Warbird Information Exchange

I just received a slide of a B-25 with no ID. It is some type of civil conversion with the tip tanks. The fuselang has a white top and gray bottom with a blue stripe in between. The engines are painted the same way. The tank is white with a blue stripe. The slide was taken at Brunswick Georgia in October 1971. Any leads would be appreciated.
Thanks, Karl

Sounds like the Kalamazoo Air Zoo's B-25H 43-4899/N37L. Now restored and displayed as a B-25J gunship.

DISCLAIMER: Pics and info from the registry

SN

Steve looks like you hit it right on the nose. Thanks for the info.Karl

Steve? Where did you come by the black and white of 37L?

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Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

As I said above, all the photos were found in the WIX Warbird Registry..I just posted them in this thread for convenience. I think someone may have posted the B&W photo on the forum last year. I've seen a clearer photo in an old magazine, but don't remember where.

SN

Ah. I see that I am a victim, and suffer from CRS (can't remember poo poo) I read the frickin post, and guess I just blew right past the mention. N37L is also in full view in my article of N96GC

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Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

No problem..I do the same thing all the time myself. I just didn't want anyone accusing me of stealing the photos, or trying to pass them off as my own.

Hey, is there any way you could scan and post the photo you have?

SN

Yep working on that, right now it is almost 1 a.m., and no time to put tgether the pics in the photobucket, will post tomorrow.

_________________
Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

This is how I found N37L back in 1976 when she was owned by
Doug Brown, he had an engine shop at St. Simons and offered
me a job stripping the plane for a restoration that he would
never complete.

The aircraft had an extensive Grimes Lighting Configuration

There was also a few windows in the bomb bays Port Side above the hinges, a couch was in the bomb bay, it was at one time very
plush. Regretfully, I do not have any photos of her Cockpit which for her period was pretty "high tech"
Brown traded the B-25 he said for a caddie convertible, a fur coat for his wife, and other verious considerations (gave away)

_________________
Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

Neat pics!

The plane actually sat outside the museum for eight or nine years in her exec configuration (minus tip tanks) and a simple OD/Gray paint job and insignias. They began the actual restoration in 1988, and I think it was completed in the early 90s.

As the aircraft sits today, you can still make out the patches over the added windows. The Air Zoo restoration crews also left the airstair door on the left side intact, just sealed it up. The restoration is cosmetic only..the inside is pretty well stripped. Even the bombay bulkheads are gone. Still, considering her history, I'd say she looks pretty darned good.

SN

at the time I was maybe 21-22, and I cringed at everything Doug had me take out of the Mitchell. He had me put the stuff in a box, when I wanted to keep the smallest of things, like the hook in the tailgunners position that was used to hang a headset on, ya know, little stuff. I loved sitting in the cockpit, and look out the port window over at that Big Frickin Wright 2600 and that nice Fat Flat Holley Intake... and just Imagine it starting. Hellsbells I was 24 before I got to see my first "airshow".

_________________
Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

I always love hearing the stories of these old warbirds..most of those that are still around have led very colorful lives.

One thing I always thought was interesting about the Air Zoo Mitchell was the nose. In it's exec configuration, it didn't have an actual J "solid" nose, but appeared to have a standard bomber greenhouse, covered with sheet metal. You could see the rivet lines in the skin followed the old greenhouse framework. I understand the Air Zoo originally wanted to restore her to her original B-25H configuration, but the H "snub" noses are rare as hen's teeth.

SN

I asked Doug about the nose on the Mitchell, and he told be that the nose was a product of Bendix, as the B-25 had, during its stint prior to the drug run she was on when she suffered engine problems, the latest in Bendix avionics installed there. he was going to stip the interior of the nose of its contents and use that as his baggage compartment. With regard to the starbord engine, after he "won" the sheriff's auction he climbed in the B-25, fired up #1 then #2 and, this is what he said, "it threw a rod out of a lower pistion, and it stuck about 6 inches in the ground". Don't know if that is true, but that is what he told me.

_________________
Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

In 1956 the Kalamazoo Mitchell 43-4899 underwent an executive conversion in Oakland, CA. The outer wing panels and tip tanks came from the PBJ that my wing is restoring. If those wings were original to my bird they should have hard points for rocket launchers outboard of the prop arc. I would love to know.

Dan

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Dis would be interesting to know Dan, but after 30 years of not seeing this -25, I couldn't give you a definitive answer to your post. I would suggest that perhaps one should make contact with the museum to see if they still have the tip tanks somewhere around there, and have someone with the knowledge of hardpoints as specified, look at the wings on her. Thngs can be had I imagine. Good luck I would love to see your project have its original equipment on her. Doug junked all of the stuff(ings) that came out of her.

_________________
Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.