Description
Object description
American twin-engine medium bomber military aircraft, built by North American Aviation in 1945, and used for training and experimental purposed by the US Air Army Forces (USAAF) and US Air Force (USAF) 1946-1957. Of a type of US military aircraft developed by North American Aviation in 1939 and introduced in 1942, widely used by the USAAF in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations (MTO) for tactical bombing operations from North Africa and Italy during the Second World War.
Physical description
Twin-engine medium bomber military aircraft. Fixed-wing monoplane with straight high-aspect ratio wings, twin tail and tricycle landing gear. Overall painted in olive drab with neutral grey under surfaces and red engine cowlings; with US Army Air Forces (USAAF) national insignia (1943 pattern) painted in white and insignia blue on fuselage and wings; with nose art of the moonshiner (a cartoon character which appeared in Al Capp's 'L'il Abner' comics in 1944) and 'Li'l Critter From The Moon' painted in white on port nose; with 12th Air Force numerical squadron designator '8' (488th Bomb Squadron) and radio call letter 'U' painted in white, and radio call number '34064' painted in orange yellow on outside tail fins.
History note
17 Apr 1945 accepted by USAAF being delivered to Laurel, Mississippi for storage
6 Nov 1945 Ferried from Laurel to Lake Charles Field, California for the 307th AAF Base Unit for proficiency flying.
2 Sept 1946 Type change to TB-25J
28 Jan 1947 Transferred to 4000th AAF Base Unit (Air Material Command) Patterson Field, Ohio. Use code changed to 'Test Aircraft'
26 jan 1949 Transferred to 2750th Air Base Group (later Wing) Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio remaining a test aircraft. Type change to EB-25J.
21 Apr 1949 Type change to ETB-25J.
11 Apr 1951 Transferred to Wright Air Development Centre (Air Research and Development Commend), Wright Patterson AFB Ohio continuing as test aircraft.
22 July 1954 Use code changed to 'Test Support'
Dec 1955 Type change to JTB-25J
July 1957 Sent for storage in Arizona
Oct 1957 Struck off charge
3 Apr 1958 Sold as N7614C (TB-25-30-NC) to Ace Smelting Inc. San Antonio, Texas.
13 Nov 1958 To Radio Corporation of America, New Jersey for use by the Defence Electronics Products Division. After which many modifications were made.
2 Jan 1964 Pennsylvania State University
1 July 1964 Jack Adams Aircraft Sales Inc. Walls, Mississippi
2 July 1964 H W Harbican, Houston Texas
22 Jan 1966 Continental Aircraft Sales, Medford, New Jersey, registered to Flying W Productions Inc. Medford
4 June 1968 Euramericair, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Mr J R Hawke)
31 Oct 1975 FAA Air Registration Certificate revoked
additional information can be found in the history file for the aircraft