co.uk web site provides information about the two B-25s long derelict in Mexico City possibly going to be scrapped. The writer, Mr. Bernardo Zarallo, was seeking someone, anyone, who might be interested in helping to save the airplanes. Here is a photo of one of the airplanes that was posted with the message. Thanks to Coert Munk and Jim Church for this heads up.

October 2001

• The November 2001 issue of FlyPast magazine reports that B-25J 44-30324 (N3161G) was ferried in early 2001 from New York to the Akron-Canton Airport in Ohio. The B-25J, owned by the Military Aircraft Restoration Corporation, loosely based at Chino, California, is being placed on loan to the Military Aircraft Preservation Society Air Museum. It reportedly will be restored to an authentic configuration and maintained in airworthy condition. (via Coert Munk)

• A current issue of Wingspan International has a small article about B-25J 44-86988 (N5865V) under restoration at the Camarillo Airport in Southern California by a wing of the Confederate Air Force. The article updates the condition of the airplane and has several color photos of the progress of the restoration. The airplane still carries the name Big Ole Brew and Little Old You. No date was given for its first post-restoration flight. (Editorial comment: when material for an article is drawn directly from B-25 Mitchell in Civil Service it would be nice to see a mention of the source.) In other Camarillo CAF B-25 news, the August 2001 issued of Flight Line, the official publication of the CAF Southern California Wing reports that CAF headquarters has approved a new name for their B-25: Pride of the Yanks with petty girl nose art. (Thanks to Coert Munk and Dennis Bergstrom)

• B-25 Guy Coert Munk is looking to identify a photo he has of a B-25J marked with what appears to be Russian star on the fuselage, a large tail code of "11" on the tail, a single .50 caliber gun mounted in the nose section, and no other armament. Any help? Post on the Aero Vintage Message Board or e-mail to Aero Vintage. Thanks much.

• The gutted, corroded, but externally complete B-25J 44-865844 (N3453G) displayed for the last several years at a water park in Destin, Florida, was reported for sale at the TraderOnline.Com online website for $250,000. No takers have yet to be identified. The ad for the airplane notes that it is NON flying, suitable for "display or as a project," and painted in a yellow PBJ-1J (!) scheme. The engines have been removed and replaced with "operational electrical replicas" complete with authentic propellers. $250,000, eh??

• It's official. The B-25J, 44-30254 (N41123) under restoration at Aero Trader at Chino has been registered in the name of the Flying Heritage Collection as of April 5, 2001. The FHC has amassed an extensive collection including a rare B-17E. All aircraft are being restored to an incredibly authentic condition, including the B-25 at Aero Trader. (via Coert Munk)

• Reported on the message board at the Heavenly Body website, the B-25J owned by the Peddycord Foundation for Aircraft Conservation at Asheboro, North Carolina, is under restoration, is ninety percent complete, and is expected to be flying before the year is out. This B-25J, 44-28866 (N225AJ), operated as CF-OND while flying as a Canadian air tanker. The B-25J will be named Carolina Girl with nose art, and will carry a dark gloss green scheme with gray undersurfaces and yellow trim. (via Coert Munk)

• The B-25J, 44-31385, operated by the Confederate Air Force and based at St. Louis, Missouri, had its registration changed from N3481G to N345TH in June 2001. The B-25J is marked as Show Me.

• B-25J 44-30925 (N9494Z), last used in the filming of Hanover Street in the UK back in the late seventies, and subsequently proceeding severely downhill since, was reported to be disassembled on a "low loader" at Sandtoft (UK) in June 2001. Still in a very sorry state, new owner David Copley is reportedly interested in restoring the airplane for static display. (Thanks to Steven Huckvale for the update.)

• For those who still remember the film Pearl Harbor, released in the distance past of late spring 2001, here is a tie up between those airplanes that appeared in the film and their actual civil identities, courtesy of Coert Munk:

  Movie ID	Movie Name	Civil	AAF S/N	Normal name
  "02303"	Whirling Dervish	N9856C	43-28204	Pacific Princess
  "02267"		N9117Z	44-29199	In The Mood
  "02261"		N3675G	44-30423	Photo Fanny
  "02249"	Ruptured Duck	N8163H	44-86747	Mitch the Witch

  N8163H was also seen at Chino marked as "02243," so it may have carried that number in the filming also.

June 2001

• The Doolittle Reunion was successfully held at the Fresno Air Terminal on May 12, 2001. Twelve B-25s participated in the event and, though short of the hoped-for sixteen Mitchells, still was a considerable accomplishment. The Doolittle Raiders themselves participated in a number of private activities during the week prior to the public event, including several artist gallery and book signings. On Friday morning, May 11, the twelve B-25s departed Fresno for a planned flight up over Pebble Beach, the site of Jimmy Doolittle's last home, and then over Alameda NAS, the site where the carrier Hornet was loaded with B-25s in 1942. The Bay Area was covered with thick stratus, however, so the flight diverted further north to find better weather. The group of B-25s returned to Fresno in mid-afternoon.

  On Saturday, the gates were opened to the public and the B-25s flew again for the crowds, some of the participants making several flights. Saturday night offered a dinner/dance that featured both Doolittle Raiders and flight crew participants, and was also open to the public. Jump here for a selection of photos from the event.

  Participating B-25s were:

  Name	USAAF Serial	Civil Registration
  Apache Princess	43-28059	N1943J
  Axis Nightmare	45-8898	N898BW
  Betty's Dream	44-8835	N5672V
  Guardian of Freedom	44-29465	N25GL
  Heavenly Body	44-30748	N8915H
  In The Mood	44-29199	N9117Z
  Martha Jean	44-86777	N9167Z
  Miss Mitchell	44-29869	N27493
  Pacific Princess	43-28074	N9856C
  Sunday Punch	44-86698	N325N
  Super Rabbit	44-86725	N25NA
  Top Secret	44-30823	N1042B

• Coert Munk, who attended the Doolittle show all the way from the Netherlands, also reports that B-25J 44-86893 (N6123C) has been sold and is now registered to Aircraft Guarantee Corp. of Houston, Texas. The date of registration was February 16, 2001. This B-25J had been registered to Red Bull Aviation of Las Vegas, Nevada, but was reportedly flying from an airfield in Austria. More details to follow when available.

April 2001

• The biggest B-25 news for the spring is the Doolittle Reunion now planned for May 12 at Fresno International Airport in California's Central Valley. The date was changed from May 19-20 due to scheduling conflicts amongst Doolittle Raiders involved in the release of the new Hollywood movie Pearl Harbor. The Eagle Field organizers expect at least sixteen B-25s from around the nation to gather for the special event. This would be the largest gathering of Mitchells since the filming of Catch-22 in 1968 brought together seventeen flyable B-25s.

  The reunion brings together the many of the surviving crewmembers who took part in the daring Doolittle Toyko Raid of April 18, 1942, in which Colonel Jimmy Doolittle and seventy-nine other Air Corps fliers flew sixteen B-25Bs from the USS Hornet against various Japanese targets. Though the raid was not particularly damaging in tactical terms, it did demonstrate to Japanese leaders that their islands were not invulnerable to attack. Less than two months later the decisive Battle Of Midway took place as the Japanese Navy sought to crush the remaining American Pacific fleet; instead, four of their own aircraft carriers and hundreds of experienced combat pilots were sent to the ocean bottom. The unanswered six months of Japanese expansion was thus halted. The story of the Doolittle Raid, with no doubt the peculiar Hollywood twist, are contained within Pearl Harbor, due to be released in late May. The movie will undoubtedly cause much media interest in the surviving Raiders through the late spring and early summer. However, those attending the Doolittle Reunion at Fresno will get their own pre-media-hype opportunity to pay respects to the exploits of some Air Corps veterans with a special bond.

  The schedule for the one-day event is as follows: gates open at 9:00 AM. The B-25s are scheduled to fly in the airport mid-morning. At about 12:30 PM, the sixteen or more B-25s will depart Fresno and fly up to the Carmel area on the California coast where they will fly low offshore of Jimmy Doolittle's last home and drop flowers. They will then swing up and over NAS Alameda, where raid's B-25s were loaded onto the original Hornet in 1942. They will then swing back through the central valley back down to Fresno. Later in the afternoon the gates will close to general visitors and a special evening with steak dinners and dancing, plus a program involving the surviving Raiders, will occur. Cost of admission for the day activities is $15.00; for the day activities plus the evening dinner, $60.00.

  Beware of some guy trying to sell copies of B-25 Mitchell in Civil Service; he's also trying to worm his way into a B-25 cockpit for some stick time.

  More details and ticket information are available at the Eagle Field website.

  Be there or miss it.

• The April 2001 issue of Air Classics magazine has some incredible photos of Kermit Weeks' B-25J Apache Princess taken by Michael O'Leary. This B-25 enjoyed a long and detailed restoration at the hands of the Aero Trader crew under Carl Scholl and Tony Ritzman at Chino and the photos prove that it was more than worth it. This is undoubtedly one of the two most accurate B-25 restorations ever completed. The B-25J, 43-28059 (N1943J), should be at Fresno in May.

February 2001

• Several sources indicate that the B-25D owned by The Fighter Collection, 43-3318 (G-BYDR) may be returning to the U.S. and a new owner in the near future. The B-25D has been for sale for some time now.

• Coert Munk reports that B-25J 44-30925, long time derelict at various fields in the UK, was again assigned the British registration of G-BWGR. This B-25J was brought to the UK in 1978 to participate in the filming of Hanover Street and essentially abandoned afterwards. The hulk has been shuffled around, last to Sandtoft Airfield in Lincolnshire. This B-25J carried the U.S. civil registration of N9494Z. In 1995 the B-25 had G-BWGR reserved by the bomber's then owner, Aces High, but it was never taken up. That reservation was canceled in January 2000 but it was reissued in October 2000. The immediate future of this aircraft is unknown but maybe someone has plans for it and the registration has been again assigned.

• More on the Bedford B-25 crash site mentioned several months ago. Mark Sublette sends along an excerpt from the January 22, 2001 edition of the Washington Post:
  Memorial Proposed to Honor B-25 Victims "A Bedford man wants to build a monument commemorating five World War II airmen 58 years after their B-25 Mitchell bomber crashed into Sharp Top Mountain. Along with a day Bedford officials recently approved to honor the airmen, Jeffrey Clemens wants a bronze monument placed at the crash site. On February 2, 1943, the five men were on a training mission from South Carolina, scheduled to fly a triangular path to Lynchburg and then back to South Carolina. But the B-25 never flew over Lynchburg. Instead, the men ended up over Bedford County. At 9:40 that night, the B-25 - flying at about 3,500 feet - crashed into Sharp Top at about 200 mph. All five men on board were killed. Clemens is waiting for final approval from authorities with the Blue Ridge Parkway because the wreckage is on federal property. But he has the monument designed - a handcrafted model of the B-25 on top with the history and names of the airmen listed - and a company chosen to sculpt it."

  Mark also passed along another website that contains additional information about the crash of B-25D 41-29828.

• For the calendar: a gathering of B-25s and the Doolittle Raider reunion at Fresno, California, on May 19 and 20, 2001. Details are available at the Eagle Field website.

December 2000

• Word comes from Jason Pence of Edinburg, Virginia, that B-25J 44-31508 (N6578D) that was operated as the Battle of Britain cameraship in 1968 has once again, evidently, gone downhill. It might be recalled that this B-25 was rescued by Tom Reilly in the 1970s as his first B-25 restoration project and it flew for many years as Chapter IX. It was reported as sold in 1994 and Jason now reports that it is somewhat derelict condition at Franklin, Virginia. The left engine is off the airplane and has been for many years. The bomb bay is open and birds have found a good nesting spot. The report notes that corrosion and other problems are evident. No details of this B-25's future are known. Sorry to hear this B-25 is sliding downhill. Anyone have any current photos?

• Speaking of old cameraships, the veteran Tallmantz B-25N, 44-30823 (N1042B) has been sold by World Jet. It is now operated as Top Secret and is currently registered to 99th Street Inc. of San Antonio, Texas. The date of registration was September 15, 2000. The December 2000 issue of Air Classics magazine has a nice Michael O'Leary photo of the airplane airborne with it's new paint scheme, including early AAC rudder stripes. Air Classics indicates the airplane is owned by John Lister and was at the Reno Air Races in September where it was used as, of all things, a camera platform. The magazine says that Lister has the old Tallmantz Cinerama movie nose available and the airplane can be used again as a camera platform.

• Reported in the 4th Quarter issue of Warbirds International is that B-25N 44-29812, which has spent the last forty years at an obscure Minnesota amusement park has been sold and moved to Texas for restoration. This B-25 served primarily as a USAF TB-25N between 1945 and 1957 when it was declared surplus. Details are sketchy, but this B-25 was reportedly purchased by an unknown party in April 1958 and flown from Davis-Monthan AFB to Brainard, Minnesota. It was assigned the ferry registration of N2854G. It was placed on display at the Paul Bunyan Amusement Park in 1958 and has been on display ever since.

  In May 2000 it was the subject of a trade with the park reportedly receiving a Vietnam-era UH-1 helicopter. It was disassembled and trucked by Worldwide Aircraft Recovery of Bellevue, Nebraska, to Texas for, as yet unannounced, future plans. The new owner is not known. (Information courtesy Coert Munk)

• An update from one of the crewmen who works on B-25J 44-86725 (N25NA) based as Salem, Oregon. This particular B-25 performed service for the U.S. Army Air Forces, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the Venezuelan Air Force. It was recovered in the mid 1980s by the late Harry Doan. It went through a couple of other owners but is now owned by Jim Morgan and based at Salem. Jack Cook, one of the crew guys, says the airplane as enjoyed extensive refurbishment and anyone who saw the airplane before "wouldn't recognize it." According to Jack, here's a few things done to the old bomber: "new fabric, new zero time engines/props, overhaul accessories, hydraulics, gear, IRAN electrical system, strip all old paint and repaint new markings over NMF, new tires and brakes, new cockpit and nose glass, restore and install top turret, restore bombardiers compartment, tail guns installed, IP seat and 2 passenger seats installed in the pilots compartment, fire detection and suppression installed both engines, new radios. She looks and runs great. She draws a crowd wherever she goes. The pilots are Jeff Wright-USAF C-130 IP, and Wayne Cartwright-corporate pilot." Check back for current photos later.

October 2000

• From Aero Trader co-owner Carl Scholl comes more information about the filming of the new movie Pearl Harbor, due in theaters on Memorial Day 2001. Additional footage of carrier takeoffs were completed in mid-September using four B-25s flying from the USS Constellation sailing off the San Diego coast. Later in the month footage was shot flying over the Channel Islands offshore of Southern California, including air-to-air footage with the film's principal actors sitting in the B-25's pilot seat with real pilots flying from the right seat.

  Also, mock-up of crash scenes were set up near Newhall, California, using parts drawn from the Aero Trader stocks to construct what appears to be a crashed B-25. There is a nice photo of the set-up in the November 2000 issue of Air Classics magazine.

  All in the name of Hollywood. The filming is reportedly complete at this time, with the editing process now underway.

• Also viewed at Aero Trader was the magnificent progress of Kermit Weeks' B-25J 43-28059 (N1943J). The airplane was been painted to exacting standards by Aero Trader and, when viewed in late September, only awaited the application of national insignia and aircraft markings. This B-25 has had several post-restoration flights in the past months. It will surely be an Oshkosh winner in 2001. Also in the Aero Trader hangar and progressing nicely: the Flying Heritage Collection B-25J 44-30254 (N41123), now disassembled and in the restorative process.

• Word comes from Todd Hackbarth that work is continuing on the Yankee Air Force B-25D, 43-3634 (N3774). The fuel tanks are being inspected and rejuvenated. The fabric control surfaces have been recovered and rejuvenated. The glass nose piece purchased from Aero Trader last year is in the restoration process with another six to twelve months of work to go. The rare B-25D is also in the process of being completely rewired and a new instrument panel will be fitted.

September 2000

• B-25 For Sale #1: B-25J 44-86797 (N3483G), carrying the name Old Grey Mare is reported for sale at the Sherman Aircraft Sales website for $375,000. This B-25J has long been owned and operated by Wiley Sanders of Troy, Alabama. (Courtesy Coert Munk and Todd Brotherton)

• B-25 For Sale #2: B-25J 44-28932 (N3476G), last operated as Hoosier Honey, is offered for sale at the Courtesy Aircraft website for $295,000.

• Reported in the September issue of In Flight is the passing of Marie Leary, the owner of B-25J 44-86697 (N62163), operated as Killer Bee. This B-25 was an ex-Venezuelan B-25 recovered in the 1980s, purchased by the late Bill Leary and his wife Marie. Tom Reilly restored the bomber for the Leary's and the B-25 has largely been based at Reilly's Kissimmee, Florida, facility, especially since the death of Bill Leary in May 1996.

• Lots of news this past month about the involvement of four B-25s in the filming of the new movie Pearl Harbor over the spring and summer of this year. One has to be a little cautious about filmakers who cast actor Alec Baldwin as Jimmy Doolittle, but at this point we'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

  This is evidently a various ambitious movie, having as its background the Battle of Britain in the fall of 1940, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor of December 1941, and the Doolittle Tokyo Raid of April 1942. Aside from the P-40s and Zeros, Spitfires and Buchons gathered for the filming, four B-25s were utilized for the Tokyo Raid sequences. The four B-25s used for the filming were:

  43-28204 N9856C Pacific Princess
  44-29199 N9117Z In The Mood
  44-30423 N3675G Photo Fanny
  44-86747 N8163H Mitch the Witch

  In mid-July, they could be seen at the Chino airport being refitted and painted in AAF olive drab colors. According to the photos in the October 2000 issue of Air Classics magazine, the filmakers saved paint by not spraying the undersides of the B-25s with neutral gray paint, leaving some of them instead with a natural metal finish. Turrets were fitted to the two B-25s that lacked them, and the four Mitchells were subsequently filmed using the two huge ex-Navy blimp hangars at the ex-MCAS at Tustin, California, as backdrops. (Perhaps a Hollywood creative type thought that the blimp hangars somehow made Orange County look like wartime Tokyo for an attack sequence?)

  Reportedly, the B-25s were then flown to Texas and loaded on the U.S. Navy carrier Lexington, though that was most likely just for static shots. There are no reports of any carrier takeoffs being made for the film.

  The Planes of Fame B-25J, 44-30423 N3675G Photo Fanny was used as a camera ship for much of the film, with Steve Hinton at the controls. Movie trailers can be seen in theaters now and the release date is pegged at late Spring 2001. Even if the effort is the usual Hollywood effort, there should some good vintage aircraft footage in the film.

• In April we reported that the B-25J Guardian of Freedom, 44-29465 (N25GL) owned by Glenn Lamont of Detroit, Michigan had been sold. As of June 8, 2000, it is registered to Martin Aviation at Orange County Airport in Southern California. It is believed that homebuilder William Lyon has a controlling interest in Martin Aviation and, presumably, the B-25 will come west to be based at SNA.

  By the way, for non-traditionalists, Orange County Airport is officially known today as John Wayne Airport but to those with memories extending back to the good old days when that airport was really an airport, it is and will always be known as Orange County Airport: home of Tallmantz Aviation, Air California, and Golden West Airlines.

• Jeff Clemens, a pastor at a small mountain church near the Peaks of Otto in Bedford, Virginia, passed along some interesting information and a web site regarding the crash of B-25D 41-29828 12 miles northwest of Bedford on February 2, 1943. The web site contains sixteen photos of the wreckage today, excerpts from the crash report, crew histories, and is generally very informative. The B-25D had been attached to the 309th Bomb Group based at Columbia AAF, South Carolina. An effort is being made to place a marker for the five young crewmen who were killed in the crash. The marker will cost $3,000; a total of $300 has been raised to date. Anyone willing to donate to this effort can contact the group at the New Prospect Church, P.O. Box 268, Thaxton, Virginia 24174. Note on any checks "For B-25 Monument" to insure they are credited properly.

May 2000

• Michael McFadyen, an Australian diver, sends some information and a website link to an unidentified B-25G or B-25H located in Papua New Guninea near Wangat Island. He is looking for any information about this B-25 now located underwater after apparent combat action. Check out the link for more information. This B-25 is now on the B-25 Locator page also.

• The Warbirds Worldwide network has a advertisement for the sale of The Fighter Collection's B-25D 43-3318 (G-BYDR) now based at Duxford in the U.K. This B-25 was restored by Aero Trader at Chino in 1987 and has remained operational ever since. Reportedly, The Fighter Collection is making room for additional fighters in their collection. (Information courtesy Coert Munk)

• The B-25J, 44-86698 (N325N), being rebuilt at Santa Rosa, California, by Mitchell Mania, is nearly completed. Taxi tests have been performed and the first flight is but weeks away. Check out these new photos provided by Doc Ross. 44-86698 was one of the last B-25 air tankers operated by G&M in Alberta, Canada, and was in service into the early 1980s. It has been rebuilt as a solid gun-nosed B-25J and carries the name Sunday Punch.

• An update on the B-25J 44-30801 (N30801) operated as "Executive Suite." The airplane has been at Camarillo, California, parked next to the Confederate Air Force facility on the field, for over a year. Corrosion was discovered in the left engine nacelle and the left wing has been off the airplane for awhile. The plan, according to a volunteer on the project, is to have the airplane back in the air by the summer of 2001. The wing angle attach plates and other wing structure have long plagued B-25 operators due to corrosion susceptibility. (Information courtesy Dave Whittaker)

• On March 17, 2000, the B-25J that Aero Traders has been rebuilding for Kermit Weeks at their Chino facility completed a successful test flight. The B-25J, 43-28059 (N1943J), was flown by Carl Scholl and Tony Ritzman on a 20 minute local sortie. A few minor problems were noted and later corrected. Kermit Weeks and Aero Trader are now working up a paint scheme for the airplane and it may make an appearance at Oshkosh at the end of July. The restoration is up to the Aero Trader standard and is probably one of the more complete B-25s around. The aft fuselage section used in the rebuild came from B-25J 44-30090 (N9633C) drawn from the B-25 stocks stored at the Aero Trader Borrego Springs facilty. N1943J operated as N9857C in the air tanker fleet beginning in 1960 and went through a number of owners before Weeks obtained the airplane in 1983. It has been under a gradual rebuild at Chino for at least the past ten years. There is a photo of the unpainted airplane in the May 2000 issue of Air Classics. Information courtesy of Coert Munk from reports in Aeroplane Monthly, Carl Scholl, and data from the Aero Vintage book B-25 Mitchell in Civil Service.

• From noted B-25 guy Bob Haney comes the report that 44-28866 (N225AJ) may have been sold and is now located at the Peddycord Foundation for Aircraft Restoration in Asheboro, North Carolina. This B-25J operated in Canada with the registration of CF-OND as an air tanker between the early 1960s and late 1980s. The new owner is not yet known; the FAA file shows the "Registraton Pending."

• Also of note, in the works is a new Disney movie on the Pearl Harbor raid and the several months that followed. The Planes of Fame B-25J 44-30423 (N3675G), flying as "Photo Fanny" by Steve Hinton, is being used as a camera ship for the Hawaiian filming. Also, several B-25s are to be used in (simulated?) carrier launches to represent the Doolittle Raid of April 18, 1942. That location work is supposed to be underway in Texas as this is being written.

April 2000

• B-25J "Guardian of Freedom, 44-29465 (N25GL) owned by Glenn Lamont of Detroit, Michigan has been sold. All indications suggest it was purchased by Orange County homebuilder William H. Lyon of Newport Beach, California. Lyon had previously owned a P-38 Lightning and was co-owner of Air Cal, the airline, before it was sold to American Airlines in the mid-1980s. Where the B-25J will be based is unknown, though if it comes to Orange County Airport it will add to that airport's B-25 legacy: Orange County Airport was once the home of the Tallmantz B-25 fleet. (Information courtesy of Bob Haney and other sources)

• An update on the progress of the combat veteran B-25J, 43-35972 (N9552Z) being restored by the Arizona Wing of the Confederate Air Force at Mesa, Arizona. The airplane is nearly completed and some engine runs have been done. A setback occurred when a fuel tank began to delaminate and additional work had to be done on the tank. Hopes are high that the airplane might fly by the summer of 2000. The airplane's registration was also changed to N125AZ some time ago. This B-25J flew fifteen combat missions with the 319th Bomb Group, Twelfth Air Force, from Italy during World War II. It will be repainted to an accurate scheme that it wore during the war. Jump to here for a recent photo. (Information and photos courtesy of Chris Clark)

• The restoration process for the Yankee Air Force B-25D 43-3634 (N3774), "Yankee Warrior" has begun. A glass nose section has been obtained from Aero Trader for replacing the solid nose the airplane has had since its RCAF days. The nose compartment is being reworked by the YAF maintenance folks. Todd Hackbarth reports that the YAF is currently considering a 3-5 year restoration plan to put the airplane into top mechanical condition and to refinish it in the paint scheme this airplane actually wore while it flew combat with the 340th Bomb Group, Twelfth Air Force, in Italy during 1944. This airplane flew at least seven combat missions during World War II and later served with the RCAF. The YAF must decide whether to commit to the long restoration plan or keep the airplane airworthy as work is performed. Comment: with its documented history, it would be nice to see the airplane put back into combat colors and refitted with appropriate military equipment and armament. After the incredible job the YAF did with their B-17G, "Yankee Lady" it will be exciting to see what they do with their B-25.

• The May 2000 issue of Air Classics has a February photo of Mike Pupich's B-25J, 44-30748 (N8195H) "Heavenly Body," painted with RAF roundels in place of the AAF markings. This was for the filming of an episode of the TV series "The Others" done at Van Nuys Airport.

February 2000

• The December 1999 issue of Challenge Publication's Warbird's International contains an article about the auction held at Moses Lake, Washington in late August 1999. It sounds like the auction was extremely confused with much material being withdrawn for sale by owner Robert Schlaefli (SLAFCO). However, there were some B-25 airframe parts that apparently made it to new owners, including Carl Scholl. Also, the B-25 mentioned in the December update, 44-28833 (N9866C) reportedly went to a new owner in Northern California for $24,000. This was disassembled and incomplete airframe picked over through the years for usable parts. (Courtesy Coert Munk and Bob Haney)

• Further to our notes in December about the Mexican Mitchells, particularly BMM 3503, comes word from the editor of the 57th Bomb Wing Newsletter, Victor J. Hancock: "The insignia of the 'long necked vulture carrying two bombs' is in reality a wonderful American Eagle neck outstretched and talons clutching two bombs.

  "This was the emblem of the 445th Bomb Squadron (B-25's) of the 321st Bomb Group(B-25's) of the 57th Bomb Wing (B-25's) of the 12th Air Force. I appreciate Mr. Flores writing you this information. BMM 3503 saw action, and plenty of it. The 321st flew the Southern Route (via Ascension Island) under the command of Colonel Robert D. Knapp. He let his group of 51 airplanes en-mass across the South Atlantic, landing at Ascension Island and thence to North Africa. All but one plane made it successfully, that one was damaged on landing at Marrakech. Three days after arriving at their base they flew their first combat mission against the Germans. They advanced with the army to forward bases in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, Corsica and Italy.

  "The 57th Bomb Wing was heralded for its combat discipline and placed over 80% of its bombs with a target circumference of 600' or less. Their outstanding effort "Battle of the Brenner Pass" in the Italian Alps pitted crews of the 57th Bomb Wing against one of the most heavily defended areas in the war. The 445th Bomb Squadron, from whence came BMM 3503 was proud of its B-25s and the recognition afforded it as a great combat outfit.

  "I am the editor of the 57th Bomb Wing Association newsletter, our last issue 68 pages, which comes out quarterly and is mailed to our 1400 active members located throughout the United States and overseas. If you could e-mail me Mr. Flores email address I will contact him a verify the plane through its serial number.

  "I would appreciate it if you could post the fact that the 57th Bomb Wing Association meets annually. This year in Omaha from August 31 to September 4. If you know of any former members of the 12th Air Force who were with the 57th Bomb Wing (B-25's) the only ones in the 12th Air Force, or their relatives please have them contact: Mr. Bob Evans, Wing Coordinator-57th Bomb Wing Association- 1950 Cunningham Road, Indianapolis, Indiana."

  We'd still like to identify the AAF serial number of BMM 3503.

December 1999

• Interesting reports about B-25 parts at the Ephrata, Washington, airport. Reportedly, at one time there were the remains of a B-25J air tanker, 44-28833 (N9866C) located at the airfield, including the cockpit and forward fuselage. This tanker crashed in 1961 while being operated by Red Dodge, Inc. The surviving parts may have eventually been obtained by SLAFCO, based at nearby Moses Lake, Washington. The wings and other parts were reported as being stored by SLAFCO at Moses Lake. In the fall of 1999 there was a scheduled auction of the SLAFCO material, including several PBY tankers, but the auction was canceled shortly after it started. A recent visitor to the Ephrata airport reports could not locate any B-25 parts on the field. (Courtesy of John Smutny)

• Surfacing in an online comment about B-25s of the Mexican Air Force is a note that the nose section of one of the Mexican Air Force B-25s, BMM-3503 survives and is stored at the Mexican air base in Mexico City. The comment notes that the nose section has nose art showing a flying vulture with a long neck carrying two bombs under it. Anyone have a tie-up of the Mexican serial to the AAF serial?

• Aero Trader is close to completing the restoration of Kermit Weeks' 44-28059 (N1943J) at Chino. The B-25J has been under a long-term restoration with Carl Scholl and Tony Ritzman and the result looks very impressive. The B-25 remains unpainted as of late November but some engine runs have been completed. Should be flying soon. Also now disassembled in the Aero Trader hangar is 44-30254 (N41123) of the Flying Heritage Collection. This B-25 is just entering a long-term restoration program.

August 1999

• Sad news from the Yankee Air Force at Willow Run, Michigan: YAF board member (and ex-YAF President) Don Harmer and his wife were both killed in an automobile accident on Friday, July 9th. Don flew all the YAF airplanes including B-25D 43-3634 (N3774). Don also flew several of the B-25s operated by the Bendix Corporation back in the 1960s, and that aspect of his flying career was featured in the Aero Vintage Book, "B-25 Mitchell in Civil Service." Don provided gracious assistance in the preparation of that book. Our sympathy to the family and know he will be sorely missed by the YAF. (Information courtesy James Church and Todd Hackbarth)

• Over the past two years there's been correspondence back and forth with Michael Robson, a British writer who is preparing a book which will include details of two B-25s used in the Biafran War back in the late 1960s. He's been making a concerted effort to identify the pair of airplanes that were evidently quietly exported out of the U.S. in 1967. Due to the nature of their operation and eventual fate, their identity has long eluded researchers but all indications now point to the B-25s being 44-29919 (ex-N9868C) and 44-31491 (ex-RCAF 5345, N8013). Both B-25s disappeared off the U.S. civil register in 1967 into no-mans land and their fate was always unknown. The B-25s used by the rebel Biafran Air Force during their war for independence were the last known combat usage of the type. Any one have anything to add to the story of these two B-25s?

• Making the Internet Conspiracy rounds over the past several years has been the case of a USAF B-25J which crashed in the Monongahela River (near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania) on January 31, 1956. Four crewmen escaped from the B-25 but two were lost when the plane sunk. The inference is that this B-25 was flying from the mysterious "Area 51" in Nevada to Washington, D.C. carrying something strange and secret...maybe alien things!!! In this account, the bomber crashed in the river and the USAF secretly removed the wreckage to conceal the evidence of who knows what!!! There is also concern that there are seventeen minutes missing from the official flight records. It hasn't actually been suggested anywhere yet but there could be speculation that these might be the very same seventeen minutes that were missing from one of Nixon's Watergate tapes in 1972. Nixon, by the way, was Vice-President at the time of the crash and may have been involved in this conspiracy!!!

  The official explanation is that the airplane was on a flight from Michigan to Washington, ran out of gas, and crashed in the river... well, that never happens. The mystery is that the B-25 remains were never found!!! ...well, that never happens either and besides, it's boring. So, it must be a conspiratorial mystery!!!

  The prodigy internet site, Oddly Enough, notes that this B-25 may soon be recovered. Researchers said they think they found the airplane in 20 feet of water and "a pile of muck and silt." Efforts were set to begin last month (July) to pinpoint the plane's remaining parts. There is the looming threat of a rational explanation.

  Does anyone know the serial number of this B-25?

July 1999

• Air Force magazine reports in its March 1999 issue that the B-25J, s/n 44-86872, displayed with the Museum of Aviation at Warner Robins AFB, Georgia, has been repainted and renamed as "Little King," a 310th Bomb Group B-25 that flew 121 combat missions with the 12th Air Force in Italy. A dedication ceremony, sponsored by the Carl Vinson Memorial Chapter of the Air Force Association, was held at the museum's Century of Flight hangar, where the B-25 is displayed.

  Last operated as civil air tanker N2888G, 44-86872 was recovered as a derelict airframe from Boise, Idaho, back in the 1980s by Aero Nostalgia at Stockton, California. It was restored for static display with the Air Force Museum program and trucked to Georgia in 1987. More details and photos of this airplane are available in the book B-25 Mitchell in Civil Service.

• Fly Past magazine reports in its June 1999 issue that B-25D 43-3318 has had its civil registration changed from the U.S. N88972 to the U.K. G-BYDR. The B-25D operates as "Grumpy" with The Fighter Collection at Duxford, England. It's been based in the U.K. since 1987. The registration change is part of an effort to bring U.K. operated warbirds onto the U.K. register.

• The webpage for Courtesy Aircraft lists B-25J 44-86777 (N345BG) "Martha Jean" for sale with an asking price of $350,000. Also noted for sale in the 1st June issue of Trade-A-Plane is B-25J 44-29465 (N25GL) "Guardian of Freedom" currently owned by Glenn Lamont and based in the Detroit area. Now's your chance to get a B-25!

May 1999

• Now at the Chino Airport (California) is B-25J 44-86791 which was the subject of an item in our March 1999 News. This B-25J, last registered in Australia as VH-XXV, is parked with outer wing panels removed at the Yanks Air Museum facility on the field. This B-25 was imported back into the U.S. sometime in early spring; further details as to owner will be posted as they become available. (Information courtesy Jim Bates)

• Also at Chino: Aero Trader has three B-25s in work at their facility. C&P's 45-8835 was test flown earlier this year and has now been painted in a stunning, albeit glossy, olive drab and grey scheme. The standard of work evident on this B-25, registered as N5672V, is impeccable with the return of the airframe to a standard military configuration with a ten-gun solid nose section. 45-8835 was used by Bendix as an electronics test bed between 1946 and 1972, operated as N69345. It later went to G&M in Alberta, Canada, and operated as an air tanker while registered as CF-DKU. It is now owned by C&P Aviation of Wayzata, Minnesota.

  Not as far along but still coming together is Kermit Weeks' 43-28059, registered as N1943J. It appears the internal work is largely done on the airframe and it will also be an internally and externally complete military-standard restoration. The outer wing panels remain off the airframe for hangar space.

  Just entering the restoration cycle is another old G&M air tanker, 44-30254. Now registered as N41123, this B-25J was owned by Jeff Thomas and based at the Arlington, Washington, airport. It is now out back of the Aero Trader facility beginning the disassembly process for a ground-up restoration. It operated as CF-MWC in Canadian service and was retired as an air tanker in the early 1990s. Registered owner was recently changed from Jeff Thomas to the Flying Heritage Collection of Bellevue, Washington, which has quickly amassed a large collection including a rare B-17E currently in a hangar at Moses Lake, Washington.

• Coert Munk reports that the Duke of Brabant's B-25J 44-29507, currently operating in the Netherlands as N320SQ, will be re-registered with the Netherland's registration of PH-XXV.

• Coert Munk also reports 44-30734, currently operating as N9079Z, was sold to Rag Wings & Radial Aircraft Leasing of Wilmington, Delaware, on February 26, 1999. Its last reported owner was Aero Classics of Lewiston, New York, and was operated as "Panchito."

March 1999

• An update for the item posted last month regarding B-25J N320SQ (44-29507), operated by the Duke of Brabant Air Force in the Netherlands: the squadron represented will be the Netherlands East Indies Air Force 18 Squadron as N5-149. The B-25 will have a "smashing nose-art, showing SARINAH , an attractive East Indies girl, lying on her back under a bamboo tree and located against the LH side of the cockpit. The accompanying test is 'De 2 CC's', SARINAH and PLESIRAN 'NEER?, meaning something like: 'Like some fun, Mr.?'" Information courtesy Hein Koudjis, Duke of Brabant Air Force. Jump to here for a current photo of the B-25.

• There's an article in the March 1999 Inflight Magazine about the auction sale of the ex-Tallmantz Aviation cameraship B-25J N1042B (44-30823). The article notes that this B-25 was available for sale at the auction sale held at Polk City, Florida, in late January 1999. No details were released as to whether it or any other aircraft were sold, though the same issue of Inflight also carries a World Jet advertisement with this B-25 for sale.

  N1042B has a particularly distinguished history. After USAF service, it was to be modified as an air tanker; instead, Tallmantz Aviation purchased it in 1962 and used it as one of their pair of B-25 cameraships while based at Orange County Airport in Southern California. It was used to film dozens of movies, TV shows, and commercials including "Catch-22", "Thousand Plane Raid", and "Baa Baa Black Sheep" (aka "Black Sheep Squadron"), among others. With the demise of Tallmantz in the mid-1980s, it was operated by Aces High in the UK and used to film "The Memphis Belle" in 1989. It returned to the U.S. in the mid-1990s when purchased by World Jet. Tom Reilly has gone through the airplane at his Kissimmee facility and it is now airworthy and for sale. It is finished in highly-polished aluminum with nose art as "Girls Rule."

• From Coert Munk comes this excerpt from Classic Wings Downunder Issue 21 (January/February 1999) regarding B-25J 44-86791 (and updating our February 1999 news item): "The Australian War Memorial has announced in a press release, the sale of the North American B-25J (c/n 108-47545) known locally as VH-XXV. The sale, which became a source of confusion to many, was to be effected by auction, but then was changed at the last minute to a tender. According to one of the bidders, by the time of the tender date closing, a Sydney based group had placed the highest bid, but an extension allowed a later bid by a foreign organisation, which was slightly higher. A subsequent higher bid by the Sydney group was allegedly dismissed in favour of the overseas based interest. Two other Australian based bidders were involved, both representing potentially good homes for the aircraft. The outcome could not be described as anything but disappointing for local interests, and the fact that people are questioning the perceived image of Australian War Memorial as a bastion of patriotism is hardly surprising. AWM spokespeople are quick to point out that the B-25 has no historical value to Australia, and in terms of military service this is true, however in considering recent history, the arrival of the B-25 was of huge significance to Australia's young warbird restoration movement when it arrived in 1983. Since the aeronautical component of the AWM, and the vintage/warbird industry are part of the same historic aircraft preservation community, the apparent distain (sic) shown by the AWM towards the industry is difficult to comprehend."

  B-25 44-86791 had operated prior to 1983 as N8196H, primarily as an Alaskan air tanker through the 1960s. In 1977 it appeared in the TV movie "Young Joe: The Forgotten Kennedy" and Aero Nostalgia at the Stockton, California, airport prepared the B-25 for its trans-Pacific flight in 1983. The ultimate fate of this B-25 remains unknown.

• Now posted here is a photo of B-25J 44-86698 N325N mentioned last month. This B-25N is under gradual restoration at Santa Rosa, California. Photo is courtesy Doc Ross.

February 1999

• An update for information contained in B-25 Mitchell in Civil Service: B-25N C-GUNO (44-86698), one of the last B-25 air tankers and last owned by G & M Aviation, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada, has been purchased by Mitchell Mania of Santa Rosa, California, and re-registered as N325N. This particular B-25 has an interesting history. The USAF transferred the B-25 to the RCAF in 1951 where it served for ten years. It was sold as surplus equipment and registered in Canada as CF-NWU. It was sold in 1967 to a U.S. owner and registered and N534VT. Later, Junior Burchinal purchased it and used it with his Flying Tiger Air Museum collection at Paris, Texas, for civilian B-25 flight training. It went to G & M in 1982 and, along with two other B-25s, was used as an air tanker in western Canada between 1982 and 1991. N325N is currently in a hangar at Santa Rosa and retains its last paint scheme: bright yellow overall with green trim. It is slated for rebuild to a conventional B-25 configuration with military markings. Photos and more information will be posted when available. Information courtesy Coert Munk and Doc Ross.

• A report from Walter Deas and Coert Munk that, until late 1998, there was a B-25 held in storage at the Treloar Technology Centre, Australian War Museum, Canberra, Australia. It is now reported that this B-25 has sold to a new international buyer. It was expected that by mid January 1999 it was to be disassembled and shipped out of the country. Any further details, such a serial number, new owner, and destination, would be appreciated.

• Another item from Coert Munk: B-25J N320SQ (44-29507), operated by the Duke of Brabant Air Force in the Netherlands, will receive a new color scheme. Starting in the 1999 display season she'll fly in the colors of the East Indies Air Force 185 Squadron as N5-149, an aircraft that operated as a NEIAF B-25 in the RAAF from Australia and in the Pacific during World War II.

• From DejaNews: The derelict B-25J N9494Z (44-30925), stored for several years at North Weald (England), has been moved to the North Coastes Aerodrome in Lincolnshire and is now with the Imperial Aviation Group. It is to be put on static display as part of a living museum/memorial for the RAF Bomber Command, according to the report by Peter Evans. This B-25J was a veteran of two famous B-25 movies: "Catch-22" and "Hanover Street."

• Via e-mail, Bill Word is trying to ident a B-25 he saw at a Confederate Air Force airshow at Scholes Field, Galveston, Texas, in May 1972. Take a look at the photos and if you can help identify the aircraft, let us know.

• Once again, any contributions to keep the page as current and filled with updated B-25 News would be appreciated. Forward any news, corrections, or comments here.

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