Unknown B-25 Mitchell

[MOD]

I was on holiday in the Dordogne region in August 1990 when I saw an advert for a 'Warbirds' airshow near Villeneuve sur Lot. I went along and discovered a brilliant little airshow which was unique, a 'one off' event.

This airshow was usually held at the nearby Marmande airfield, which was closed for runway re-surfacing, and what was of particular interest was the arrival from the States of a B-25 which had recently been bought by a French collector. This much I understood from Jean-Claude Calvet, the President of the meeting. I would have loved to have asked him more about the B-25 but my schoolboy French language skills were not up to it.

This is one of the few photos I have of this meeting as the rest were sent to 'Warbirds' magazine, with my article, and they were never returned

I have looked on Wiki and there are no longer any B-25s in France..

So what is it - exactly, who owns it and where is it now?

Unknown B-25 arriving, apparently, on the final leg of its delivery flight from the States.


ibw

[Dan4th]

Well, the chances are fairly good that it
appeared in the film "Catch 22".....

Do you have access to your old article?????

Danf.

[MOD]

D4th it is not an ex 'Catch 22' aircraft but it does sport WWII Italian theatre markings/camo. Thanks for the suggestion though as this led me to a site I had never come across which confirmed what this aircraft is, or rather was* (more about that later):

http://www.aerovintage.com/b25loc.htm

It is a B25J C/N 108-47662. Serial 45-8811 'HD' ( for Harry S Doan )? Built just after the end of the war in 1945.

It was converted to a TB-25N Trainer and was eventually 'Struck Off' in 1958 and sent to Davis Monthan's 'Boneyard'.

It was quickly snapped up and in June 1958 received its civvie registration of N9621C. It then had several owners until it was bought by Harry S Doan in 1978 who restored it back to flight in 1982 (for the first time since it had last flown in 1958).

It was apparently painted as a B-25 representative of an Italian based aircraft from WWII and must still have been tailcoded HD, as per my photo(s).

It was sold in 1991 to Flying Legends ( I witnessed its arrival in France in 1991, not 1990 as I first posted ).

It received the French registration of F-AZID.

In 2004 it was sold to a Swiss concern who in 2008 sold it back to a French Museum which operates out of La Ferte Alaise airfield. Here it received the new coding of F-AZUZ

Now one of my sources suggests that when Harry S Doan bought it and restored it to flight in 1982 it also was marked as 'Russell's Raiders' and coded SB. However I think this is wrong as the aircraft arriving in France in 1991 clearly is still carrying its US registration of N9621C and HD tailcodes. There is also no sign of 'Russell's Raiders' either.

There is also a photo taken in 1994, at somewhere like La Ferte Alaise near Paris, still showing the HD tailcodes, no Russell's Raiders' but now sporting the French F-AZID code instead of N9621C.

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/577568.html

It was shown as Russell's Raiders' at Duxford in 2009.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlowiris ... otostream/

*The crash 5.30pm 31st May 2011.
http://www.leparisien.fr/seine-et-marne ... 475075.php

BTW this is one of my favourite memories of that superb airshow in 1991. A few minutes before this shot was taken I had been snoozing in the shade of the port wing as the temperature was in the 90s when the engine coughed into life. The pilot thought it hilarious as I made a 'dignified' retreat to a safer distance. Somehow they knew I was English. I think my white legs may have given the game away, or perhaps the Panama hat.



Sorry for the long and probably boring, to you, rambling on and on about a possibly lost iconic aircraft but I would still like to know when 'HD' changed to Russell's Raiders' 'SB', especially as it is very doubtful if it will ever fly again. Any info gratefully received.

Cheers Ian

[Dan4th]

Eye-Bee:::::::::

Not long, not boring not rambling........

What a sad fate, though!

Hope they recovered some decent spares......

Glad my C-22 Ref. pointed you right!

Danf.

[Jigsaw]

Not boring at all mate. Found it interesting actualy

[Mayfly]

Well I've had a root around and can't find any more out than you Ian sorry.

[MOD]

I appreciate the effort Pam.

ibw

EDIT
I've solved the mystery.

I assumed that the HD tailcode stood for Harry Doan who painted her in 1982, when she returned to flight.

So I thought who is SB? It is none other than Stephane Brugnolo whose Swiss firm bought her in 2004 and the tailcode SB must have been applied thereabouts when it was resprayed as Russell's Raiders'.

His full name is Stephane Brugnolo from Valais and here is his website ;

http://www.jaf.ch/index.php?lng=fr

BTW the video at the bottom of the page is quite interesting. NB the B-25 is marked as Russells Raiders in this 2008 video.

Phew.. Got there in the end. QED......


ibw

[RLN]

[Jigsaw]

Well done mate

[Xplumberlives]

BTW this is one of my favourite memories of that superb airshow in 1991. A few minutes before this shot was taken I had been snoozing in the shade of the port wing as the temperature was in the 90s when the engine coughed into life. The pilot thought it hilarious as I made a 'dignified' retreat to a safer distance. Somehow they knew I was English. I think my white legs may have given the game away, or perhaps the Panama hat.



Cheers Ian

Which came first the IBW or the JS?

[MOD]

I always knew you were a ...
























































GIT

[Dan4th]

Eye-Bee::::::::::

I hope you will pardon me if I say
you are not unlike that Bulldog that
absolutely HAD to get the plastic
wading pool Inside the House!!!!!!!

Danf.

[MOD]

This search has been annoying me on and off for years. The details that I did glean just did not hang together.

As regards the Bulldog analogy I too am almost as broad as I am long. But not as pretty.


ibw

[Dan4th]

I was referring to the determination
and tenacity, not the "Look"........

But now you mention it..........



For those that missed it:::::::::

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/dog-tries-bringing-pool-indoors/1jrhshbfk?rel=msn&cpkey=f77601dc-22b1-4e52-83eb-b4dd9e69adb3%7Cdog%20viral%7Cmsn%7C%7C

Murkin Pal::::::::::

Danf.

[Mayfly]

Next a/c then please!!

[MOD]

SB's B-25 'Russell's Raiders' seen over the Palace in 2005





Great images. Copyright Stephane Brugnolo and JAF.


ibw

[Archer]

... with B-17 'Sally B' leading, B-25 N320SQ 'Sarinah' on her left wing and B-17 'Pink Lady' making up the rear. Two of those four are no longer flying as the French B-17 has been retired to La Ferte Alais sometime last year or so.

Great photos.