Catch-22 B-25 Paint, Markings, Etc.

• Turrets: Each B-25 had a Martin turret shell mounted onto the fuselage: on three airplanes they were mounted aft of the wing (N1203, N9451Z, N9452Z) and the other fifteen had them mounted forward. The turrets sat noticiably higher in their mount because they were attached to the fuselage exterior. Rather than cutting holes in the fuselage or cutting the Plexiglas covers down, the covers were mounted on plywood and bolted to the fuselage exterior. This made the process much simpler. The turrets are not seen to move in the film, nor are they ever manned with gunners and/or dummies.

• Turrets: The two B-25 cameraships, N1203 and N1042B, also had turret shells mounted but they were removed during the filming process due to buffeting induced by the turrets.

• Waist and tail guns: This is not a gunner movie as the tail guns and waist guns are not seen to be manned during the film. The only aft gunner shown in the film is the injured gunner who lets it all hang out.

• Crew Arrangement: There is always alot more room in a studio B-25 than in the real airplane and for one sequence the B-25 navigator (Charles Grodin) has a spacious work station aft of the cockpit that seems to be missing in the real airplane.

• Paint: The 18 B-25s were finished in accurate AAF camouflage schemes. Tallman or somebody had the knowledge to mix up the schemes as would be represented in an actual bomb group with airplanes coming from different sources. Some had two shade schemes and others had variations on the standard scheme. The 17 B-25s prepared at Orange County departed looking pristine but studio effects worked to weather the schemes, and the natural conditons at Guaymas no doubt added to the effects.

• The only exceptions to the "accurate" AAF schemes would be the scene with the VIP B-25 (N10V) with its distinctive paint and markings, but that was the point. The other exception were the eight or so M+M B-25s with two-toned gray camouflage applied in Mexico during the filming.

• National insignia: All the B-25s carried standard (and accurate) U.S. insignia for the 1943-1944 time period, another nod to, probably, Tallman and/or Tallmantz Aviation.

• Serial numbers: All the U.S. B-25s had their civil registration numbers painted on the vertical stabilizers in roughly the location of where the military serial would have been applied. Once in Mexico, the "N" was painted out and replaced with a "0" or "1" or "3"; thus, N9451Z became 39451Z. This process was quick and easy and only noticed by the ones paying more attention to the airplanes than the movie itself. It had a bonus feature of making the airplanes much easier to identify some forty years later. The M+M B-25s carried no serial numbers or civil registration numbers (even once back in the U.S.), for that matter. Not sure how they got away with that.

  

• Tail codes: Each of the B-25s received a squadron tail code once in Mexico. The tail codes were painted in large white figures on the upper part of the vertical stabilizers. The codes started with the squadron number of "6" and a letter suffix was added to represent individual airplanes. For example, N1203 became "6A" for the filming. The codes remained consistent through the filming. The only exception is that N9452Z carried both "6W" and also "6V", a duplicate for N9451Z (also "6V", and the "starring airplane, Dumbo). Both had aft turrets fitted, so perhaps it was a stand in for a scene? The actual Tallmantz flight schedules referred to the airplanes by their tail numbers and their squadron codes in the schedules. It was an easy way to pick out the airplanes. The squadron codes were not repeated elsewhere on the airplanes.

  

• Nose art and aircraft names: Most of the B-25s had garish nose art and descriptive names added by studio artists once in Mexico. Somewhat contrary to the normal wartime practice, the art was added to both sides of the airplane in a nearly identical fashion. The themes varied from the mundane (Superman) to the vulgar (Free, Fast, and Ready) and the nose art followed the lead. Most of the nose art of the female variety was crude both in style and execution. But, though the nose art is a notable feature of the film, but never featured. It is just there in the background in a prominent way. Several of the airplanes were unnamed and unmarked save for the squadron patch (nude girl riding a bomb) applied to each side of the nose. Only one documented name change can be found: Abombinable Snowman became Laiden Maiden during the filming. Also, Miss Renee may have applied to N8195H (one of the unmarked airplanes) as this has been reported but no view of this airplane so marked can be seen in the film and no other record has surfaced.

  

• Other markings: The balance of markings on the B-25s were limited to red propeller warning stripes painted on the fuselages, and mission markings added to the fuselage nose in the vicininty (sometimes over, sometimes under) the nose art and/or name.

Back to the Tallmantz Main Page

Back to the Aero Vintage Home Page

Updated: 08/13/09