Catch-22 Star B-25 being restored in Belgium

Written by Zach Yates

A North American B-25 that has appeared in movies and television dramas. catch-22 It is currently being restored for static display by a team of enthusiasts in Belgium.

TB-25N 44-30925, then registered N9494Z, flew as follows: maiden laden In a 1970 Joseph Heller film. catch-22 novel. And at the end of the decade, one of several B-25s that made the epic ferry trip across the Atlantic to England, led by John ‘Jeff’ Hawke, appeared in the film. Hannover Street (Starring Harrison Ford).In the movie it was marked as gorgeous george ann. Later repainted as G-BWGR, tar sea broads B-25 was used as set dressing in the 1981s eye of the needle, The aircraft then passed through a series of owners and was placed in outdoor storage. The British weather damaged the aircraft by wearing away the layers of paint applied by various film crews and causing extensive corrosion to the wing spars.

The aircraft’s fortunes changed in late 2005. A small group of Belgian enthusiasts who wanted her B-25 for static restoration took the aircraft (which by then had no engines) from her resting place near Hull, England. That was when I bought it. Brussels Aviation Museum Foundation. Unfortunately, before the team could take delivery, the aircraft sustained further damage during transit to another outdoor storage facility.

Working with a company specializing in corrosion removal, the team began repairs and repairs in a rudimentary workshop, but when the company went out of business, the aircraft was moved again. Other trials and tribulations followed, and eventually a new association, the Belgian Aircraft Preservation Association asBL (BAPA), was formed in 2013 to continue the restoration at a new workshop in Jambroux, Belgium.

BAPA’s Loïc Deguin said the team had made great progress since then. vintage aviation news About the latest work being done on the bomber:

“We are currently finishing the nose section with as much original equipment as possible and the tail section is also quite advanced, with only a little work being done at the tail skid level to fix some corrosion damage. Currently, a small group of electronics experts are working to get the radio and intercom fully operational.”

Work on the aircraft was paused in 2018 so that the front section could be shipped to Rome for use as a prop in a television series. project?A new adaptation of catch-22 No less! After the aircraft made this new “star turn” in another work based on Heller’s novel, the nose was carefully transported to Belgium so volunteers could get back to work.

Another job currently underway at Jambru is the restoration of a rare Bendix upper turret acquired from Australia three years ago. This is being developed towards a static display, with the option of making it partially or fully functional in the future, depending on funding.

“The next big project that we hope to start within the next year or two is the restoration of the central section…” Loïc Deguin said: “…this was the most severely damaged part of the plane, showing a lot of corrosion and damage due to poor transportation. This section was stored directly on the ground several times without much consideration. Ta.”

BAPA has a wish list of missing parts to complete the B-25, but getting them to Belgium is proving more difficult than buying them, Deguin said.

“Currently, the most difficult thing for us is transporting parts from the US to Europe. Sometimes the cost of transport is equal to the price of the parts themselves. I want to, but it’s not easy.”

Deguin said the project is primarily supported by private donors and supported by product sales at various events and workshop tours across Belgium.

“Financial donations are supported by the Fondation Roi Baudouin, an official Belgian institution that supports various cultural and historical projects. Donations to them are made for specific projects. They audit us regularly and check that donations are being used appropriately by increasing the amount raised by a certain percentage. There are also tax benefits for Belgian citizens.”

To learn more about the B-25 project and other aircraft in the BAPA collection, donate B-25 parts and drawings, or support fundraising efforts, visit BAPA’s website and Facebook page.