B-25s for the Doolittle Reunion at The US Air Force Museum

[Troy]

So this weekend is the "Doolittle Tokyo Raiders 68th reunion at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force" in Dayton Ohio. As part of the reunion they have organized a large gathering of B-25 bombers which will be on static display at the museum and performing a mass take-off and formation flight during the ceremony. There are/were supposed to be 20 planes (only about 50 still flying) but I think the number has dropped to 17. Four surviving crewmen will also be on hand.
More info:
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123200076

The planes started arriving yesterday and are being staged at Grimes Field in Urbana. They will relocate to the museum (about a 20 minute flight) on Saturday morning. It was a nice day so I took off from work early and made the 90 mile trip (each way) in the Charger. I was hoping to be there for arrival and to get in close before the "official" kickoff for the weekend but was surprised at the number of spectators! I'm sure it will be harder to get any decent pictures Saturday - although the planes will probably be arranged in a better way - so these shots will have to do.






















From what I understand, "Betty's Dream" is what you might call a "concourse" restoration. It's brand new and built the way it would have come off the assembly line.

All the pictures:
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v375/switchstancebrdr/Doolittle/

There's a subfolder in the album that shows a B-17 under restoration at Grimes field. It's not part of the reunion but it was there and I hadn't seen it before so I snapped a few pictures.

Troy

[moparstuart]

   how do you fit that trailer queen on the trailer   

[Ghoste]

Very nice.  That's a show I wish I could make.

[John_Kunkel]

Back around 1985 I attended an air show at Minter Field near Bakersfield, California and they had what was billed as the largest gathering of B-25's since the filming of Catch-22. They all lined up and took off one after another, a sight not to be forgotten.

[ChgrSteve67]

Man thats cool.

Its like a classis car show but with guns.



And if you think the classic car hobby is expensive.......  think again.

[Beer]

Great pics!  I went to Dayton and the museum for the 100 th anniversary of flight, Great airshows (Blue Angles AND Thunderbirds same day) and the Museum was of course awesome.

[tan top]

great pictures !! love them ole warbirds

[68X426]

Thank you for sharing.

[Troy]

Back around 1985 I attended an air show at Minter Field near Bakersfield, California and they had what was billed as the largest gathering of B-25's since the filming of Catch-22. They all lined up and took off one after another, a sight not to be forgotten.

On Saturday morning they are taking off at 2 minute intervals on the way to the Air Force base. On Sunday for the formation flyover they're taking off at 30 second intervals so it should be quite an experience.

And if you think the classic car hobby is expensive.......  think again.

I think it's about $100k per engine and overheard one of the crew say that it costs about $4k per flight hour. I'd hate to see what it costs for a turret or that glass in the nose.

Troy

[BrianShaughnessy]

 

   Thanx Troy.

[LaOtto70Charger]

Great pictures!  I wish I had the nerve to take the kids near all that.

[BigBlackDodge]

Oh man! I wanna be the tail gunner!



BBD

[Todd Wilson]

Oh man! I wanna be the tail gunner!



BBD

No you didnt!


Todd

[Todd Wilson]

That looks like a super cool time! Wish I was closer to get to go to that and see it all!We had a B17 land for the weekend here a few years ago and I went to see it. That was great! Let you climb in and check things out! Those guys were tougher in the old days!


Todd

[Tilar]

Great pics Troy, Man I love those old planes. I'd like to know how to fly.

Those guys were tougher in the old days!

Todd

Man you can say that again. The men that died in that war would be spinning in their grave if they could see what is happening to this country now.

[bakerhillpins]

Man thats cool.

Its like a classis car show but with guns.

You can say that again!!! Those planes are cool. 

Went to see a restored B-29 down at the New England Air Museum last year and it is just amazing.

Wish I was there. Thanks for posting.

[Troy]

More pics from today (a few extra planes in there as well):




















Yes, "Barbie III" has a cannon! "Miss Mitchell" has a windshield wiper. There are lots of neat little differences between the planes - landing light and gun configurations are the most noticeable but there are many more.

All the pictures at the link in the first post.

Troy

[Tilar]

Great Pics! I wish I had come down there instead of going to that swap meet up in Dalton today. 

[stripedelete]

I was "buzzed" by the "Confederate Air Force" ,while on my boat, near the Lake Erie Islands.  It was a 17 and a 25.
It was, to say the least, awe inspiring.

Did you get to talk to any of the Raiders?

Thanks for the pics.

[mopar73]

Fantastic pics

[FlatbackFanatic]

 

[Troy]

Well, they changed the schedule on me so I got there today just in time to see the last flyover from the highway. 

Troy

[Brock Samson]

 Still Troy, great Pics I really enjoyed! I can never seem to make of my mind as to which is my Fav. Medium... 
the Douglass - the Martin - or the North American... 

[bull]

American and British WWII warbirds are beautiful machines to say the least. I love the small bombers like the B-25 but especially the A- and B-26. As for fighters the P-51 is probably the best-looking plane ever made.

[Troy]

American and British WWII warbirds are beautiful machines to say the least. I love the small bombers like the B-25 but especially the A- and B-26. As for fighters the P-51 is probably the best-looking plane ever made.

The A-26 is one of my all-time favorite planes. I've only managed to see 1 in person though.

I was most disappointed yesterday because I missed the sound of 15,000 HP from 238 cylinders at about 1,000 feet overhead. There's nothing quite like a big radial engine - or a whole bunch of them at the same time!

My favorite fighter has to be the P-38. My favorite radial engined fighter is the P-47.

Troy