Help Identify These B-25's

Craig59 · Post by **Craig59** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 1:42 pm

Scott et al,

I was recently going through some photographs and came upon the three B-25's pictured here. When I was flying out of SNA and LGB in the mid to late seventies, Chino was a frequent destination. As my Dad was a PBJ driver in WWII, I had a natural fascination with B-25's. I'd like to put ID's with the following B-25's.

The first had obviously been used in Catch 22 as "Fast and Ready."

UPDATE: Did a little research on my own using Scott's book and the internet. The above aircraft is 44-31032 and was "Free, Fast and Ready" in Catch-22. It is now part of the March AFB Museum as seen in this image.

The next I know nothing about...

...and the third is, I believe, the former Hap Arnold personal airplane.

UPDATE: Wrong General! 43-4030 was used by Eisenhower and is now part of the Ellsworth AFB collection as pictured here:

I'd still like confirmation about the identity of the second B-25. Anyone?

Craig

DIK SHEPHERD · Post by **DIK SHEPHERD** » Mon Feb 06, 2006 10:33 pm

I know that someone, like Scott, will come up with the S/Ns for these three, but from what I see . . .

The first one is one, of I believe three, that Dave Tallichett acquired after the movie.

The second looks to be Aero Trader's "Pacific Princess", in it's early years.

The third was indeed once used by "Hap" Arnold and at the time of the picture was owned by Ed Maloney, and the Air Museum.

All three pictures were taken at Chino, probably in the mid-1970s.

Craig59 · Post by **Craig59** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 5:46 pm

updated bttt

DIK SHEPHERD · Post by **DIK SHEPHERD** » Tue Feb 14, 2006 8:23 pm

The second ship would be TB-25N 43-28204 (N9856C), better known as Pacific Princess. At the time of the picture she was painted as a PBJ.

Also, when I was at THE AIR MUSEUM, back in the sixties, the second aircraft didn't have the tail gunner's position. The inside was plushed out, there was no bomb bay and the area just behind the aft entrance door was closed off for the restroom, although there was an access panel that could be removed to get to the far end of the tail. So, I can't say for sure that the new picture you've listed is actually the same aircraft.

And, I don't recall Eisenhower's name ever being attached to the aircraft.

Greg Vallero · Post by **Greg Vallero** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 12:56 pm

Will they allow B-25 lovers to view the inside of Ike's plane?