Sadly, this B-25J 45-8811 crashed near Melun on 31 May 2011 and was considered lost. However, almost 15 years later, the remains still are in the restoration hangar at Melun, so fingers crossed one day 'Russell's Raiders' will take off again.

waiting for some attention and a new coat of paint

Built in 1945 for the United States Army Air Forces. In 1952 the aircraft was taken on strength by the RCAF. It served at No. 1 Flying Instructor School in Trenton until 1959 and next at No. 5 Air Observer School in Winnipeg. Decommissioned in 1962.

"Panchito" getting airborne on a wet, grey day at Mid Atlantic Air Museum's 34th Annual WW II Weekend Airshow. The B-25J was delivered to the USAAF on 16 Feb 1945 with s/n 44-30734. It went into storage before being assigned as a pilot trainer at Vance AFB in Nov 1948. It then served as a navigator and bombardier trainer at Connally AFB. The aircraft next went to NY ANG's 102nd Radar Calibration Unit. Modified to a TB-25N in 1955, it last served with the CA ANG before going into storage. The Mitchell was sold into private hands in Dec 1959, subsequently being used as an insect sprayer.

Based at St Paul with the Commemorative Air Force Minnesota Wing.

Built as a B-25J. Converted to a TB-25N. Displayed at the gate to Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ from 1965. To the museum in 1969. Later moved inside Hangar 5.

Delivered to the USAAF as B-25J 43-28222 in 1944. Converted to a TB-25N around 1953. Stored at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ in 1957. Sold as N5256V in 1958 and converted to a firebomber in 1959. Last flight to Beale AFB for the museum in 1980. Converted back to a B-25J without a top turret. Moved to Hurlburt Field, FL in 1995 and preserved at the Hurlburt Field Memorial Air Park.

nose art

The USAAF and the RAAF abandoned about 30 damaged and war-weary aircraft at Tadji at the end of World War II. They included Beauforts, P-39s, P-40s, an A-20 and this B-25 The best of them were recovered in 1974, with most going the US - three have since flown again - and a couple to Australia. 41-12442 was one of two retained in PNG and at the time of upload was displayed outside the nearby Aitape Secondary College. The remaining aircraft were bits and pieces that remained on the dump for many years until they too were cleared away. Photo by: Ken Broomhead

Delivered to the USAAF as 43-27847. To the Brazilian Air Force as 5087 in 1946/7. Preserved at Montevideo Museo Aéronautico marked as G5-158 which can be seen under G5-160 then 156 . The Museum collection moved to Carrasco airport in 2013.

One of the last B-25s built, 45-8884 was delivered to storage in the fall of 1945 for disposal by the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. Instead it was taken on strength by the US Air Force in December 1946 and not sold surplus until 1958. The Bomber is pictured recently imported into Canada by warbird collector Jerry Janes and the Canadian Warplane Heritage. It was repainted in RCAF post war colors (5262 / City of Edmonton). The aircraft returned to the USA as N5833B in 1985 and is currently flying as 45-8884 / Lady Luck at the time of uploading.

Ex B-25J 44-31171. Ex-Dublin, Prestwick and Luton. To the IWM at Duxford 29th November 1976. Displayed in the American Air Museum as "34064". Current in 2025. Shows this aircraft stored at Shoreham where it had been since at least 1st August 1974, prior to its final journey to Duxford.

This is B-25D 43-3374, converted to the F-10 photo recon version for the 91st Photo Mapping Sqdn. It was used in South America in 1944 to map the coastline and inland areas. Back in the US it was used for training then stored at Davis Monthan in December 1957. But at the end of the month it was ferried to NA at Inglewood for modification to resemble Jimmy Doolittle's B-25B, one of several that were to follow. Presented to Doolittle at Las Vegas in April 1958 and flown by several of his Raiders when ferried to Dayton for the USAF Museum. B-25D engine exhausts are different, so hidden by covers