B-25 Mitchell aircraft in Catch-22 (film)

When "Catch-22" began preliminary production, Paramount made a decision to hire the Tallmantz Aviation organization to obtain sufficient B-25 Mitchell bomber aircraft to recreate a Mediterranean wartime base as depicted in the Joseph Heller novel of the same name. Tallmantz president, Frank G. Tallman ended up finding war-surplus aircraft, and eventually gathered not only pilots to fly the aircraft but also a ground support crew to maintain the fleet. [ Farmer 1972, p. 22.]

Aircraft

The "Catch-22"'s budget could only accommodate 17 flyable B-25 Mitchells, and an additional non-flyable hulk was acquired in Mexico, made barely ferry-able and flown with landing gear down to the Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico filming location, only to be burned and destroyed in the landing crash scene. The wreck was then buried in the ground next to the runway, where it remains to this day.

Paramount planned to film the " Catch-22" aerial sequences for six weeks but the production required three months to shoot and the bombers flew a total of about 1,500 hours. They would appear on screen for 12 minutes.

Fifteen of the 18 bombers used in the film still remain intact, including one on display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. [ [http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/NAB-25.htm North American B-25J-20NC (TB-25N) Mitchell Carol Jean] ]

* 6A B-25H-1NA "43-4513" (N1203), Olive Drab B-25C, Unknown - Camera ship

* 6B B-25J-30NC "44-86843" (N3507G), " Passionette Paulette 03507G ", Olive Drab B-25J, [http://www.grissomairmuseum.com/airexib/planes/B25JBomber.html Grisson AFB] , Indiana (D)

* 6C B-25J-25NC "44-29939" (N9456Z), (girl on bomb) 09456Z ", Camouflage B-25J [http://www.maam.org/airshow/b25.htm Mid-Atlantic Air Museum] , Reading, PA (A)

* 6D B-25J-30NC "44-31032" (N3174G), " Free, Fast and Ready 13174G ", Olive Drab B-25J [http://marchairmuseum.com/ March AFB] , CA (D)

* 6F B-25J-15NC "43-28925" (N7687G), " Superman ", [http://www.cavanaughflightmuseum.com/Mitchell.htm Cavanaugh Flight Museum] , Addison, TX (A)

* 6G B-25J-5NC "43-28204" (N9856C), " Booby Trap 39856C ", Olive Drab B-25J, [http://www.aerotrader.net/ Aero Traders] , Chino, CA (A)

* 6H B-25J-25NC "44-30748" (N8195H), " Miss Renee 38195H ", Camouflage B-25J,, [http://www.b25.net/pages/b25story.html Milan S. Pupich] , Van Nuy, CA (A)

* 6I B-25J-30NC "44-30925" (N9494Z), " Laden Maiden ", Desert Tan B-25J, [http://www.bamfbamrs.be/B25/B25-en.htm Brussels Air Museum Foundation] , Belgium (R)

* 6J B-25J-30NC "44-86701" (N7681C), " Annzas " - 25 missions, Camouflage B-25J, Musee de l'Air, Paris - Destroyed Hanger Fire

* 6K B-25J-25NC "44-30801" (N3699G), " Vestal Virgin 13699G ", Olive Drab B-25J, [http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b25registry/b25-4430801.html American Aeronautical Foundation] , Camarillo, CA (A)

* 6M B-25J-20NC "44-29366" (N9115Z), " aBominable Snowman ", Olive Drab B-25J, [http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/collections/aircraft/north-american-tb-25-j-mitchell.cfm RAF Bomber Command Museum] , London (D)

* 6N B-25H-1NA "43-4432" (N10V), " Berlin Express 410V ", Camouflage B-25J, [http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collection/aircraft/North%20American%20B-25H%20Mitchell.asp#TopOfPage EAA museum] , Oshkosh, WI (D)

* 6Q B-25J-25NC "44-30077" (N2849G), " The Denver Dumper ", Olive Drab B-25J, Pacific Aviation Museum, Honolulu, HI (D)

* 6S B-25J-35NC "44-8843" (XB-HEY), Camouflage B-25C Destroyed

* 6V B-25J-25NC "44-30493" (N9451Z), " Dumbo 39451Z ", Olive Drab B-25C, [http://www.warbirdregistry.org/b25registry/b25-4430493.html Malmstrom AFB] CA (D)

* 6W B-25J-25NC "44-30649" (N9452Z), " Hot Pants 32452Z ", B-25C, Maxwell AFB (D)

* 6Y B-25J-20NC "44-29887" (N10564), " Luscious Lulu " 19 missions,Olive Drab, [http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/NAB-25.htm NASM] , Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, VI (D)

* 6? B-25J-25NC "44-30823" (N1042B), (nude on bomb) Olive Drab - Camera ship [http://b25.org/History.html Jim Terry] , Fort Worth, TX (A)

* B-25J Dumbo, nose section [http://www.tnairmuseum.com Tennessee Air Museum] , Sevierville, TN (D)
All the B-25s had the tip of the vertical stabilizer painted blue.

For the film, mock upper turrets were installed. To represent different models several aircraft had the turrets installed behind the wings representing early (B-25C/D type) aircraft. Initially, the camera ships also had the mock turrets installed, but problems with buffeting required their removal.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Dolan Edward F. Jr. "Hollywood Goes to War". London: Bison Books, 1985. ISBN 0-86124-229-7.
* Farmer, James H. "The Catch-22 Air Force." "Air Classics", Volume 8, No. 14, December 1972.
* Harwick, Jack and Schnepf, Ed. "A Viewer's Guide to Aviation Movies". "The Making of the Great Aviation Films", General Aviation Series, Volume 2, 1989.
* Oriss, Bruce. "When Hollywood Ruled the Skies: The Aviation Film Classics of World War II". Hawthorne, California: Aero Associates Inc., 1984. ISBN 0-9613088-0-X.

External links

* [http://www.warbirdregistry.org/B25registry/B25registry.html Warbird Registry]
* [http://www.aerovintage.com/N1203.htm Catch-22 Camera Aircraft history]
* [http://www.aerovintage.com/b25loc.htm B-25 survivors]
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