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B-25J s/n 44-30585 - San Fernando Drag Strip

Sat Dec 30, 2017 9:39 pm

Looking for information regarding B-25J 44-30585. The Warbird Registry last entry shows it at the San Fernando Drag Strip from '64 to '70.

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b25registry/b25-4430585.html

Any photos of the aircraft, or information regarding its disposition would be appreciated. My wife's grandfather flew this particular B-25 during ME training at Reese AFB, TX, hence the interest.

Thanks in advance,
Jordan

Re: B-25J s/n 44-30585 - San Fernando Drag Strip

Sat Dec 30, 2017 10:08 pm

Scott Thompson's B-25 Mitchell in Civil Service lists it as "transferred via lien sale to the San Fernando Drag Strip and Airport Corp., San Fernando, CA." Sounds like it was a derelict picked up for tiedown fees?

I checked the Abandoned Airfields site's listing for the airport, but it doesn't appear in any of the photos:
http://www.airfields-freeman.com/CA/Air ... anfernando
Maybe check with their sources?

Re: B-25J s/n 44-30585 - San Fernando Drag Strip

Sat Dec 30, 2017 11:40 pm

I looked at the FAA registry file. I see that there was no prior paperwork on file with the FAA indicating the purchaser from the USAF and subsequent owners, if any. It had been assigned the civil registration of N9610C. There was a $400 lien on the aircraft which was parked, from the record, at the San Fernando Airport, which was owned by the San Fernando Drag Strip and Airport Corp. An attorney, Richard Harris, filed a deposition that proceeded with the lien sale and the aircraft was transferred to the the dragstrip corporation on May 20, 1964. The last entry in the file shows a cancellation of the registration on October 26, 1970, due to AC FORM 8050-73 action, code 6. Presumably the aircraft was scrapped after the lien sale and that was that. I've not seen a photo of this aircraft.

Re: B-25J s/n 44-30585 - San Fernando Drag Strip

Tue Jan 02, 2018 9:43 am

There is what appears to be a B-25 Mitchell parked in the north side of runway 27 just east of the segmented circle in the 1968 aerial view.

https://www.historicaerials.com

I did not see anything resembling the outline of a B-25 in the 1964 view. The (probable) B-25 was still parked in the same spot in the 1971 view, gone by the 1980 view. However, in 1980 a 4 engine (PB4Y?) shows up on the field.
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