Swim, anyone? Catch-22 cockpit in water.

[Jerry O'Neill]

I found this on Ebay and the item is listed as a production still from "Catch-22".
It looks like actor Bob Babalan in the cockpit, but I was wonder what nose art was on the aircraft and if it matched the one his character Lt. Orr was flying when he ditched. Also, does this cockpit still exist?
Any thoughts?
Jerry
full 8x10 still:


Close-up of cockpit and nose art:

[Stoney]

That sure wasn't done in Mexico

[The Inspector]

Anyone got the part number of those ANCO car windshield wipers?

[Chris Brame]

Nose art is Abombinable Snowman, per the Aero Vintage site.

[gary1954]

Awesome find, wonder what else is out there

[Jerry O'Neill]

Thanks for the nose art heads up!
I haven't found anything like this photo before from "Catch-22". Now, I know that they shot a lot of footage that wasn't used in the film, so I can only guess that this is of Lt. Orr making one of his "practice" ditchings or it might be the final one...who knows?!
Maybe it just was left on the cutting room floor.
Jerry

[gary1954]

I remember when I used to read **cough...puke** air classics, they had an article on the Catch 22 air force. it was reported in that article that thousands of feet of footage went to the cutting room floor.

I ponder, can anyone identify this cockpit section as being definitive and distinct to the H and J model airframe and how does it differ from the B, C, or D models. Could it be a left over from 30 Seconds over Tokyo??

[TonyM]

That footage was not in the movie.
Too Bad.
TM

[The Inspector]

I remember when I used to read **cough...puke** air classics, they had an article on the Catch 22 air force. it was reported in that article that thousands of feet of footage went to the cutting room floor.

I ponder, can anyone identify this cockpit section as being definitive and distinct to the H and J model airframe and how does it differ from the B, C, or D models. Could it be a left over from 30 Seconds over Tokyo??

It looks like a post war HAYES modded cockpit glazed area so doubt it was a back lot spider home from 1943.

[Ken]

You bring up an interesting question Gary.

What caught my attention was the center frame for the forward-most roof window (the one that is most often tinted green and is one-piece in postwar birds). The second head scratch was the lack of a circular rivet pattern where the top turret for an H/J would have been patched over despite the new square opening in the photo. However, a look at the rivet lines doesn't show where a B/C/D type Navigator window would have been faired over forward of the wing leading edge; admittedly that would have been easier to disguise.

Soooo ... although common sense would say postwar J, I think you may have something there by asking about early B/C/D. The lack of armored pilot's windshield and cockpit armor plate are easy enough to explain, but I imagine either a top turret or Nav's side window had to have been removed to make this configuration. And not sure why they would've added a center frame to the overhead window unless they simply had to. Any possible chance this is the TN Museum of Aviation nose? Or how about a post-war TB-25D?

Ken

[gary1954]

Any possible chance this is the TN Museum of Aviation nose? Or how about a post-war TB-25D?

Ken

I had heard this as well. I would have to see a better photo of the TN nose/cockpit section, I have never seen a real god shot of it; let alone the top of it. It would be worth comparison...Post war B-25D ... interesting....but the real question is what frickin' serial numbered B-25 did these come from? these being the subject Cockpit section and the one currently being held hostage in that nice air conditioned museum in Tennessee? which airframes! Which Airframes!!??

[Steven M. Dennis]

If you scroll down the page about halfway to the July 2004 update of Scott Thompson's GREAT web site, you will see a shot that I took of Tennessee B-25, but unfortunately it is of the right side so it's not a real good comparison. I will have to do some digging to see if I have any of the left side and maybe a little closer view. It looks to me like the glass nose is not original to the cockpit as they are painted two different colors of olive drab. Sure would be neat to find out if these are one and the same.

http://www.aerovintage.com/b25news2.htm

I will see if I have a better angle for comparison unless someone beats me to it.

Steve

edit... Actually the 2003 update has a left side view. Not sure if that is my pic or not though....

http://www.aerovintage.com/b25news1.htm

[Jerry O'Neill]

Not knowing much myself about the windshield wipers on the B-25 in the Movie Still, there seems to be some type of fitting or post in about the same location on the Tennessee cockpit. Same bird?
jerry

[Chris Brame]

Two more photos on this thread:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=46453&hilit=tennessee+museum

Mantz did buy a B-25D (43-3376/N7493C) in 1956 for which there is no further record; maybe it's this one from No Time for Sergeants:
http://pics.imcdb.org/0is72/snapshot201 ... 137.38.jpg
http://pics.imcdb.org/0is697/snapshot20 ... 9.7540.jpg

[gary1954]

Thank you Chris, but this is Definitely not the same cockpit. Great photo though. Might I snatch it for my collection?