BelgianAviationNews

2013-06-11

Mitchell 44-30925 found a new home.

Monday May 27th, 2013 the B-25 Mitchell 44-30925 moved from Grimbergen to Gembloux (Belgium)

Acquired in 2005 thanks to a fund raising campaign organized by the bamf, the aircraft arrived in Belgium in June 2005. From 2008, the paint was removed on the airframe and anti corrosion processes were applied sparing years of manual operations and permitting a safe storage of the aircraft.

In 2010, an agreement was found with the Recreatief Vliegveld Grimbergen to store the aircraft. Unfortunately for environment reasons, it was impossible to start restoration activities there.

A quest for a suitable location and spare parts then started.

In 2011, one of the volunteers of the original B-25 team acquired a workshop in an industrial building in Gembloux in the heart of one of the most dynamic region of Belgium. An herculean work started to setup the place ready to welcome the Mitchell. A new organization the Belgian Aircraft Preservation association (BAPA) was funded to group the persons taking an active part in the project. The Bamf continued to support the project.

In 2013, a first transport was organized. The main spar and parts of the Mitchell arrived in Gembloux. Due to bad weather and the works still to be done in Gembloux, the final move was postponed to 2013. Incredible progresses were done with storage space being increased and a sand blasting machine being installed. Learning from the past, security, procedures and decent working conditions were in the priorities.

To avoid any administrative problems the ownership of the Mitchell was transferred to BAPA in December 2012. Although no communication was done about the new organization, some new and skilled talented volunteers already joined.

On Sunday May 26^th, 2013 a small team went to Grimbergen to prepare 44-30925 for her next travel.

The ferry was successful and all the parts of the aircraft are now reunited in the new workshop of the BAPA.

The restoration can now start. BAPA is still looking for parts, tools (an air compressor and metalworking tools are on the high priority list), money and motivated volunteers to work on this projects and new ones we have already secured.

You can contribute via the bamf (please mention "Don B-25) from http://www.bamf.be/?Help_us

You can contact the BAPA via yduwelz@gmail.com vincent.jacobs.tipsy@gmail.com or campion@cfigroup.be

BAPA plan an official inauguration on her workshop soon.

Past events of the project http://www.bamfbamrs.be/B25/B25-en.htm

B-25 arrival at Gembloux 2013 05

		Pictures taken by Laurent, Eric, Robert and Gael during the transfert of the B-25 from Grimbergen to Gembloux on May 26 and 26th, 2013. 109 photos,

New book : B-25 Factory time by Wim Nijenhuis

I must confess I buy and read too much books. Some books I have forgotten the next day I have read them and a few ones are on the list of the best books I ever read or ever acquired.

Today Daniel and I we had the privilege to attend the presentation of the last book of Wim Nijeuhuis. Wim already offered us 3 reference books about the B-25 Mitchell. There are already a lot of good books about this great aircraft. This one is really different and unique.

Most of the time, the story of an aircraft is a sum of operations, heroic actions, list of operators but the peoples who manufactured these aeroplanes are totally forgotten.

One of the important part of what was then known as the arsenal of Liberty was the incredible capability of the Americans and the United States to manufacture machines like the B-25 to equip the air forces of the USA, United Kingdom, Netherland of USSR. Transforming a relatively unknown company as North American Aviation into a so effective organization needed to be narrated. The role played by the different specialists from the management to the most obscure worker is described. Aspects as the building of the factories are also covered.

During World War 2, pictures was used as well for technical reasons, for boasting the morale on all fronts but also to recruit workers. Wim exploited this treasure at the best. The book is illustrated by numerous pictures many never published before.

North American Aviation and B-25 Mitchell advertising are also included as well the aspect of the technical manuals.

This book is definitively on my short list of my preferred aviation books.

If World War 2 or the warbirds are not your preferred topics, this unique book about all the aspects of the manufacturing of an aircraft with a so rich illustration should anyway be soon in your library.

B-25 Factory time, illustrated history of the North American Aviation plants at Inglewood and Kansas City and the B-25 assembly lines. Wim Nijenhuis. Media Primair Modelbouw BV ISBN 978-90-8616-304-5 45 Euro 190 Pages more than 700 pictures

See http://www.b-25factorytimes.nl/index-us.html

A special thanks for the warm welcome from our Dutch friends and to the fantastic Soesterberg Air Museum.