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By: - 13th January 2017 at 18:05 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Its in Belgium being restored
By: - 13th January 2017 at 18:18 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
This will help you.
http://www.bamfbamrs.be/B25/B25-en.htm
''This B-25 is a Movie Star. It flew in movie Catch-22 as "Laden Maiden" in 1968-1969.
Later on in 1978 it flew in "Hannover Street" as 151632 "Georgeous George-Ann" and later "Thar She Blows".
After this last film, it was stored, changed hands several times and was stored at various location like Coventry Airport where it was parked at a place called 'Rock Farm'. It finished in a dismantled condition at Sandtoft.
There its condition, slowly but certainly, deteriorated.
In December 2004, a member of the BAMRS discovered in "Flypast" news, that a B-25 stored near Hull was on sales after demise of the Imperial Aviation Group.
A small project team was created and studied the possibility to raise funds for the project to buy and convoy the aircraft to Belgium, to find a place to store the aircraft during the restoration and a definitive place for display.
Just before the New Year 2005/6, the Brussels Air Museum Fundation (BAMF) gave her formal approval to house the administrative and financial aspects of the project. In January 2006, the board of directors gave the official approval.
A bid was placed, which was accepted:............''
By: - 13th January 2017 at 20:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I've always been surprised that the "Hanover Street" B-25s never could a place in the UK warbird world as airworthy or static.
You'd think someone would have valued them..after all they could be painted in RAF colours.
By: - 13th January 2017 at 21:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I don't know about other forum members but I think that the B-25 is, without question, the most boring (significant) aircraft that fought in the Second World War!
I remember the B-25 in question at Coventry Airport; that would have been sometime between 1991 and 1994. It was in a dismantled condition and was in desert camouflage.
By: - 13th January 2017 at 21:27 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I don't know about other forum members but I think that the B-25 is, without question, the most boring (significant) aircraft that fought in the Second World War!
I don't know how you've come to that conclusion, it had a great track record in variety of roles, was much loved by its crews, carried out the legendary Doolittle raid, and was a nightmare to Japanese shipping. They participated in some of the most daring, most dangerous missions of the war, so I don't think they deserve to be called boring.
By: - 13th January 2017 at 21:30 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Clearly you have never flown one or in one CD! Stunning history too
By: - 13th January 2017 at 21:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
One is static, at the RAF museum Hendon
51632 Gorgeous George Ann / Thar She Blows B-25J-30NC 44-30925 N9494Z Brussels Air Museum
151645 Marvellous Miriam B-25J-20NC 44-29366 N9115Z RAF Museum Hendon
151790 Amazing Andrea B-25J-30NC 44-86701 N7681C Destroyed – Hangar Fire
151863 Big Bad Bonnie B-25J-30NC 44-86843 N9455Z Grissom Air Museum Indiana
151724 Brenda’s Boys B-25J-20NC 44-29121 N86427 Museo del Aire, Madrid, Spain
One or two did some air displays in '79 and '80 including Biggin Hil sept 1980 when Don Bullock(A26) and Jeff Hawke both flew to the very limit of safety, and then some. Seven people died in the Invader.
There was a group which formed at Wellesbourne to operate one of the Mitchells, but it never managed much. I think the only long-term operator of a Mitchell in the UK has been The Fighter Collection , and they let theirs go in 2003 after 15 years.
The type remains quite an affordable and numerous warbird, probably half the price of a Mustang, but expensive to operate, and in our climate, needing hangarage as well.
I hope we get another one here, to join the Dutch and French flyers, oh and Red Bull (Austria) as well.
By: - 13th January 2017 at 21:55 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
...to join the Dutch and French flyers, oh and Red Bull (Austria) as well.
Unfortunately the French one hasn't flown much since its belly landing in a field in 2011.
By: - 13th January 2017 at 22:42 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I don't know how you've come to that conclusion, it had a great track record in variety of roles, was much loved by its crews, carried out the legendary Doolittle raid, and was a nightmare to Japanese shipping. They participated in some of the most daring, most dangerous missions of the war, so I don't think they deserve to be called boring.
I hasten to add that my personal opinion that the B-25 is 'boring' is no reflection whatsoever on the combat exploits of these aircraft or the undoubted bravery and sacrifice of their crews!
However, for me, none of this seems to transfer any interest to the B-25 airframe itself.
Clearly you have never flown one or in one CD!
Unfortunately, I've never had that opportunity.....but then I've never flown in a Hampden either.
By: - 13th January 2017 at 23:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Lots of power, sports Car!
By: - 14th January 2017 at 03:10 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
151863 Big Bad Bonnie B-25J-30NC 44-86843 N9455Z Grissom Air Museum Indiana
I think you will find that N9455Z is actually 44-30210 and is as far as I know still owned by Trent Latshaw of Tulsa, OK. Last said to be under restoration for him.
Hawke did fly N9115Z at several airshows in that timeframe. I seem to remember a story of the movie made top turret coming off in flight during one display.
One or two did some air displays in '79 and '80 including Biggin Hil sept 1980 when Don Bullock(A26) and Jeff Hawke both flew to the very limit of safety, and then some. Seven people died in the Invader.
There was a group which formed at Wellesbourne to operate one of the Mitchells, but it never managed much.
I think Hawke was involved with that group as well as Rodney Small, and N9455Z was the aircraft used. It blew an engine and sat for some time in Avignon before Dave Tallichet and a crew fixed it up, and flew it back to California.
T J
By: - 14th January 2017 at 17:45 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Well thanks to all for their interest and replies,its a shame that nothing was done with the aircraft in this country but at least its going to be restored and not too far away in belgium.
By: - 15th January 2017 at 17:55 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Its going to be a big job though, i was told a lot had been stolen from it over the years including at least one engine!
By: - 15th January 2017 at 18:36 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
At Coventry Airport
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By: - 15th January 2017 at 21:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thanks for your photos, Warhawk69 -- you beat me to it.
On May 22, 1991 I was being chauffeured around by Johnny Gauntlett DFC, a two-tour Liberator skipper with 159 and 99 Squadrons out of India in '43 - '45. He pulled in to a fenced, but open, compound off of the Coventry airport somewhere (I seem to think it was on the south side...can't find the spot on GoogleEarth), where we saw the dismantled pieces of Laden Maiden/Gorgeous George-Ann just rotting away. Further back in the yard I think there was at least one Harvard.
I pulled out my camera and took these six shots, including one where I popped my head into the fuselage to look toward the cockpit.
My scanner is acting up, so these are digital camera images of color prints. The colors in the prints are OK, but the attached photos of photos are quite yellowy from indoor lighting -- unlike Warhawk69's. No time to tweak colors. I don't see any evidence of the blue spraypainted line on the port side, as seen in some of Warhawk69's images, so I'm guessing that my photos predate those.
A few weeks ago there was a thread about the documentary on John Jeff Hawke's ferrying of B-25s across the Atlantic for the filming of Hanover Street. Laden Maiden/Gorgeous George-Ann is prominently featured in this documentary, seen here on youtube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoYi8da6yD0&t=143s. Especially watch from about 56:25 and on to see Laden Maiden in flight, and the new movie nose art applied, too.
Glad the airframe was saved, even though it won't fly again.
By: - 15th January 2017 at 22:26 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Gorgeous George Ann ahead viewed from the RH seat of Brenda's Boy.
...and then the RH engine let go.
Mark
By: - 15th January 2017 at 23:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The compound was on the far side of the runway - it was accessed by driving through the village and going past the far end of the runway . All of it was redeveloped. Amongst the items there were the Empire of The Sun T-6 fuselage - an example on it's legs - some WW1 film prop aircraft and lots of other Visionair items.
By: - 16th January 2017 at 18:18 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Yes my photos were taken later when the B-25 was moved out of the old Armstrong Whitworth compound before they pulled it all down and was placed next to the perimeter fence.
By: - 17th January 2017 at 14:02 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Post #15 in an old forum thread started in 2004 offers another photo of this B-25 in outdoor dismantled storage, plus a photo of additional storage material, including the T6 from Empire of the Sun:
http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?30226-Jeff-Hawke
By: - 17th January 2017 at 20:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hello All,
As a french speaking foreigner ( yes, I live in Brussels), forgive my limited language. This is my first post.
I'm a member of a belgian association created around a certain B-25... We restore her on a very limited budget, but she is save in our hangar. And yes, many parts are missing. Please, have a look at our website www.bapa.aero and discover our others projects.
Posts: 56
By: plainmad - 13th January 2017 at 18:04
Saw the B-25 post and then it reminded me on that one has gone missing.I seem to think it went to North Weald for restoration.Has anybody seen it.