B-25J-30-NC SN 44-86698 "Paper Doll"

History

The B-25J-30-NC SN 44-86698 now flying as "Paper Doll" was delivered on June 15, 1945. Accepted surplus to military needs, she was initially flown to storage in Salina, Kansas. By November of 1945, was placed into consolidated storage at Independence, Missouri only to be moved to Pyote, Texas in September of 1947. She was removed from storage and overhauled at Brookley Air Depot, Alabama in October of 1951. She was transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force in December of 1951. The following summary of assignments are listed on her record card:

Base Assignments

She was assigned serial RCAF 5248 and taken on strength by the RCAF in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. She was initially assigned to the Training Command and used in crew training at Saskatoon. While there, she would also be used in several weatherization tests. After four years at Saskatoon she was assigned to the Canadian Experimental and Proving Establishment (CEPE) at CFB Rockcliffe, Ottawa and was attached to the 6th Research and Development unit. For the next 2 years, she was used by various squadrons as a utility aircraft. She was flown to storage in November of 1960 prior to being removed from inventory 1 year later. The following summary of assignments are listed on her record card:

RCAF Base Assignments

Her Canadian registration was assigned as CF-NWU in December of 1961 when she was sold to Hicks and Lawrence Ltd of Ostrander, Ontario. She was sold again in May of 1965 to Eldon Armstrong of Toronto, Canada. In October of that same year, she was sold to Charles E. Graham of Niagra-On-Lake, Ontario. She was sold in September of 1967 to L.H. Vance and T. M. Cooper of Addison, Texas. Her first civil registration was assigned as N534VT. In August of 1968, she was with the Texas United Flyers of Dallas, Texas. By January of 1969, she was sold to I. N. Burchinal of Paris, Texas. She was used as part of his warbird flight program as well as display at his Flying Tiger Air Museum. In September of 1975, she was sold to Daniel Jackson of Seymour, Texas. She was displayed at the SST Aviation Museum in Kissimmee, Florida. She was then sold to G and M Aircraft of St. Albert, Alberta in August of 1982. Her registration was changed to C-GUNO. She was operated as "Tanker #3" and "Tanker #338". Withdrawn from service in 1992, she was the last operating B-25 fire bomber. In October of 1998, she was purchased by Lyn Hunt, Steve Penning, and Bill Manly of Aerocrafters in Santa Rosa, California. Her current registration was assigned as N325N. She was restored to her previous military glory and fitted with a 12 gun nose from 1998 through 2001. She flew as "Sunday Punch". She is now owned by Fagen Fighters WWII Museum and is flown as "Paper Doll" after an extensive restoration.

• Model: B-25J-30-NC
• Serial Number: 44-86698
• NAA Mfg. Number: 108-47452
• FAA Registration: N325N
• Mfg. Plant: Fairfax - Kansas City, Kansas
• Completion Date: June 13, 1945
• Delivery Date: June 15, 1945
• Status: Flying
• Owner: Fagen Fighters WWII Museum
• Location: Granite Falls, Minnesota
• Website: http://www.fagenfighterswwiimuseum.org/
• Notable info: Withdrawn from service in 1992, she was the last operating B-25 fire bomber.

This page represents the most current information we have on this aircraft. The information above was last updated 09/2017. Our goal is to have the most current and correct information possible. If you have any information about this aircraft not listed here or see anything posted in error, please contact the B-25 History Project so we may update our records.