Well, hold on a minute. First of all, thanks for chiming in on the thread August, I kinda hoped for that. But wait before changing too much as maybe things aren't quite as simple as they look. I was in touch with Mark (b747cf) who provided a bigger scan of the tail of the B-25 in your photo #26. And guess what, the N# proudly says N543VT. You can find the photo in his album. The last photo in the album is the larger scan of the 9th photo there. Funnily, the huge N# N543VT is missing in your photo #27 whereas it was quite distinct in Budd Davisson's images.
https://plus.google.com/photos/11545711 ... 1540947489So now we have two B-25s which have worn the same N#, which by itself is okay. I did check both the WIX registry and Goodall's online directory, and none of those refer to the reg. being used for more than one B-25. As I don't have the FAA files on any B-25 I can't go into the finer details of the N#, although I think Goodall has used a lot of FAA data for his directory of which the WIX registry is modeled.
This means that either there has been an N# mix- up, or they were trying to pull a fast one. Insurance scam or drug- run, who knows. I tried to google Daniel Jackson of Seymour, TX who apparently owned a B-25 regd. N543VT after Burchinal, and found that a Daniel B. Jackson of Seymour also owned (past tense) a pair of T-28s and a DC-3. Unfortunately the same search also found a Dr. Daniel B. Jackson of Seymour, TX who passed away in 1989 while in his early 50s. So if that is "our" Jackson he can't be reached for further info.
For now I have two distinct hunches, but nothing more than that. Let's start with the one that was N543VT back in the early 70s when Davisson did his type rating. I'll refer to that one as the "white top", and the other as the "yellow cowl".
The "white top" is 44-86698 ex- RCAF 5248 CF-NWU which later bacame N543VT.
Seen as CF-NWU here:
http://www.na3t.org/
As N543VT for Budd Davisson here:
Without visible N# by August (k5083) in 1977:
As C-GUNO by Martin Simpson's site:
http://www.a-26invader.co.uk
From this photographic journey you can see the many similarities that makes me believe that this is the one the registry/ directory says is 44-86698 N543VT. Note the antennas and astro dome it wore until at least 1977, as well as the lack of the tail gunners glazing and structure. This remains up till the fire bomber photo.
That leaves "yellow cowl" which also wore the reg. N543VT. I believe this to be 44-29507 which was N3698G, was/wasn't N543VT, then N320SQ before migrating onto the Dutch register as PH-XXV.
Seen here as N3698G Opa Locka, FL early 70s by Larry Johnson:
Seen here as "N543VT" Kissimmee, FL July 12, 1979 by Paul Thallon:
Another one as "N543VT" also in Kissimmee, FL date unknown by Mark Fidler:
As N320SQ from Warbirds Worldwide #14 photo by Heijo Kuil:
As PH-XXV at Wings and wheels at Dunsfold, UK 2014 by Neil Randell:
I have been going over photos left, right and center to find a B-25 which has some of the subtle details this airframe possesses, and this is what I found. Note the bracket (or whatever it is) below the co- pilots side window. This is repeated on the left side as well. Note also the small opening/ window inside the circular hatch on the rear fuselage. I found a couple of static Mitchells which had the bracket, and none which featured this particular rear fuselage hatch. Apart from 44-29507 that is.
Note also this synopsis from the WIX registry:
History:
Delivered to U.S. Army Air Force as 44-29507, 19??.
- Stored at Davis Monthan AFB, AZ, April 1958.
Fogle Aircraft Inc, Tucson, AZ, July 22, 1959.
- Registered as N3698G.
- Acquired for @1,398.
- Certificate of airworthines issues, November 19, 1959.
- Total time on airframe, 6197 hours.
Aero Enterprises, Elkhart, IN, November 25, 1959-1962.
Verco Tropical Fisheries, Columbus, OH, March 15, 1962-1966.
- Modified with cargo hold fitted to bombay, Michigan City, IN, December 1962.
Robert R. Johnson, Fort Lauderdale, FL, February 23, 1966.
Austin Williams, West Palm Beach, FL, 1968-1972.
Ernest G. Trapaga, Redondo Beach, CA, July 1972-1974.
I.N. "Junior" Burchinall, Paris, TX, September 1974-1979.
Rayez Adeline/Reyline Aviation, Kissimee, FL, November 1979-1981.
Donald R. Webber/Aerial Solutions Inc, Baton Rouge, LA, June 1981-1989.
- Flew as Cochise.
Duke Of Brabant Air Force, Netherlands, June 6, 1989.
Amho Corp, Wilmington, DE, December 1989-2009.
- Registered as N320SQ, January 25, 1990.Note the underlined part. Reyline Aviation is/ was based in Kissimmee, FL right in our time frame, and was as I mentioned in an earlier thread connected to Tom Reilly. So I guess I ought to ask again if any WIX'er knows him, and can shed some more light on these B-25s.
To Mark (b747cf): Just out of curiosity, what is the inscription below the circular hatch in your photo of "yellow cowl" from Kissimmee?
T J
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