Tallmantz B-25N N1042B (44-30823)
When Tallmantz Aviation was incorporated in November 1961, one of the first tasks undertaken by the new company was to purchase a second B-25 for use as a cameraship, supplementing Mantz’s original N1203. The company located ex USAF VB-25N, s/n 44-30823, at Wenatchee, Washington.
AAF History of 44-30823
This B-25 had been built as a B-25J by North American Aviation at its Kansas City plant, being accepted for service by the AAF on March 1, 1945. It spent its first few years being assigned to training units, eventually being redesignated as a TB-25J. That changed in 1949 when it was reassigned as a VIP transport, becoming a VB-25J. In 1956 it, and hundreds of other USAF B-25Js, were extensively updated with new systems and equipment by Hayes at Huntsville, Alabama, essentially becoming zero-time aircraft, and 44-30823 then became a VB-25N. Its service life afterwards was short-lived, however, as aircraft records show it was landed gear-up in 1958. As B-25s were being excessed out of the USAF inventory, the aircraft was not repaired and was instead declared as salvage.
First Civil Owner: Slated to be an Air Tanker
The aircraft was purchased by Wenatchee Air Services of Wenatchee, Washington, for $855 in October 1958. After being repaired, it was registered as N1042B and set aside for a future conversion to an air tanker. The U.S. Forest Service lost interest in B-25 air tankers, however, after a stunning four B-25 tankers were lost in July 1960. B-25s slated for conversion languished at many western airfields, N1042B went through several owners on paper, but it remained parked at Yakima. Fortunately, N1042B was saved when Tallmantz came looking. It was purchased on May 17, 1962.
Tallmantz Purchases in May 1962
Tallmantz pilots ferried the airplane to its Orange County base. The airplane was overhauled as needed and modified for use as a camera ship. Distinctive in its modification was the construction of a new camera nose. The distinctive camera nose for N1203 had evolved over the years Mantz operated the airplane, beginning with a standard GI nose and eventually gaining the distinctive wrap-around nose glass. With N1042B, the nose was constructed from scratch, was slightly longer, and incorporated a large hatch on the left side to assist in mounting cameras. The wrap-around nose glass was specially formed as a cylindrical section with minimal optical distortion for filming. The camera nose was fabricated and installed by Potter Aircraft Services at Burbank and was completed by July 1962. Also, the waist and tail gun positions were modified to accept camera mounts. The airplane was finished in an overall white scheme with red rudders and wingtips, and a black anti-glare panel forward of the cockpit. The engine nacelles were blue. A thin black cheat line extended from the cockpit to the aft fuselage. Extensive lettering was added to the nose identifying the airplane’s operator and came to include a world map (duplicating that on N1203) and a list of projects the airplane was employed in.
Tallmantz Puts B-25N N1042B To Work
The new camera ship was quickly put to work on the numerous projects undertaken by Tallmantz, particularly in the mid-1960s. It was utilized from 1962 until 1985 as the primary Tallmantz cameraship. The only known time it appeared in front of the camera is in Catch 22, filmed in 1969, when it can occasionally be seen in the distant background of formation and ground shots. Either it or stablemate N1203 also shows up in the background of a scene in It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.
In 1971, its paint scheme was updated, the overall white being retained with blue nacelles, but the airplane gaining the distinctive Tallmantz emblem on the vertical stabilizers, and the nose markings were updated. At about the same time, a half-bubble aerial director’s position was added in the former top turret skin patch, wired into the radio interphone system.
Tallmantz Sells N1042B
When Tallmantz was sold to new owners in April 1985 (and went out of business altogether shortly afterwards), N1042B was sold to a Delaware corporation, Universal Aviation. It was operated by Aces High out of North Weald in England as a camera ship, and was employed specifically to film The Memphis Belle in 1989. Tony Ritzman of Aero Trader was one of the camera pilots used to fly the airplane. The airplane gained an overall gloss olive and grey scheme with yellow trim on the tail and wings and AAF markings.
In 1996, the airplane was sold to World Jet at Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It required a fair amount of work by Tom Reilly to go through the airplane and deal with some corrosion issues, but the airplane came once again up for sale, now sans camera nose and finished in a polished natural metal.
It took several years for the B-25 to find a new owner but, in September 2000, it was sold to John Lister of San Antonio, Texas, being registered to 99th Street, Inc. Lister operated the airplane for several years and it appeared at numerous air shows early in the decade. At this point the airplane sported Air Corps tail stripes and markings, carrying the name of Top Secret. By November 2002, it was for sale again for $390,000, including a store of spare parts worth about $100,000 (including the original camera nose).
In November 2003, it was to sold to Jim Terry of Cleburne, Texas, and operated as Pacific Prowler while based at the Vintage Flying Museum at Meacham Field in Fort Worth, Texas.
Current: Mid America Flight Museum
In August 2013, it was sold to Scott Glover as an addition to his Mid America Flight Museum collection at Mt. Pleasant, Texas. The B-25 retained the same paint scheme but now carries the name and nose art of God and Country. The airplane is flown regularly.
Early view of N1042B while owned by Wenatchee Air Services at Wenatchee, Washington. This USAF VB-25N had been purchased as salvage in 1958 after a gear-up landing in the USAF. It was slated for conversion to an air tanker, never accomplished, and instead was sold to Tallmantz Aviation in May 1962. (Milo Peltzer Collection)
Interesting photo of N1042B in the short time between when it was modified with the custom camera nose and it being painted in Tallmantz colors. In this view it retains the VB-25N USAF scheme it wore while being purchased surplus from the USAF in 1958. (Photo from Wim Nijenhuis Collection)
Tallmantz had Potter at Burbank build a custom camera nose for N1042B including the optically-clear cylindrical section nose glass piece. This July 1966 view shows the first paint scheme applied to the airplane while owned by Tallmantz. The rudders are red and nacelles are blue. The overall scheme is quite attractive and suggests a professional company operating professionally, a Tallmantz hallmark. (Clay Jansson vis Milo Peltzer)
Great color view of B-25 cameraship N1042B in its first Tallmantz paint scheme. The markings on the nose are represent the camera used on one of the Disney CircleVision, a.k.a. Circarama, project, this one being filmed for Expo 67 held at Montreal, Canada.
N1042B on the Tallmantz ramp just prior to a ferry flight to Guaymas, Mexico, as part of the filming of Catch-22. The first batch of aircraft departed Santa Ana on January 1, 1969, and the group spent six months in Mexico on the filming. N1042B and N1203 were the primary camerships for the filming. (Stoney Stonich)
N1042B was repainted in the early 1970s before the 1972 Disney Circle Vision project and the markings slightly modified. The Tallmantz emblem was added to the vertical stabilizers and the nose markings were altered. This view shows the airplane in January 1980 at Orange County Airport. (Scott Thompson)
The left side markings of the nose provides details of the 1972 Disney Circle Vision project. The airplane is dubbed Lively Lady under the cockpit. Pilot for the filming was Frank Pine with Wayne Berg as the copilot. This shows the airplane in February 1980. (Scott Thompson)
On the right side of the nose behind the world map was a listing of the major Tallmantz film projects that utilized the Tallmantz B-25s for filming. The listing is not in chronological order. (Scott Thompson)
N1042B in action filming a Disney Circle Vision production. The nine-camera assembly was mounted in the bomb-bay with a hydraulically-actuated trapeze assembly that was lowered for clear-view 360 degree filming. Note the attitude of the B-25 vs. that of the camera. It is probable that the relatively low speeds used for the filming required the B-25 nose-high attitude and the camera mount was adjusted accordingly. It would appear that one notch of flaps are lowered also. (Caz Caswell via Warbirds Resources Group)
| With the sale Tallmantz Aviation to new owners in 1986, N1042B was sold to Universal Aviation of Dover, Delaware. It was operated by Aces High from North Weald in the U.K. and was the primary camera ship used to film The Memphis Belle in 1988 and 1989. This view shows the airplane, dubbed Dolly, as it departs for film work during that period. (A.J. Clarke via Dick Phillips) |
The airplane was sold to World Jet of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, in 1996. The camera nose, installed since 1962, came off and a standard B-25J nose mounted. In every subsequent sale, however, the camera nose has gone with the airplane. This view shows the airplane at Ypsilanti, Michigan, in November 1996. The last obvious vestiges of its camera work heritage is the nose art. The airplane suffered significant corrosion and required much work to keep it airworthy. (Todd Hackbarth)
The next owner of the airplane was John Lister of San Antonio, Texas. The paint was removed and the skin polished out. Early Air Corps markings were added. The airplane was marked as Top Secret. This view shows the airplane at the 2002 Doolittle Reunion held at Fresno, California, in April of that year. Over a dozen B-25s were involved and all participated in a memorial flight. (Scott Thompson)
N1042B when based at the Vintage Aircraft Museum at Meacham Field, Fort Worth, Texas, and operated as Pacific Princess. (Greg Slocum via Jim Terry)
B-25N N1042B as operated by the Mid America Flight Museum and based at Mount Pleasant, Texas, located about 120 miles east of Dallas. (2017 photo by Wayne Minor)
Up close view of the markings now carried on the old Tallmantz B-25 camera ship. This aircraft has had a varied utilization since 1945. (2017 photo by Wayne Minor)
