B-25 Yellow Rose - first photos

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:20 am

These few photos were taken when we first acquired the B-25 from John Stokes.
I think some might have been the first work day on her. The initial work started, as
best as I can recall after all this time, around November of 1977.

Side view of the B-25 soon-to-be-named the "Yellow Rose". Nosed up to John Stokes'
CenTex Aviation hangar in San Marcos. This was the only one of three smaller wooden
hangars from the WWII era. Since has been torn down and a smaller metal on erected.

Rear view, looking at the hangar. She was in some kind of shape, huh?

Looking at her from inside the hangar. You can see the "Dothan Aviation Corp,
Dothan, Alabama" logo on the side, with the black bar in the center that says
"Wheeless Airport". Yes, when we got her, the Rose had a hard nose, but looking at the
metal colors, I don't think it was original to her.

The following Spring, we started removing the old paint. On the ground, to the left, is
Ray Harper. To the Right, Merkle Williams, and his head visible up on the stand, is
Claude Vaughn.

Looking from the other side of the tail. I believe it was Merkle Williams on the left,
Ray Harper in the middle, and Claude Vaughn on the right. The four of us had "fun"
with a lot of stripper.

The glass nose had been installed by now. This was Spring '78. Pictured is Claude Vaughn
on the stand, and Ray Harper on the ground.

She wasn't always as pretty as she is today! The years of crop dusting (Myrex dropping) had
taken their toll.

Holedigger · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:54 am

She's come a long ways! Hmmmm, all that stripper on the ground, bet the EPA would have a problem with that today! And lets not forget OSHA, no respiratory gear? :shock:

Ahhhh, the good old days :wink:

The Inspector · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 2:40 pm

"squirt some MEK on that cut and get back to work"

the330thbg · **Joined:** Wed Nov 14, 2007 3:06 pm **Posts:** 2713

The Inspector wrote:

"squirt some MEK on that cut and get back to work"

LMAO

Obergrafeter · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 7:25 pm

What enviormental hazard? Turco is some of the finest fertilizer know to man!

Pogo · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 8:10 pm

Mike, keep them old photos coming, man, they're wonderful!! :rolleyes:

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 10:09 pm

The story I was told was a ahh guy landed with a glass nose B-25 looking for a soild nose so he ahh could carry more aah stuff and not be notice so they traded out. I also noticed John's P-38 in the back ground as well.....

Lynn

gary1954 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 10:29 pm

Looking at her from inside the hangar. You can see the "Dothan Aviation Corp,
Dothan, Alabama" logo on the side, with the black bar in the center that says
"Wheeless Airport". Yes, when we got her, the Rose had a hard nose, but looking at the
metal colors, I don't think it was original to her.

The photo I have of her taken at the Wheelless, she looks pretty much the same then as here in this dated photo.
Thanks for sharing her with us.

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 02, 2009 11:58 pm

Lynn, that's just one of those old romantic stories! Not the case at all, even though John did sell 9G to a guy who apparently hauled from the south for one trip, then abandoned it in FL. John was able to buy it back from the sheriff or something.

I think John might have had that nose at his warehouse. I know he had a bunch of noses, including a lot of A-26 ones.

gary1954 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 03, 2009 11:07 pm

bluehawk15 wrote:

Lynn, that's just one of those old romantic stories! Not the case at all, even though John did sell 9G to a guy who apparently hauled from the south for one trip, then abandoned it in FL. John was able to buy it back from the sheriff or something.

I think John might have had that nose at his warehouse. I know he had a bunch of noses, including a lot of A-26 ones.

43-27868 B-25J-5-NC ex-N9077Z at Wheelless Airport, Dothan, Alabama circa 1974 From Collection of Gary Lewis

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 04, 2009 11:13 am

Thanks Gary! I wonder if the one whose tail is showing just past the "ROSE" is the one that is now "MAID IN THE SHADE"?

Sure wish I'd have taken more photos back then, like the A-26 that John bought out of El Salvador, painted in lizzard camo (over the old CAF Bomb Wing markings!).

gary1954 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 04, 2009 11:56 am

The blue capped stabilizer is 9552Z

bluehawk15 · **Posted:** Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:30 pm

9552Z is the B-25 that went on to become the "Maid in the Shade"! It was also at San Marcos, having been bought by John Stokes, and brought to San Marcos at the same time as the Yellow Rose was. I think Vernon Thorpe flew N9552Z to San Marcos for John.

Would you happen to have any photos of 52Z?

Holedigger · **Posted:** Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:00 pm

Looks like Wheelless Field was an interesting place once upon a time. The "Little Known/Abandoned Airfields site has some cool old aerial pics of it with B-17s, B-25s PVs and looks like some old propliners as well.
http://www.members.tripod.com/airfields ... _AL_SE.htm

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:48 pm

bluehawk15 wrote:

Lynn, that's just one of those old romantic stories! Not the case at all, even though John did sell 9G to a guy who apparently hauled from the south for one trip, then abandoned it in FL. John was able to buy it back from the sheriff or something.

I think John might have had that nose at his warehouse. I know he had a bunch of noses, including a lot of A-26 ones.

Roger that, Don Woodham always told good stories. Oh and he rebuilt the nose section during the rebuild....

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B-25 Yellow Rose - first photos

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