French Warbird display Part #2 B-25 Mitchell

[MOD]

This great looking aircraft is no longer flying due to a catastrophic crash* last year - see below. I believe that this airshow was timed to coincide with Harry Doan delivering this Mitchell to its new French owners.

B25J C/N 108-47662. Serial 45-8811 'HD' ( for Harry S Doan ). Built just after the end of the war in 1945.

It was converted to a TB-25N Trainer and was eventually 'Struck Off' in 1958 and sent to Davis Monthan's 'Boneyard'.

It was quickly snapped up and in June 1958 received its civvie registration of N9621C. It then had several owners until it was bought by Harry S Doan in 1978 who restored it back to flight in 1982 (for the first time since it had last flown in 1958).

It was apparently painted as a B-25 representative of an Italian based aircraft from WWII and must still have been tailcoded HD, as per my photo(s).

It was sold in 1991 by HSD to Flying Legends. These photos are of its arrival on Sunday 18th August 1991. When it received the French registration of F-AZID.

In 2004 it was sold to a Swiss concern who in 2008 sold it back to a French Museum which operates out of La Ferte Alaise airfield. Here it received the new coding of F-AZUZ

Now one of my sources suggests that when Harry S Doan bought it and restored it to flight in 1982 it also was marked as 'Russell's Raiders' and coded SB. However I think this is wrong as the aircraft arriving in France in 1991 clearly is still carrying its US registration of N9621C and HD tailcodes. There is also no sign of 'Russell's Raiders' either.

There is also a photo taken in 1994, at somewhere like La Ferte Alaise near Paris, still showing the HD tailcodes, no Russell's Raiders' but now sporting the French F-AZID code instead of N9621C.

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/577568.html

It was shown as Russell's Raiders' at Duxford in 2009.

*The crash occurred at 5.30pm 31st May 2011.

EDIT
I've solved the mystery.

I assumed that the HD tailcode stood for Harry Doan who painted her in 1982, when she returned to flight.

So I thought who is SB? It is none other than Stephane Brugnolo whose Swiss firm bought her in 2004 and the tailcode SB must have been applied thereabouts when it was resprayed as Russell's Raiders'.

His full name is Stephane Brugnolo from Valais and here is his website ;

http://www.jaf.ch/index.php?lng=fr





















I hope you like B-25s as much as I do ....


(Part of this thread has been posted , previously, by me when I asked for help in identifying this B-25.)


ibw

[Dan4th]

That's very informative, Ian, and the photos
are Great!

I'm wondering, though, if she might not have
appeared in Catch 22 way back when?

That would be the icing on the cake!

Danf.

[MOD]

I would like to think that Yossarian got his hands on it but I am doubtful.


ibw

[Dan4th]

I'll use the info in your text and
have a look around

Danf.

[Gaz]

Actually got to see one in Florida. Wonderful aircraft and great photos, mate!

[Dan4th]

This was very helpful::::::::::::::::::

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-25_Mitchell_aircraft_in_Catch-22_(film)

But NO the one in your pics was
not in the film....

Danf.

[MOD]

Thanks for looking anyway D.


ibw