Partially disassembled B-25 in Russia ...

[Mark Allen M]

Anyone know which B-25 this is? ... Not much info other than it's stated it sat in a storage building in what was the former Soviet Union for several years and then was overhauled back to flight condition and flown around to a few different Soviet air fields to be put on display as some sort of 'war prize' from the USA. Not sure when this photo was taken (possibly the 70's or 80's?) or exactly where in Russia but I wonder if it's still around. Hmmm interesting indeed.

[JohnB]

Why would the Russians paint a B-25 in early USAAC markings?
Some sort of film on the Doolittle raid?

[Ken]

I feel certain we've seen this one before and it was not in Russia. Given the boxed carb air intakes it's a very post-war TB-25. Given the early style star and the serial starting in 40, it is a Doolittle wanna be (but by someone who forgot the painted serial never used the first digit "4") Who remembers the story?

Ken

[Mark Allen M]

Why would the Russians paint a B-25 in early USAAC markings?
Some sort of film on the Doolittle raid?

Good question. Here's another shot from the same 'Confiscated B-25 in Russia' file. Same airplane? different time? different scheme? ... or lack of. baffling!!!

[RyanShort1]

Wrong waist window for a B-25B. Interesting, though.

[Mark Allen M]

Upon a little more internet 'digging' there indeed seemed to have been a Russian movie made regarding the Doolittle Raiders titled "Guests of the Kremlin". It seems there was controversy surrounding Plane No. 8, which landed in the Soviet Union. The plane was the only one of 16 B-25's to stray from its orders to fly to China after bombing Japan. Low on fuel, it landed in the Soviet Union, which was closer than China. Jimmy Doolittle specifically had told the Raiders not to fly to Russia.The Soviets held the plane's crew for a year before the airmen finally escaped through what is now Iran. The crew members referred to themselves as "guests of the Kremlin." hence the movie title. Nolan Herndon was Plane #8's navigator, bombardier and gunner. Herndon believes that unbeknownst to him at the time, the plane was on a secret mission to test the Soviet Union's resolve as an ally. Herndon says that pilot Edward "Ski" York, a West Point graduate and the crew's executive officer, along with co-pilot Bob Emmens were under top secret orders that died with the two men after the war. The Russians found this story to be fascinating and decided to make a movie of this story during the cold war. Sounds like a propaganda type thing to me. No reason to believe this particular B-25 (wherever it came from originally) was not used in the film.

My 2 cents

[Chris Brame]

Why would the Russians paint a B-25 in early USAAC markings?
Some sort of film on the Doolittle raid?

Good question. Here's another shot from the same 'Confiscated B-25 in Russia' file. Same airplane? different time? different scheme? ... or lack of. baffling!!!

It's starting to look like "internet hoax" time - don't know about the first one (I posted about it here before) but the second looks like 43-28222/N5256V, the former Cisco air tanker now on display at Hurlbert Field.

[Mark Allen M]

1st of April on the east coast (US) isn't it?

[Chris Brame]

Well, now it is...

[Coert Munk]

Wasn't it Fools Day two days ago...?

[Mark Allen M]

Wasn't it Fools Day two days ago...?

Your two days late ...

[DH82EH]

I'm never late!
I can make a fool of myself any day!!

Andy

[Dave Lindauer]

The only survivor that I know of in Russia is the B-25D at Monino. Of course the pictured a/c is not it.