B-25J-20-NC 44-29127
History
B-25J-20-NC 44-29127 was delivered on September 1, 1944. She was first test flown on August 24, 1944 by North American test pilot Wink Cantrell for 85 minutes. She was assigned to the AAF Training Command for pilot and crew training at Columbia AAF, South Carolina. While there, she was attached to the 329th Base Unit and later the 129th Base unit at Columbia for the remainder of WW II. In the post war years she continued in pilot and crew training until assigned to administrative duties with the 1st Maintenance Service Unit at March AFB, California in 1946. From 1948 until 1954 she was attached to the 78th Air Base Group out of Hamilton AFB, California. Primary duties were to provide transport and ferry services for the staff and administrative personnel. From April 1954 until retired in December 1957 she served as an administrative and training aircraft for the 325th Fighter Group at McChord AFB, Washington. It is not clear when she was converted to the TB-25K configuration. It was noted as a TB-25K when sold onto the civil market in 1958. She was likely converted while at Olmstead AFB in 1955, but there is no re-designation to TB-25K on her record card. Shortly after her stay at Olmstead she was assigned to the Air Defense Command and the 325th Fighter Group where she was used in training radar intercept aircrews. Most TB-25K conversions took place at Culver, California but she appears not to have been assigned there. She was retired and placed into storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona in December of 1957. The following summary of assignments are listed on her record card:
Base Assignments
| Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 09/01/1944 | Columbia Field, SC | 329 Base Unit |
| 02/01/1945 | Columbia Field, SC | 129 Base Unit |
| 03/25/1945 | Selfridge Field, MI | 146 Base Unit |
| 05/31/1945 | Columbia Field, SC | 129 Base Unit |
| 11/07/1945 | Shaw AFB, SC | 139 Base Unit |
| 05/29/1946 | March AFB, CA | 321 Base Unit |
| 08/27/1947 | March AFB, CA | 1 MSU |
| 09/21/1948 | McChord AFB, WA | 62 MSU |
| 03/21/1949 | Hamilton AFB, CA | 78 Air Base Group |
| 06/29/1949 | McClellan AFB, CA | SARAR |
| 10/17/1949 | Hamilton AFB, CA | 78 Air Base Group |
| 12/01/1954 | Birmingham, AL | Maintenance to TB-25N |
| 02/02/1955 | Olmstead AFB, PA | Maintenance |
| 04/15/1955 | McChord AFB, WA | 325 Fighter Group |
| 12/1957 | Davis Monthan AFB, AZ | Storage |
| 04/1958 | Davis Monthan AFB, AZ | Surplus |
Her early civil history is somewhat clouded as the FAA file shows no airworthiness information. Ownership records obtained from the registration portion of the FAA file have no additional details of activity being recorded. The aircraft was apparently inactive for most of its post military years as ownership changes appear to be simply paper transfers. Her civil registration was reserved as N9899C in September of 1962. After sitting idle at Ft. Worth, Texas for several years, she was sold to Mr. I.N. Burchinal Jr. of Paris, Texas. He operated a warbird checkout school for a number of years in Paris, Texas. Mr. Burchinal prepared her for a flight to his airstrip in Paris in 1975. All systems were checked and engines tested as the aircraft had gone several years without any maintenance. Her first flight in many years was in July 1975. Shortly after leaving Ft. Worth however, Mr. Burchinal was forced to make an emergency landing at an airfield in McKinney, Texas just north of the Ft. Worth area. Both engines were running rough and were nearly out of power at touchdown. This short flight was the last for her as she sat at McKinney for a several more years until sold to a new owner. Ownership problems arose that held up the purchase for an extended time. In August 1984 she was obtained and registered to Mr. Buster Colvin of Big Cabin, Oklahoma and she was moved to Oklahoma for restoration. She was being slowly restored when she was sold to Jim Harker of Minnesota in 1995. Due to years of idleness and lack of maintenance during her civilian life corrosion has been a problem and a good deal of corrosion control has been necessary. She was then with C&P Aviation at Anoka County Airport, Minnesota. By 2011 was sold to a new owner and was under rebuild to airworthy at Tide Aircraft at Columbus, Mississippi. Her civil registration cancelled in 2013.
- Model: B-25J-20-NC
- Serial Number: 44-29127
- NAA Mfg. Number: 108-32402
- FAA Registration: None
- Mfg. Plant: Fairfax - Kansas City, Kansas
- Completion Date: August 28, 1944
- Delivery Date: September 1, 1944
- Status: Restoration
- Owner: Tide Aircraft
- Location: Columbus, Mississippi
- Website:
Photos
This page represents the most current information we have on this aircraft. The information above was last updated 09/2020 with information provided by Bob Haney. 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.