Warbird Information Exchange

I may haved missed it, but was'nt "Berlin Express" the Catch 22 one that was bought by a Famous (so famonus , that I forgot her name!, Carol???..) actress, for her actor boyfriend/hubby? that I read about in Air Classics a million years ago? or did I just woke up in Camp Crystal Lake!! Happy Hollow...

N10V was in fact an Executive transport. It was purchased and reconfigured as an exec by American socialite, and debutante, Barbara Hutton heiress to the Worthworth empire. She bought it for her boyfriend, a Dominican diplomat/International Playboy Porfirio Rubirosa called Rubi by his friends and lovers. He became Hutton's fifth husband.

While Rubirosa was married to Hutton, he was chasing Hungarian-born American socialite and actress, Zsa Zsa Gabor. Rubirosa flew the ship transoceanic in August 1954 to Cannes and again to Nice in 1955, on both trips Gabor was his "passenger". When Rubirosa wouldn't break off his desire for Gabor she had the B-25 sold. and so it was.

The tables near the blister windows were of rich wood, inlaid with gold. Wonder where those got off to...... She had a colorful history.

I may haved missed it, but was'nt "Berlin Express" the Catch 22 one that was bought by a Famous (so famonus , that I forgot her name!, Carol???..) actress, for her actor boyfriend/hubby? that I read about in Air Classics a million years ago? or did I just woke up in Camp Crystal Lake!! Happy Hollow...

Great 1954 story on Barbara Hutton, Gary!

Read my previous post. Mr Walter Weir of Monroe, Louisiana told me that Mr. (Red) Willet bought the plane from Hutton' representative. Willet operated the B-25 and used it to haul pipe to job sites, they operated it for about 1-1/2 years and sold it to Husky Oil Company (Mr. Neilson) then it went through a succession of owners and the Late Great Frank Tallman acquired the ship for Catch 22. After the movie it was sold to Sherman Cooper of Merced, CA. I believe he died shortly after acquiring the B-25 and it was liquidated through the estate. I'm sure someone on the wix would know more about Mr. Cooper. I heard somewhere that he was a doctor, but I don't have anything solid on his occupation, not that it matters, really.

Sherman Cooper was a dentist out of Merced. He had a blue, white and gold Mustang, the yellow/flame racing Sea Fury that he bought from the Mike Carroll estate (won the 1970 Mojave 1000 and the 1971 United States Cup with it), the B-25, and a Pitts Special. He was killed in the Pitts in 1972. He knew that the upper wing spar was cracked and was warned not to do any aerobatics in it, but still did...and the wing came off.

As they say, "Risk Takers are Accident Makers"