and Ron Kaplan, owner of Warbird Aviation Art, painted the Doolittle Raider crests on it, and the name.
The War Bird Shop in Madras says the plane is the oldest flying B-25 bomber in the world.
The mechanics found some surprising discoveries were made along the way.
“It’s amazing going into some of these aircraft. The one that just took off — as we were taking all the panels apart, we’d start to see signatures of the Rosie Riveters that put it together, in lead pencil in some cases.
Erickson's Warbird Shop is becoming the 'go-to' place for bomber maintenance and restoration, they have three B-17s and three B-25s!
and the story really takes off from their - Ron is also the founder and executive director of the Ohio Air & Space Hall of Fame (OASHF) and Learning Center
Ron’s father was a B-25 instructor pilot during WWII and kept flying after the war.
“We flew out of Ohio State [University]’s Don Scott Field [KOSU],” Kaplan said of his father, who had been the fencing coach at OSU and later, as a professor, was also able to rent the school’s aviation department aircraft.
[Former] Governor [Jim] Rhodes kept ‘Buckeye One,’ the state of Ohio’s C-53, there.
(Since I've never heard of a C -53, I had to look it up)
Douglas C-53, A military transport aircraft during World War II, a variant of the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner, specialized for carrying troops with bucket seats and a single entry door, lacking the large cargo door and reinforced floor of the more versatile C-47 Skytrain.Ron attended OSU for graphic design, started a lucrative T-Shirt career, and transitioned to full-time aviation art and writing, which led to him being recruited onto the staff of the National Aviation Hall of Fame (NAHF) in 1998.
He spent 19 years at the NAHF, making connections in the aviation world, especially in the warbird community, then founded the OASHF while simultaneously creating a business around aviation artwork, such as nose art painted on metal or stoneware coasters with images of WWII aircraft.
At the 1981 Doolittle Raider Association reunion in Columbus, Ohio Ron was introduced to General [Jimmy] Doolittle and the attending Raiders, and in 1992 he painted an A-2 flight jacket with the Raiders’ crest and an illustration of Doolittle’s B-25 and gifted it to them at their 50th reunion in Columbia, South Carolina.
His occupation and talent resulted in opportunities to know and work with many such legends and icons of aviation such as Joe Foss, Paul Tibbets, Robin Olds, Bob Hoover, Tex Hill, and dozens more.
https://www.centraloregondaily.com/news/madras/oldest-flying-b25-bomber-restored-madras-takes-flight/article_2ddda9a9-911b-4d90-b601-024fca73603f.html
The Ohio State University played an integral part in advancing the aeronautics field, while evolving into one of the nation’s premier aviation programs.
The university built a second airport on East Broad Street “near the country club,” while also using other local airports such as Sullivant Field on Neil Avenue.
In support of its pilot training program, the university, in May 1942, purchased property for the development of an airport. The new facility was located on the outskirts of town, seven miles north of campus in northwest Columbus.
It became a public-use airport in 1959 upon receipt of federal funding for runway improvements.
The Ohio State University played an integral part in advancing the aeronautics field, while evolving into one of the nation’s premier aviation programs.
Less than 14 years after the first flight, World War I created the need for qualified military pilots. In spring and summer 1917, the War Department established Schools of Military Aeronautics at eight universities, including The Ohio State University.
The School of Aeronautics opened to teach cadets aircraft construction and maintenance on May 21, 1917, when the first "squadron" or group of 16 cadets reported. As the story goes, the cadets built the aircraft in the aeronautics building, the planes would then be rolled down the hill to the field just east of the Olentangy River, where flight tests and training would ensue.
The School of Aeronautics opened to teach cadets aircraft construction and maintenance on May 21, 1917, when the first "squadron" or group of 16 cadets reported. As the story goes, the cadets built the aircraft in the aeronautics building, the planes would then be rolled down the hill to the field just east of the Olentangy River, where flight tests and training would ensue.
The university built a second airport on East Broad Street “near the country club,” while also using other local airports such as Sullivant Field on Neil Avenue.
In 1939, Ohio State was one of a number of universities that took part in the Civilian Pilot Training Program, sponsored by the Civil Aeronautics Administration, for the purpose of fostering private flying
The first plane to utilize the new airport landed at the field on November 5, 1942. The airport's first two buildings in the spring of 1943, and two 2,200 feet, hard-surfaced runways, taxiways, and aprons in early 1944. Ohio State began offering flight instruction in 1945.
Four Columbus women pilots formed a chapter of the Ninety-Nines organization in 1946. Helen Linn was the assistant coordinator of pilot training at KOSU in 1946.
Ruth Gouthey was Ohio State's first female flight instructor, and helped form the first Columbus chapter of the 99s.
In the 1970s, the University used Douglas DC-3s at the airport to transport university sports teams, faculty, and administration to and from Columbus.
It's now the 5th largest airport in the state of Ohio, and ranks fourth in Ohio in the number of take-offs and landings and within the top 100 general aviation airports nationally.
WOW! This might be one of your most interesting stories that I have seen on your site. As my old Rotor Head buddies would say, "You Done Good"
ReplyDeleteit has some really unexpected info, a B 25 flight instructor, became the fencing instructor, was renting the university aircraft... that's so damn bizarre... then, two of the 99s were on the flight instructor team, and this university used it's own DC3s to fly it's teams to away games.
DeleteI love what I do, I learn crazy stuff like this, and the panty raid bicycle up the flagpole. That's so bizarre, BUT, in my focus on things with wheels that are cool.
And so incredibly goofy and historic
oh, you meant the days stories... well, I sure was happy to find that panty raid bicycle... that's utterly the most bizarre thing I've ever heard a bike getting used for. Thanks for the appreciation and comment!
DeleteSome years ago I stopped in Madras, and Erickson's Aircraft Collection, on a road trip. Spent a bit of the day going up in an open cockpit 1930's Steerman. What a kick in the butt!..YaHooo!
ReplyDeleteThey have quite a few cool planes. I wanted to go back and fly in a P-38 Mustang, but they shipped it to Hawaii.
wow!
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