B-25 “Yellow Rose” Getting a New Paint Job

Last Thursday The -25  “Yellow Rose” of the Commemorative Air Force Central Texas Wing was flown to Waco for the new paint job. Once there a crew of  workers from the Centex Wing) took the control surfaces off so the paint can be stripped from the rest of the plane beginning Monday. Then the new paint will be applied. Accordingly to the Wing  by the end of September Yellow Rose will be sporting a new outfit.

B-25 Yellow Rose was built in 1943 as B-25J-5-NC, serial number 43-27868 on April 26, 1944 the aircraft was delivered, over one year before the end of World War II.IN May 1944 the aircraft was assigned to the 334th Bombardment Group of Third Air Force and later to the 331st AAF Base Unit which was aCombat Crew Replacement Training) 3rd AF, Greenville Army Air
Field (AAF), South Carolina. There were deployments to Myrtle Beach AAF, SC and Columbia.

The aircraft never seen combat February 1946: The Rose was placed in storage at the 4168th AAF Base Unit (Air Technical Service Command) at South Plains AAF, Texas. The airplane stayed there until April 1956 when it was flown to the Birmingham Modification Center where Hayes Aircraft Company converted it to a TB-25N and returned it to flying status. In 1958 it was placed in storage again until it was sold in 1959 for $ 2,500 to Fogle Aircraft out of Tucson,AZ where it received the registration number N9077Z modified for agricultural spraying and dusting.

Fast forward to 1975 the “Rose” was sold to John Stokes of San Marcos, TX. In 1979 the B-25 was acquired to the back then Confederate Air Force. As many CAF’s airplanes even “Yellow Rose” had up and downs, lots of storage time and not much flying. After four years, the aircraft was lovingly restored to WWII condition by members of the
Central Texas Wing and donated to the CAF in 1981. Literally thousands of man hours were donated over the four year period by the members of the Yellow Rose Squadron in order to bring the Rose back into full operational readiness. The restoration project met numerous problems including the lack of parts and, of course, lack of funds. With the help of dedicated aviation enthusiasts throughout the state of Texas and the skill of volunteer craftsmen, the plane was again ready to fly.

Below four initial stages of the painting process: washing, masking, spraying and polish the surface of the aircraft.

Click HERE to visit the B-25 ‘Yellow Rose” website.