Article 12778 of rec.aviation.military:
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From: jfb@usgp1.ih.att.com (Joe Baugher)
Subject: Bomber Series--North American B-25 Mitchell (20 of 32)
Message-ID: <D3pKsr.7JD@ssbunews.ih.att.com>
Summary: VIP Transport Conversions
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Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 01:14:51 GMT
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The first B-25 (serial number 40-2165) had been retained by North 
American for general test work.  In November of 1942, its test program 
completed, the aircraft was modified as a company transport.  All 
military equipment was removed, and five passenger seats were 
installed in the rear fuselage, as well as a desk and an intercom 
system.  The nose was faired over, and a set of windows was installed 
in the rear fuselage, and a set of flares replaced the tail gunner's 
position..  Two more seats were installed ahead of the bomb bay 
directly behind the flight deck.  The bomb bay was converted for 
baggage and a bunk was installed on the crawlway above.  

40-2165 flew in its full USAAF insignia and the tail numbers remained 
painted on the aircraft.  It made many flights all over the country 
with James "Dutch" Kindelberger and other company personnel.  However, 
on January 8, 1945, it was damaged beyond repair in a crash landing in 
an open field after a hydraulic system failure and had to be scrapped.  

B-25J serial number 43-4030 had the honor of being converted as a 
personal transport for General Dwight Eisenhower.  The top of the bomb 
bay was lowered considerably, requiring that additional structure be 
added to the wing center section carry-through structure.  The 
remaining bomb bay space was fitted with a bullet-proof fuel tank for 
additional range.  Two seats were installed immediately aft of the 
bomb bay, and behind these seats a fold-down table was fitted which 
extended the full width of the airplane.  A walnut cabinet was 
installed.  The aft entrance hatch was revised for easier access to 
the cabin.  The interior walls were insulated from sound and were 
paneled like those of a commercial airliner.  The tail gun position 
was removed, providing space for a jettisonable liferaft.  

The General is reported to have used this plane on only a few 
occasions.  After the war, it ended up flying cargo out of Bolling 
Field near Washington DC as a CB-25J, which was the designation given 
to B-25Js that had been converted to transports.  In 1948, it was 
redesignated VB-25J and was used by the 1100th Special Air Mission 
Group to fly VIPs back and forth within the USA.  In early 1953, it 
operated with the 1254th Air Transport Group at Washington National 
Airport, and in August of 1958 it was asssigned to the 1001st Air Base 
Wing at Andrews AFB.  In December of 1958, 43-4030 was finally 
consigned to the boneyards at Davis-Monthan AFB, and was formally 
stricken from the rolls in February of 1959.  Later, it was sold on 
the commercial market, passing through a succession of civilian 
owners.  In 1981, the USAF, recognizing its historical significance, 
repurchased the plane and turned it over to the museum at Ellsworth 
AFB near Rapid City, South Dakota.  It is now on display there, having 
been restored to its original configuration as created for General 
Eisenhower.  

In 1944, General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold traded in his converted B-25 
private transport (serial no 40-2168) for a newly-revised B-25J.  
B-25J 44-28945 was selected for the conversion, duplicating almost 
bolt-for-bolt the modifications that had been incorporated in General 
Eisenhower's B-25J.  However, the S-type Clayton exhausts were 
replaced by less-noisy B-25C-type full collector rings that led to a 
single exhaust pipe exiting the aircraft of the side of the nacelle 
away from the aircraft.  The nose was fully faired over and a series 
of antennae were mounted underneath the forward fuselage.  A direction 
finder loop was installed on top of the nose.  

General Arnold used this plane until January of 1946 when it was 
released back to general service and was redesignated VB-25J for 
personnel transportation.  It was sold as surplus in 1953.  It passed 
through a succession of owners, its ultimate fate being unknown.  
Presumably, it ended up derelict somewhere and was junked.  

The loss of 40-2165 had left North American Aviation without a company 
transport, and B-25J 44-30047 was converted as its replacement.  
44-30047 was quite similar to the planes that had been modified for 
Generals Arnold and Eisenhower, but incorporated some differences.  
The standard eight-gun nose shell was used, with a large door being 
cut into each side to provide easy access to the heater and radio 
equipment inside.  The radio direction finder was mounted on the 
underside.  The converted aircraft flew for the first time on October 
18, 1945.  However, it crashed off Malibu on February 27, 1946 
following an onboard fire, killing veteran test pilot Joe Barton, test 
engineer Cowles, and CAA inspector McCutcheon.  

Sources:

   B-25 Mitchell: The Magnificent Medium, N. L. Avery, Phalanx, 1992.

   Medium with the Mostest--The B-25 Mitchell, Jerry Scutts,
   Air International, Vol. 44, Nos 2 and 3, 1993.

   Famous Bombers of the Second World War, William Green, Doubleday,
   1959.

   North American's Flying Gun--The Story of the B-25 From Paper
   Airplane to Legendary Bomber, Jack Dean, Wings, Vol 23 No 4, 1993.

   United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough
   and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.

   Jane's American Fighting Aircraft of the 20th Century, Michael J.
   H. Taylor.


Joe Baugher			  **************************************
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