Military Restoration

The present day Panchito, B-25J, serial number 44-30734, was manufactured by North American Aviation, Kansas City, Kansas. This B-25 was delivered to the U. S. Army Air Force (USAAF) on February 16, 1945. It was transferred to Garden City Army Air Field (AAF), Kansas. In April 1945, the B-25J was sent to the 4168th AAF Base Unit, South Plains AAF, Texas for storage. The B-25J was transferred to the 3575th Pilot Training Wing in Enid, Oklahoma (later it became Vance AFB) in 1948 where it remained until it went through the Hayes conversion to a TB-25N in 1952.



After the conversion, the B-25J was assigned to the 3560th Basic Training Wing at James Connolly Air Force Base (AFB), Texas. The B-25J remained there until it was transferred to the Air National Guard (ANG) 102nd Radar Calibration Flight, Westchester, New York in March 1954. From Westchester, the B-25J was transferred to the 137th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (ANG) at Charleston AFB, South Carolina. In September 1957, the B-25J was transferred to the 115th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (ANG), Van Nuys, California. Finally, the B-25J ended it military career in May 1958 when it was sent to the Arizona Aircraft Storage Branch, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. In December 1959, the B-25J was dropped from inventory as surplus. 

This is where the civilian history of B-25J, serial number 44-30734, begins when it is sold to a civilian fire fighting business.