EAU Miss Mitchell
Virtually ubiquitous to air shows across the upper Midwest, "Miss Mitchell" takes to the skies once again.
Brief History:
This B-25 is not the original "Miss Mitchell" and never actually saw a day of combat as the markings might lead you to believe.
Now based in St. Paul, MN, this B-25J was delivered on November 10, 1944 and was initially used for crew proficiency training in Palm Springs, CA. At the end of WWII, it spent much time in storage before being converted to a TB-25K in 1952.
The TB-25K was used to train radar intercept crews for the Air Defense Command and was stripped of all its armor and armaments. Flown by a single pilot, the bomb bay was loaded with electronics, namely the Hughes E-1 Fire Control System used in F-89 and F-94 fighter/interceptors. Behind the bomb bay were two observer stations and radar consoles.
By the end of 1957, this aircraft's military career was over and it was flown to storage for the last time, eventually being sold to the Commemorative Air Force and assigned to the Minnesota Wing for restoration in 1978 before finally flying again in 1992.
It was decided this aircraft (serial no. 44-29869) would be restored to honor a B-25 (serial no. 43-27493) that served in the 310th Bomb Group, 57th Bomb Wing of the 12th Air Force in North Africa and Italy completing over 130 combat missions--the original "Miss Mitchell"! Its legacy of no crew fatalities during all of its missions was a rare accomplishment.
EAU Miss Mitchell
Virtually ubiquitous to air shows across the upper Midwest, "Miss Mitchell" takes to the skies once again.
Brief History:
This B-25 is not the original "Miss Mitchell" and never actually saw a day of combat as the markings might lead you to believe.
Now based in St. Paul, MN, this B-25J was delivered on November 10, 1944 and was initially used for crew proficiency training in Palm Springs, CA. At the end of WWII, it spent much time in storage before being converted to a TB-25K in 1952.
The TB-25K was used to train radar intercept crews for the Air Defense Command and was stripped of all its armor and armaments. Flown by a single pilot, the bomb bay was loaded with electronics, namely the Hughes E-1 Fire Control System used in F-89 and F-94 fighter/interceptors. Behind the bomb bay were two observer stations and radar consoles.
By the end of 1957, this aircraft's military career was over and it was flown to storage for the last time, eventually being sold to the Commemorative Air Force and assigned to the Minnesota Wing for restoration in 1978 before finally flying again in 1992.
It was decided this aircraft (serial no. 44-29869) would be restored to honor a B-25 (serial no. 43-27493) that served in the 310th Bomb Group, 57th Bomb Wing of the 12th Air Force in North Africa and Italy completing over 130 combat missions--the original "Miss Mitchell"! Its legacy of no crew fatalities during all of its missions was a rare accomplishment.