Warbird Information Exchange

This B-25J Mitchell (TB-25K) was displayed at the Big Kahuna Water Park in Ft. Walton Beach (Destin) in northwest Florida as late as 2004? (See below)
Any recent updates?

History per the WIX Registry:
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b25regis ... 86844.html

Delivered to U.S. Army Air Force as 44-86844, 19??.
- Stored, Davis Monthan AFB, AZ, August 1958-1959.
Donald E. Davis, Avalon, CA, April 29, 1959-1963.
- Registered as N3453G.
- Converted for cargo hauling, January 1960.
- Fitted with Left waist door.
Aero Enterprises Inc, La Porte, IN, April 1963.
Arthur Jones, Slidell, LA, April 1963-1970.
Reported derelict, New Orleans-Lakefront, LA, 1968-1977.
New Orleans Lakefront Airport Authority, 19?/.
R.W. Hamilton/Hamilton Agricultural Machinery Museum, Petal, MS, 1980-1996.
- Trucked to Petal, MS.
- Displayed in RCAF style scheme.
- Engines runable.
- Stored, 1998.
Jay Wisler/Warbird Parts & Memorabilia, Tampa, FL, September 1996-1998.
Big Kahuna Waterpark, Destin, FL, 1998-2004.
- Displayed on pole above water ride as 362436 "Jungle Queen/Air Kahuna".
Glen Hyde, Roanoke, TX, 2005.
- Transported by truck to Roanoke, TX.
- Stored pending restoration.
Training Services Inc/The Fighter Factory, Virginia Beach, VA, October 4, 2005-2015.

Noticed this below:
"Mar 1, 2013 - B-25 Forward Fuselage for Sale On ebay: A strange item appeared ... of TB-25N 44-86844 (N3453G), of ex yellow water park Air Kahuna fame."

and another WIX thread regarding it's ebay sale back in 2012:
viewtopic.php?p=457093

Scott Thompson states below in this WIX thread:
http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... p?p=403818
"According to information as posted in my August 2014 B-25 News page, this airframe has long been mis-identified and is actually TB-25K 44-30497. The forward fuselage is being incorporated into the Sandbar Mitchell restoration. see also the June 2014 B-25 News update."


North American B-25J Mitchell '362436' at the Air Kahuna Water Park. Photo: Unknown


North American B-25J Mitchell '362436' at the Air Kahuna Water Park (1998) Photo: The Aviation Photo Company


North American B-25J Mitchell '362436' at the Air Kahuna Water Park post storm damage. Photo: Airliners.net

_________________
Zero Surprise!!...

Thanks Mark

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

I use to drive by that bird at least twice a week for years until it was damaged during one of the hurricanes and disappeared. I thought it had been scrapped! But then again a local story had the following blurb "Big Kahuna’s former icon of 10 years, a B-25 WWII bomber that is now retired to the Jimmy Doolittle Air and Space Museum in China."

So after reading the above links and all it's great to see that the ole gal didn't end up being made into beer cans!

_________________
Mike in Florida
TSgt USAF Retired
Jan 86 - Sept 08
Aircrew Life Support
"Your Life Is Our Business"
(122X0, 1T1X1, 1P0X1)
NRA Life Member

I saw her when she can't of long been up the pole at the water park, Dec '98, she was still wearing the spurious RCAF colours.

_________________
Martin
Wide open & turning left.